Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Facilities

Univ. Of Florida Postpones Ambitious Renovation Plan For Aging O'Connell Center

Univ. of Florida officials yesterday announced that they are "putting off the ambitious renovation of the O’Connell Center by a year," according to a front-page piece by Jeff Schweers of the GAINESVILLE SUN. Construction on the school's basketball and multipurpose arena was "scheduled to begin on the 35-year-old O’Dome in March after the end of the regular basketball season." UF Assistant VP/Public Affairs & Media Relations Janine Sikes said, "All I can tell you is they began to reconsider the turnaround, which was very quick, and costs were rising, and we ended up with a new management team. It just seemed like an opportunity to step back and look at it again, and that's what we're doing." Sikes added that UF "hopes to have a new timeline" on the renovation in the next six-to-eight weeks (GAINESVILLE SUN, 2/26). In Orlando, Jordan McPherson noted all athletic events that "normally occur in the O’Connell Center -- including basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and swimming and diving -- are expected to take place next season" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 2/25). In Jacksonville, Garry Smits notes construction of UF's new indoor football practice facility "will not be affected" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 2/26).

CUPBOARD IS BARE? SB NATION's Andy Hutchins noted it is "possible that Florida simply doesn't have" the projected $60M to "cover a renovation in full at this point." Sources said that UF was "struggling to get all of the money in for the project in recent months." Hutchins wrote the school's "aggressive timeframe" for a renovation "was going to be an issue if anything went wrong, and, whether or not the money is the ultimate reason for the delay, a change in contractors would probably be enough to throw a tight timeline out of whack." UF still "badly needs a 'new' O'Connell Center, and will still make it happen," but this "is a setback" (SBNATION.com, 2/25).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2015/02/26/Facilities/Florida-Arena.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2015/02/26/Facilities/Florida-Arena.aspx

CLOSE