Basketball Construction Update

April 2, 2009

Construction continues to move forward at the site of the upcoming Ole Miss Basketball Practice Facility, as the building's impressive exterior has taken form over the past few weeks.

The 51,000-square-foot facility will house practice courts, coaches' offices, team areas and visitor areas for the Rebel men's and women's basketball programs.

The roughly $12 million project, being overseen by Yates Construction, is scheduled for completion in October.

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Yates Construction Awarded Contract To Build Ole Miss Basketball Practice Facility

June 20, 2008

OXFORD, Miss. ­ The UMAA Foundation announced that Yates Construction has been awarded the contract to build a 51,000 square-foot basketball practice facility on the Ole Miss campus.

Yates Construction submitted a low bid of $10,644,000, followed by Worsham Brothers at $11,038,000, White Construction at $11,100,000 and Harrell Contracting Group at $11,297,000.
 
“We are in the process of coordinating a pre-construction meeting next week with Yates Construction,” said Ole Miss Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facility Operations Blake Barnes. “Hopefully, construction will begin within two weeks of that meeting, and we anticipate moving into the practice facility in the fall of 2009.”
 
Plans call for the practice facility to be constructed on the corner of Coliseum Drive and Hill Drive, across from the Gillom Sports Center. With its red brick and white columns matching the campus architecture, the structure will be a cornerstone in the impressive complex of athletics facilities on the southwest corner of the campus.
 
“We really appreciate the commitment that Bill Yates and his company have made to Ole Miss athletics,” said Ole Miss Athletics Director Pete Boone. “We look forward to our partnership with such a quality company.”
 
The facility will include four distinct spaces ­ public, staff (coaches), team and individual practice courts for both men's and women's teams.
 
Spaces for the public include an attractive main rotunda/lobby to receive visitors and display men’s and women’s basketball memorabilia and a multimedia/entertainment meeting room that can be used for Media Days as well as for video presentations and team functions.
 
The staff/coaches spaces are adjacent to the rotunda/lobby, where receptionists will direct visitors to their destinations. A separate entrance for coaches is provided. Coaches' offices, a conference room, a copy center, and staff locker and dressing facilities complete the suites. The head coaches' offices provide direct access to and view of their respective practice courts.
 
The team spaces are specialized with shared weight and training rooms, and separate men's and women's film rooms, including computer terminals and video access. Separate team lounges also include computer access, game area and a kitchenette. Finally, there are spacious locker and dressing facilities, with a central laundry, video editing rooms, small guest viewing space of the courts, storage and equipment storage.
 
Individual practice courts for the men's and women's teams eliminate the scheduling conflicts that occur regularly when both teams are sharing one court for all practices and games. Practice courts for each team will allow both the men and women to maximize their practice time and achieve their full potential as players. Additional space was included to provide for individual practice of three point shooting without interrupting others practicing.
 
The design team includes Mills & Mills Architects, PC (Architect), CGM Group (Mechanical), The Power Source (Electrical), Williams Engineering (Site) and Springer Engineering (Structural).

Ole Miss Raising $12 Million for Basketball Practice Facility

Jan. 28, 2008

OXFORD, Miss. — A plan to raise $12 million for a basketball practice facility at Ole Miss was announced today and — like the nationally ranked men’s team — the effort is off on a fast break.

Officials with the UMAA Foundation, the private fundraising arm for intercollegiate athletics, said more than $6 million of the total already has been donated or pledged by excited supporters.

The 46,000-square-foot facility is to include separate practice courts, locker and meeting spaces, film rooms, players’ lounges, and coaches’ offices for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. It also has shared weight and training rooms. The building will be located on the southwest side of the campus on the corner of Coliseum Drive and Hill Drive, across from the Gillom Sports Center.

“Games are played at Tad Smith Coliseum, but they are won on the practice court,” Chancellor Robert Khayat said. “Our men’s and women’s basketball teams have demonstrated their competitiveness. This new practice facility demonstrates our commitment to support them with whatever they need to continue to be successful.”

The campaign to raise private funds for the facility comes at an exciting time for Ole Miss basketball. The men’s team, ranked among the Top 20 in the nation, is off to its best start in school history.

“Our guys are committed to playing on the national stage every March and this building provides a huge step in our ability to recruit and compete,” said men’s Coach Andy Kennedy. “We need every Ole Miss fan to join this effort and make a gift to build a practice facility for the exclusive use of men’s and women’s basketball.”

The women’s team last year advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual national champion Tennessee. This year’s team with new Coach Renee Ladner recently upset 18th-ranked Arkansas.

“There are so many reasons why Ole Miss basketball will benefit both academically and athletically once this facility is built,” Ladner said. “We greatly appreciate the generous support of our alumni who continue to donate funds to a facility that has become a need and not just a want.”

Groundbreaking for the new building is to be held later this spring, with construction expected to take 18 months.

“The coaches have given us their reasons regarding the need for the facility,” said Athletics Director Pete Boone. “Now the burden is on us to provide them the tools they must have to be successful. To ensure a successful future, the answer is simple — come to games and donate the money to build our practice facility.”

The effort is part of the MomentUM campaign, a four-year initiative to raise $200 million. The campaign, which ends in December, already has raised more than $170 million for scholarships, graduate fellowships, faculty support, residential colleges and a new law school on the Oxford campus. Also in the plan is a cancer center at the Medical Center in Jackson.

For information on contributing to the basketball campaign, call 662-915-7159.