RINDGE — In a ceremony that included legendary sports medicine doctor Arthur Pappas and his wife Martha, Franklin Pierce University on Saturday afternoon dedicated its new health sciences and athletic center named for the couple.

The Dr. Arthur & Martha Pappas Health Science and Athletic Training Center opened this year, after breaking ground in September of 2011.

In its 50th year, Franklin Pierce University is enjoying a spike in enrollment this fall, in part because of the new building.

The two-story, 9,000-square-foot, $2 million building is going to provide the academic space needed for the university’s new health science program, as well as expand athletic training facilities.

The new space has also allowed three new sports at the university — women’s ice hockey, men’s and women’s track and field and sprint football.

The building has already had an impact on the University, said Franklin Pierce president Dr. James Birge.

“By providing more science space on campus, we were able to accommodate an increased number of students interested in the health science major. In fact, more than a year ago, when we envisioned this facility, we imaged it would attract an additional 30 health science majors. This fall we had 105 students check into campus,” for the new major, said Birge.

The new sports attracted 75 new students. All together, the building has attracted 130 new students, since some of the new students are both athletes and health science majors.

Speaking to the crowd of staff, alumni and students outside of the center Saturday afternoon, Pappas said that when the school approached him about building a new athletic center, it was he who said it would have to go hand and hand with classrooms for health science majors.

“It’s important to give the athletes the same educational opportunities as non-athletes have. We have to care about physical development,” Pappas said.

Pappas, a retired pediatric, orthopedic and sports medicine physician for amateur and professional athletes, also wants to further the study of sports medicine, he said.

The Pappases live in Jaffrey part-time, as well as in Massachusetts where Dr. Pappas practiced sports medicine for more than 30 years out of the University of Massachusetts in Worcester.

His professional clients included the Red Sox baseball team and Olympic ice skaters.

The couple began its long relationship with FPU 20 years ago, when they attended a sports game on campus.

Cynthia Arman, head athletic trainer, soon called on Pappas to perform ankle surgery on an injured university soccer player.

“I’d say he’s performed surgery on about … 12 to 14 athletes throughout the years … ,” Arman said.

Birge said the building has already resulted in better-performing student athletes and with fewer injuries, which he credits to the Pappas.

Birge added, “Increased enrollment and expanded athletic programs would not have been possible without the Pappases.”

The Pappases contributed $1.2 million to the $2 million project. That initial donation kicked off funding for the project and encouraged others to give, said vice president of institutional advancement Ahmad Boura.

So far, $1.6 million for the project has been raised. The fundraising drive to reach $2 million will continue for the next 12 months, he said.

Junior and biology major Emily Olsen said she is considering becoming a health sciences major.

“I think it’s amazing. I think the idea of combining both athletics with classrooms is the best of both worlds.

“The people that are taking classes here want to be physical therapists and that’s what they are doing downstairs. They are taking care of athletes with their injuries and taking classes at the same time,” Olsen said.