The UW-Oshkosh football team has taken over the Campus Center for Equity and Diversity, which was put on the market in January 2025 but never sold.

By December 2025, the university’s Chief of Staff Alex Hummel put out a statement to answer questions about the building’s future, which confirmed that it had been occupied by the football team.

“UW-Oshkosh football has occupied a portion of space in the former UWO Center for Equity and Diversity, 717 West Irving St.,” Hummel said. “This reuse requires little to no renovation and provides the coaching staff more room to support the program after a couple of seasons searching for additional program space beyond the Oshkosh Sports Complex.”

Hummel’s statement said that in 2024, UWO relocated the Center for Student Success and Belonging staff from the Center for Equity and Diversity to The Hub inside the Reeve Memorial Union.

“Not only has The Hub been a success, but UWO also completed renovations and reopened Dr. Boyland University Hall (the former Multicultural Education Center on Algoma Boulevard) this spring, and it, too, has developed into a haven for students, faculty, staff, alumni and university guests,” Hummel said.

Emails acquired through an open records request showed that the university began fielding questions about the former center in May of 2024.

WFRV-TV reporter Paul Steeno reached out to Hummel on May 14, 2024 and asked if the center would remain part of UWO or would be sold.

Hummel replied and told him that was not currently happening.

“It is not being sold, Paul,” Hummel said. “Thanks for reaching out so we could clarify this.”

Steeno wrote back asking if the DEI program would face any cuts.

Hummel said it would not.

“No cuts, Paul,” Hummel said.

In an email thread acquired through an open records request, UWO football head coach Peter Jennings told Assistant Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Darryl Sims and Deputy Director of Athletics Abby Gildernick, about his interest in the facility.

“I was able to walk around the old DEI building and do believe it would be a decent temporary option for our program and staff,” Jennings said.

Jennings also asked about the building’s upcoming availability.

“Do you know the timeline of people moving out of the building?” Jennings said. “I would be somewhat worried about having other departments in a building with us during fall camp especially. The amount of foot traffic, etc. Would probably be disruptive to other groups.”

Sims and Gildernick responded and said “we will find out, thx.”

Jennings emailed Gildernick and Sims again to ask about the center’s status, along with the Pollock House’s, on Oct. 15, 2024.

“The contact I had regarding purchasing Pollock House and the DEI building told me today that Chadwick responded to his inquiry with ‘we don’t have any information on that yet’ or something to that effect,” Jennings said. “If the sell of these properties is imminent, why are they off the table as a temporary location for our staff?”

Sims replied and said that the Pollock House was available for sale and the buyer would need to relocate the property.

“The Newman Center will be on the market before the new year,” Sims said.

Jennings replied to Sims on the same day.

“Thank you. I guess I am trying to make the point that if neither of these buildings were going to be sold before the new year, why wouldn’t they have been offered to our staff to use until the sale was finalized,” Jennings said. “I am not trying to be difficult, but I am trying to understand the logic of some of the decision makers.”

The Advance-Titan reported in February of 2025 that UWO enlisted the help of the Universities of Wisconsin to sell the Campus Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, now called the Center for Student Success and Belonging, building after moving its department into the Hub in Reeve Union.

It is unclear exactly when the football team began hosting their affairs in the center, but it was first acknowledged by the university in December 2025.

Emails acquired through an open records request revealed that an official statement was prompted by Fox 11 asking for an interview on Dec. 22, 2025.

Hummel emailed Brady Halverson, Corey Finkelmeyer, Kurt Leibold and Darryl Sims to tell them how to respond to any such requests.

“I am recommending we pass on interviews and provide a brief statement (Darryl and I have already discussed; he supports),” Hummel wrote.

As of writing, it has not been specified by the university whether this is a permanent occupation or not.

The Advance-Titan reached out to both Sims and Gildernick to clarify, but neither responded to a request for comment.

A staff member working in student affairs provided comments to the Advance-Titan about the matter anonymously.

They said diversity-based efforts were not just consolidated to Reeve but eliminated almost entirely.

“Staff were either subject to layoffs or moved to non-diversity roles providing generalized programming to all students,” they said. “We have been told that the elimination of these programs is outside of our control due to federal guidelines, but other Universities of Wisconsin schools such as Green Bay have been able to keep their diversity services and spaces.”

The staff member said these events have been to the detriment of communities on campus.

“Students are seeking support in finding identity-based communities, especially in this political climate,” they said. “Staff are not feeling supported in their own identities and are leaving to more LGBTQ+-affirming employers.”