FAU to close Nuremberg sports building, move 24,000 students to Erlangen

The Friedrich‑Alexander University (FAU) in Erlangen‑Nürnberg announced that its sports facility on Regensburger Straße in Nuremberg will close on 31 July 2026. The decision is driven by the deteriorating condition of the building, including the need to shut down the swimming pool by December 2025 and the high cost of repairs and operation.

All university sports activities will be transferred to the Erlangen campus, where course offerings have been expanded for the upcoming winter semester. Approximately 24 000 students from FAU, the Technical University of Nuremberg, the Evangelical University of Applied Sciences and the University of Music will lose the on‑site sports venue in Nuremberg.

Students have launched an online petition seeking alternatives such as using municipal sports facilities, cooperating with local clubs, or renting suitable halls. They argue that commuting to Erlangen can take over an hour each way, making it difficult to combine with lectures, exams, jobs or internships. The city of Nuremberg has indicated that taking over the building is not feasible.