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News Release

Last modified: Wednesday, September 20, 2006

IU Trustees look at athletic facility enhancement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 20, 2006

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan today (Sept. 20) presented to the IU Trustees an aggressive athletic facility enhancement plan. The proposal, which includes three entirely new structures and one significant retrofit and renovation, would upgrade a number of high-profile IU athletic facilities to be more in line with IU's Big Ten Conference peers. It also would alleviate the serious space issues currently faced in Assembly Hall.

"Indiana is an elite institution that competes with other top universities in every facet of its educational operation," Greenspan said. "In order for the athletic program at IU to continue to compete at that high level, we must invest in our success, and that means providing comparable resources and facilities to that of our peers."

The estimated $55 million in planned construction would be paid for from two primary sources. Bonds would be issued and guaranteed by revenue generated from the Department of Athletics' operating budget, including media rights income distributed by the Big Ten Conference. The remainder of the funds necessary to complete the projects would be generated through an aggressive fundraising campaign.

Descriptions of the proposed projects follow.

Memorial Stadium North End Zone Project

This project would enclose the north end zone of Memorial Stadium with a facility that would provide space to accommodate coaches' offices and meeting areas for the football program, a Hall of Honor to spotlight successful student-athletes and teams throughout the history of IU athletics, and athletic administration offices. The new space also would house a strength development area to be used by more than 600 Indiana student-athletes. The project calls for the removal of the north and south end zone bleachers.

Indiana Basketball Development Center

The plans call for the Indiana men's and women's basketball teams to have a new practice facility. The Indiana Basketball Development Center would serve as the daily headquarters for both programs. Facility features would include practice courts, locker rooms, coaches' offices and meeting rooms for each team and a shared strength and conditioning area. The addition of the facility would alleviate serious overcrowding issues currently encountered at Assembly Hall.

Academic Center for Excellence
The Academic Center for Excellence would house the Student Development and Compliance unit, moving that staff from a modest 2,500-square-foot space in Assembly Hall into a spacious 18,000-square-foot area located on the east side of Memorial Stadium and currently used for football offices. The rennovated facility would include classrooms, private tutoring space, study areas, computer labs and staff offices.

Baseball and Softball Complex

The final component of the facilities upgrade is the construction of a baseball and softball complex, just north of the Mellencamp Pavilion and Indiana Tennis Center. Both stadiums would feature artificial playing surfaces, indoor batting cages and bullpens. The complex also would include new locker rooms and offices adjacent to the proposed stadiums. These upgrades would position IU to host future Big Ten and NCAA post-season play, as well as elite amateur tournaments.

For additional information, please go to: https://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/

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