Groundbreaking Scheduled for $25M Basketball Facility at UA

University of Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long announced Tuesday that construction on a $25 million basketball practice facility at the UA will begin next month.

A groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for Dec. 7 at 11 a.m., according to a news release. Both Razorback basketball teams play home games later in the day — the men host Clemson at 1 p.m. and the women host Northwestern (La.) State at 7 p.m.

The practice facility will be built along Leroy Pond Road on the southeast corner of Bud Walton Arena between Bogle Park and The Gardens.

It will be used by the men’s and women’s basketball programs at the UA. The 66,000-SF facility will open in the summer of 2015 and house all operational components for the men’s and women’s basketball teams including: two full-court gymnasiums, men’s and women’s locker rooms, a weight room, an athletic training room, coaches’ offices, team meeting rooms, student-athlete lounge and study areas and an equipment room.

Arkansas is the only Southeastern Conference program without a basketball practice facility.

MAHG Architecture (Fort Smith) and Populous (Kansas City, Mo.) will lead the design team on the facility while CDI Constructors (Fayetteville and Little Rock) will serve as the general contractor.