file photo/Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior defensive back Johnny Bailey does conditioning exercises over the summer at the Bill Estes Conditioning Center. The center is part of the Eddie Lynch Athletic Pavilion, which saw its Jim Click Hall of Champions unveiled Saturday.

Most UA students have been hearing for the past year about cutting both costs and programs. However, Saturday was a completely different story.

The UA athletic department held the opening ceremonies for the privately funded, $14 million Eddie Lynch Athletics Pavilion. The new addition, which is located on the north side of McKale Memorial Center, is home to the brand new Estes Family Strength and Conditioning Center, the Kasser Family Medical Treatment Center, the Jim Click Hall of Champions and the Rountree Mezzanine.

Saturday's festivities were started by a ceremony recognizing all the people who have given money to finance the new facility. President Peter Likins and Athletics Director Jim Livengood spoke and thanked all the parties involved.

"We owe the entire university community and these individuals a huge debt of gratitude for the generosity and the strength and purpose which helped this center become a reality," Livengood told the crowd before the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The open house also included remarks from the namesakes for the different features, Eddie Lynch, Jim Click, Bill Estes, George Rountree and Michael Kasser.

SAUL LOEB/Arizona Daily Wildcat Tucson businessman Jim Click, President Peter Likins and Athletics Director Jim Livengood cut the ribbon at the $14 million pavilion Saturday.

Kasser made the most significant remark when he said no matter how long he lives, he could never repay the university for all it had done for him.

The main point of all the donors' speeches was that the community was the main reason for giving the money to support the project. They said UA and the Tucson community had given so much to them and they felt compelled to give back.

Both the Estes Family Strength and Conditioning Center and the Kasser Family Medical Treatment Center have been in use since this summer, but Saturday was the public's first chance to view the two areas.

Over 100 people got their first look at the Jim Click Hall of Champions, which is the UA athletics' own hall of fame. The Jim Click Hall of Champions houses everything from the 1997 Sears Men's Basketball Championship trophy to signed memorabilia by former UA athletes that are professionals now. It also has replica lockers representing all 19 intercollegiate sports at UA, various trophies and historical UA sports items.

Junior political science major Andrew Weidinger, who was on hand for the open house, said he was impressed with the new facilities.

"It's nice to be able to go (to the Jim Click Hall of Champions) and see all that UA history," Weidinger said.