Regents approve new athletic facility

The University of Arizona athletic department will now hire an architect to design the mostly underground facility, which will be added on to the north side of the McKale Center.

Livengood said the facility will give athletes the space to properly prepare for competition, as well as helping coaches recruit top athletes from around the country.

"It certainly won't hurt recruiting," he said, because coaches will be able to show top recruits facilities comparable to those at other schools.

Men's basketball assistant coach Jim Rosborough said the facility brings UA up to par with other Pacific 10 Conference schools.

"Anything you do to make you current with your competition is great," he said.

Football Head Coach Dick Tomey said: "It will mean a lot for the team and for recruiting. It will really give our team a shot in the arm. . It means a commitment to excellence."

Tomey said the current facility, built in 1973, is sub-par compared to those at other schools competing for top recruits.

The University of Oregon, for example, recently built a 102,000-square-foot, $11 million facility including weight rooms, lounges and a medical treatment center.

While the new facility will not be as extensive, Livengood said it was the best solution for UA's needs.

"We're not trying to compete with anyone, we're just doing the best we can for our athletes."

The old facility only had room for 150 athletes, Livengood said, because it was built with mainly football in mind.

Now, he said, as many as 500 athletes from 18 sports, both men's and women's, will have state of the art training and conditioning equipment.

One of the highlights of the facility, said Livengood, will be a heritage center where visitors and recruits will be able to get a feel for the tradition of Arizona athletics.

"The heritage center will be the first place coaches take recruits," he said.

As part of the Heritage center, visitors will be able to see great moments from Arizona athletic history, including Chuck Cecil's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown to beat Arizona State University in 1986.

Livengood said there will be three or four kiosks containing video of other assorted team and personal achievements by UA athletes, including the men's basketball team's recent championship.

The $10 million for the project, Livengood said, will be raised entirely from donations by boosters and UA athletes who have gone on to successful professional careers.

He said about $1 million of the $10 million has already been raised.

Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin in October of 1998, with completion scheduled by the year 2000. However, Joel Valdez, the UA's vice president for business affairs, said as soon as the money is raised, "We're ready to fly."