Just reported by KTRE:
On Monday, the board of regents approved a plan to build a new basketball practice facility near the William R. Johnson Coliseum. The project is part of a larger school expansion that includes a Fine Arts Expansion Initiative, Welcome Center and Student Support Services One Stop Shop. The school is also planning on doing renovations to a residence Hall and a dining Hall.
"The basketball performance center will include a court and a half, offices, new locker rooms for both the men and women, a new training facility, and a new weight room," Athletic Director Ryan Ivey said.
Currently, the both the men's and women's teams share time on the main court.
"We have to work around it with one facility but I can only imagine what it will be like," Head Ladyjacks coach Mark Kellogg said. "The best thing is it will all be here. We did some calculating, and in an academic school year, the time they commute from our wiring room, to our academic center to the court is almost a month and a half. Now, we get that back to make them better student athletes."
The cost for the basketball facility is estimated to be $26 million. The overall approved cost for the entire project is estimated at $125 according to SFA spokesperson Shirley Luna. The money will come from a mixture of student incentive bonds, fees, and donations to the university.
Ivey is hoping the addition will ultimately get the program to the next tier in the recruiting battle for top athletes.
"Facilities are a big part of that," Ivey said. "We have a great tradition of being successful from a basketball standpoint. This facility will be that opportunity for us."
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