Built as part of the Rensselaer Plan, a strategic planning process to revitalize the university that began in 1999 under President Shirley Ann Jackson, the East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV) is the most ambitious athletic construction project in Rensselaer’s history. It opened on October 3, 2009, and is comprised of a multipurpose lighted stadium with seating for 5,200, a 1,200-seat basketball arena, a fully equipped strength and conditioning center, a state-of-the-art sports medicine suite, as well as offices, meeting spaces, a new Athletics Hall of Fame, a pro shop, and a café. ECAV is located along Georgian Terrace, a hilltop area of campus with stellar views of the Hudson River Valley. 

The ECAV facility is LEED gold status certified due to the incorporation of energy efficient features like skylights to maximize natural light, the stadium's solar shading screen which controls glare and heat from the sun, and the arena's roof which is equipped with 14,000 square feet of photovoltaic arrays to support future electricity generation. Landscaping elements and planting choices were carefully selected to increase water conservation and eliminate the need for an irrigation system. Additionally, all the venues in the athletic village were built or renovated in accordance with NCAA standards to pave the way for Rensselaer to host NCAA tournaments in the future.