BPF Fundraising Turns It Up

Well the UMAA finally got it going yesterday on the fundraising for the Basketball Practice Facility. I have to say they have rolled out a pretty good campaign based on the website. The website can be viewed by going here:

BPF OFFICIAL WEBSITE

This facility is long overdue and I hope the Ole Miss faithful will recognize the need for the advancement of our basketball program. Basketball has been neglected at Ole Miss for quite sometime. Now is the time to show the players and administration that basketball will no longer be neglected. This takes a commitment mainly from the administration, and while it took them a while to get it going, it appears they are making this commitment. We will know just how big of a commitment they are willing to make if we can see shovels in the ground by May.

(UMAA Release)

OXFORD, Miss. – A plan to raise $12 million for a basketball practice facility at Ole Miss was announced today and – like the nationally ranked men’s team – the effort is off on a fast break.
Officials with the UMAA Foundation, the private fundraising arm for intercollegiate athletics, said more than $6 million of the total already has been donated or pledged by excited supporters.
The 46,000-square-foot facility is to include separate practice courts, locker and meeting spaces, film rooms, players’ lounges, and coaches’ offices for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.It also has shared weight and training rooms. The building will be located on the southwest side of the campus on the corner of Coliseum Drive and Hill Drive, across from the Gillom Sports Center.
“Games are played at Tad Smith Coliseum, but they are won on the practice court,” Chancellor Robert Khayat said. “Our men’s and women’s basketball teams have demonstrated their competitiveness. This new practice facility demonstrates our commitment to support them with whatever they need to continue to be successful.”
The campaign to raise private funds for the facility comes at an exciting time for Ole Miss basketball. The men’s team, ranked among the Top 25 in the nation, is off to its best start in school history.
“Our guys are committed to playing on the national stage every March and this building provides a huge step in our ability to recruit and compete,” said men’s Coach Andy Kennedy. “We need every Ole Miss fan to join this effort and make a gift to build a practice facility for the exclusive use of men’s and women’s basketball.”