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Clemson Approves Arena Renovation, With Hoops Teams Moving To Greenville For '15-16

The Clemson BOT on Friday "gave final approval to renovation of Littlejohn Coliseum and approved in concept a new football operations center," according to Ron Barnett of the GREENVILLE NEWS. The $63.5M renovation of the "nearly 50-year-old Littlejohn Coliseum will include a complete renovation" of the playing and seating areas, plus "adding more than 450 premium level seats and making improvements to the exterior of the building." The project, which will require "holding home games elsewhere next season, is scheduled for completion" in fall '16 and "will be paid for out of athletic revenue bonds." The football operations facility plans include a 157,000-square-foot building that "will house coaches’ offices, team meeting rooms, locker rooms ... and other football-related space." Developing the concept is estimated to cost $1.5M and "will be paid for out of athletics private gift funds" (GREENVILLE NEWS, 2/7). In South Carolina, Aaron Brenner reported the arena project cost actually "decreased" from $70M to $63.5M. Clemson AD Dan Radakovich said, "It will be more intimate, because we’re not going to tear down the upper deck and rebuild it." The seating capacity also "will decrease from 9,800 to 9,000, as the lower-bowl seats will be wider with additional leg room." The 10,000-square foot annex on the south end of Littlejohn Coliseum "will be spruced up as a year-long gathering spot." The basketball teams "will be playing their 2015-16 games at Bon Secours Wellness Center" in Greenville, S.C. The school "hopes to break ground" in early '16 on the football ops center, "with plans to open" the building in spring or summer of '17 (Charleston POST & COURIER, 2/7). Also in South Carolina, Michael Eads reported the exterior of Littlejohn Coliseum will be remade "with expanded walkways, plazas and improved access." Radakovich said that both hoops teams "would be marketed heavily during their Greenville sojourn, in an effort to induce more fans to come down to the Clemson campus for basketball games once Littlejohn is back open" (Anderson INDEPENDENT MAIL, 2/7).

INTO THE BLUE: In Chicago, Jack McCarthy reported DePaul basketball "won’t tip off at a new McCormick Place arena in January 2017 as originally planned, but university officials are confident it will be open by the middle of that year." The school "had hoped the 10,000-seat Near South Side facility would be ready for the second half" of the '16-17 season. But delays, "including an arena design change, have pushed groundbreaking of the 22-month project to this spring, and DePaul basketball’s debut to late 2017." When operational, the multipurpose center "could host up to 29 men’s and women’s basketball games, plus graduation ceremonies" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/7).

TEXAS ROADHOUSE: In Austin, Davis, Haurwitz & Rockwell cited sources as saying that Univ. of Texas officials "have discussed" building a new basketball arena "on the parking lot immediately south" of the track & field/soccer venue. That location is "one of a half-dozen that are getting serious consideration from an initial list of 20 possible spots." Texas men's AD Steve Patterson said that it is "premature" to call it "the front-runner." However, two university sources said that that site "is generating the most interest internally." Davis, Haurwitz & Rockwell wrote it is "conceivable the Longhorns will play in the Erwin Center for several more years," but the university "will eventually need a new basketball arena, as the Erwin Center will need to be razed -- possibly as early as 2019 -- to make room for Dell Medical School expansion" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 2/7).

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