New Athletic Director Joe Alleva had a busy start with his new job.
The Athletic Department formally broke ground for a new basketball practice facility Tuesday, Alleva’s first official day as athletic director.
“It’s a real pleasure my first day to come to a groundbreaking on something that is just an amazing facility,” Alleva said. “[It] is going to greatly enhance our ability to compete in basketball.”
Formal groundbreakers included Alleva, men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson, women’s basketball coaches Van Chancellor, LSU System President John Lombardi and acting Chancellor William Jenkins.
“It is very much a signal of excellence and a signal for a desire to be the best and amongst the best,” Jenkins said. “I see that very powerfully reflected today.”
The new facility will be connected to the north side of the PMAC.
The project is estimated to cost almost $14 million and is expected to be complete in October 2009.
Mark Ewing, senior associate athletic director, said funding for the project will come from a bond similar to what was used for the new baseball and softball stadiums.
Ewing said no state or tax money will be used in the projects.
“Basically fans pay it back with the tickets they purchase,” Ewing said. “It’s a revenue bond … that’s how we finance a lot of our projects.”
Johnson said the groundbreaking marked the end of his transitional period at LSU.
“This signifies to me and my staff that our honeymoon is over,” Johnson said. “We [started] to work here July 1 … we have a team meeting, and we start lifting July 7.”
The facility will feature two practice gyms more than 11,000 square feet in size – one for men’s basketball team and one for the women’s basketball team. Each gym will hold approximately 800 people for special events.
“Now we have our own place,” Chancellor said. “I don’t have to go down there and say ‘Trent, can I practice here today?'”
Each gym floor is designed to be an exact replica of the PMAC main floor.
Alleva said the new facility will “help the whole student body.”
“It will open up the PMAC for concerts and other kinds of revenue-generating activities,” Alleva said. “This is a great facility not just for basketball but the whole LSU and Baton Rouge community.”
—-Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]