Hubbs
06-28-2007, 02:19 PM
A Word From Jay Jacobs
June 28, 2007
Our goal is to become the preeminent Athletics Department in the nation.
Reaching this goal starts with recruiting top student-athletes, equipping them with the resources they need to succeed academically and athletically, hiring and retaining outstanding coaches, and managing our fiscal affairs responsibly. Reaching this goal also requires a commitment to providing first-class facilities.
The Auburn Board of Trustees Properties and Facilities Committee took another crucial step forward today for our facilities in a historic vote that puts the dream of a new basketball arena within reach.
Pending final approval from the full Board of Trustees on Friday, we will move ahead to the next stage of planning and developing a funding plan for the facility, which will cost approximately $95 million to build.
After considering several options, including renovation of Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum and building a new facility, one clear choice emerged: Construction of a new arena that will help our student-athletes compete for championships, give our fans a venue they can enjoy, and provide a facility in which Auburn University can take great pride.
The new arena will be located north and west of existing Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. While the exact seating capacity will be determined in the next step of the planning process, we expect it will seat approximately 9,000-9,500 fans. It will include two practice courts, offices, and two food courts, among other amenities.
A new arena is not only an investment in the future of our basketball programs. It is an investment in the future of Auburn University and the community.
While the decision of the Trustees opens the door for a new arena, your support for this project is imperative. Without financial support from the Auburn Family, it won't happen. We must raise $30-$35 million from private sources to build the arena, while the remainder will be financed through a bond issue.
Tigers Unlimited Foundation, the department's fund-raising arm, easily eclipsed its goal of raising $90 million through the Legends Campaign. This campaign is part of the University's largest-ever capital campaign, "It Begins at Auburn."
To date, Tigers Unlimited has raised more than $136 million. The results of this campaign can be seen all around us. New golf, tennis, and swimming facilities are in their final stages of construction.
Improvements continue to be made at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn hosted the SEC Softball Tournament at Jane B. Moore Field this spring, and next year we will host the SEC Outdoor Championships at our world-class Hutsell-Rosen Track.
The TUF development staff will now transition into a fund-raising campaign designed specifically for the arena.
Building the best
In the months of planning that led to this landmark decision, our objective was not to build the biggest arena. It was to build the best. It was to do what's best for our student-athletes, our coaches, and our fans, all within the framework of a responsible business model.
The Auburn Family has risen to the challenge of making facilities improvements possible many times in the past. I am confident they will do so again.
Our basketball programs are on the right track with Coach Jeff Lebo and Coach Nell Fortner leading the way. A new arena that will rival any in the conference is the missing piece of the puzzle. A bright future lies ahead for both programs, and this facility will help lead us there.
Clemson added to football schedule
We are also excited to share more football scheduling news today.
Auburn and Clemson will play a home-and-home series in 2010 and 2011. We will host the Atlantic Coast Conference power at Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 18, 2010. We will return the game in Clemson, S.C., on Sept. 17, 2011, at Memorial Stadium.
This adds another high-profile non-conference game to our future schedule. The series will be fun for our fans and attract national interest.
Auburn is committed to playing BCS Conference schools for a non-conference game every season, starting with Kansas State this year and West Virginia in 2008 and 2009.
Add a difficult eight-game conference slate in the nation's toughest league to the mix, and our future schedules will provide plenty of excitement for fans and an opportunity for our student-athletes to compete at the highest level.
On a final note, I want to personally thank Auburn President Dr. Ed Richardson and the Board of Trustees for their support of the arena project. Today's vote was a victory for both basketball programs. Many more are sure to come.
War Eagle!
Jay Jacobs
Director of Athletics
Huh?
June 28, 2007
Our goal is to become the preeminent Athletics Department in the nation.
Reaching this goal starts with recruiting top student-athletes, equipping them with the resources they need to succeed academically and athletically, hiring and retaining outstanding coaches, and managing our fiscal affairs responsibly. Reaching this goal also requires a commitment to providing first-class facilities.
The Auburn Board of Trustees Properties and Facilities Committee took another crucial step forward today for our facilities in a historic vote that puts the dream of a new basketball arena within reach.
Pending final approval from the full Board of Trustees on Friday, we will move ahead to the next stage of planning and developing a funding plan for the facility, which will cost approximately $95 million to build.
After considering several options, including renovation of Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum and building a new facility, one clear choice emerged: Construction of a new arena that will help our student-athletes compete for championships, give our fans a venue they can enjoy, and provide a facility in which Auburn University can take great pride.
The new arena will be located north and west of existing Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. While the exact seating capacity will be determined in the next step of the planning process, we expect it will seat approximately 9,000-9,500 fans. It will include two practice courts, offices, and two food courts, among other amenities.
A new arena is not only an investment in the future of our basketball programs. It is an investment in the future of Auburn University and the community.
While the decision of the Trustees opens the door for a new arena, your support for this project is imperative. Without financial support from the Auburn Family, it won't happen. We must raise $30-$35 million from private sources to build the arena, while the remainder will be financed through a bond issue.
Tigers Unlimited Foundation, the department's fund-raising arm, easily eclipsed its goal of raising $90 million through the Legends Campaign. This campaign is part of the University's largest-ever capital campaign, "It Begins at Auburn."
To date, Tigers Unlimited has raised more than $136 million. The results of this campaign can be seen all around us. New golf, tennis, and swimming facilities are in their final stages of construction.
Improvements continue to be made at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn hosted the SEC Softball Tournament at Jane B. Moore Field this spring, and next year we will host the SEC Outdoor Championships at our world-class Hutsell-Rosen Track.
The TUF development staff will now transition into a fund-raising campaign designed specifically for the arena.
Building the best
In the months of planning that led to this landmark decision, our objective was not to build the biggest arena. It was to build the best. It was to do what's best for our student-athletes, our coaches, and our fans, all within the framework of a responsible business model.
The Auburn Family has risen to the challenge of making facilities improvements possible many times in the past. I am confident they will do so again.
Our basketball programs are on the right track with Coach Jeff Lebo and Coach Nell Fortner leading the way. A new arena that will rival any in the conference is the missing piece of the puzzle. A bright future lies ahead for both programs, and this facility will help lead us there.
Clemson added to football schedule
We are also excited to share more football scheduling news today.
Auburn and Clemson will play a home-and-home series in 2010 and 2011. We will host the Atlantic Coast Conference power at Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 18, 2010. We will return the game in Clemson, S.C., on Sept. 17, 2011, at Memorial Stadium.
This adds another high-profile non-conference game to our future schedule. The series will be fun for our fans and attract national interest.
Auburn is committed to playing BCS Conference schools for a non-conference game every season, starting with Kansas State this year and West Virginia in 2008 and 2009.
Add a difficult eight-game conference slate in the nation's toughest league to the mix, and our future schedules will provide plenty of excitement for fans and an opportunity for our student-athletes to compete at the highest level.
On a final note, I want to personally thank Auburn President Dr. Ed Richardson and the Board of Trustees for their support of the arena project. Today's vote was a victory for both basketball programs. Many more are sure to come.
War Eagle!
Jay Jacobs
Director of Athletics
Huh?