OXFORD, Miss. – A plan to raise $12 million for a
basketball practice facility at the University of
Mississippi 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.