The Ensley Athletic Center is named in honor of Ensley, who along with his wife, Sue, provided a multimillion-dollar gift for the facility. The founder and CEO of Leisure Merchandising Corp. in New Jersey, Ensley was a walk-on student-athlete who earned a football scholarship, setting interception and special teams records as a defensive back. He also wrestled and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1969 lacrosse squad, while playing defense and serving as co-captain. He was honored as the 1969 Syracuse Athlete of the Year.
Initial support for the Ensley Center was sparked by a transformational $1 million gift in 2013 from former Syracuse Board of Trustees Chairman Dick Thompson and his wife, Jean, to advance SU Athletics and celebrate its historic move to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
