The Tennessee men's and women's basketball teams and volleyball team are spending their time bouncing back and forth in Thompson-Boling Arena this fall and it's going to cost UT.
UT men's athletic director Mike Hamilton said the volleyball team's move to Thompson-Boling Arena was mandatory after a recent review of Stokely Athletics Center by the fire marshal.
"It's not a choice. We can't play volleyball in the Stokely Athletics Center because the fire marshal did an analysis and told us we could no longer have competitions that would bring fans into that venue," Hamilton said. "This also means we cannot host indoor track."
Hamilton said the cost for alternating the volleyball court and the basketball court is approximately $28,000 per year - $21,750 of it relates to the addition of volleyball.
"This gives our Lady Vols volleyball team an opportunity to play in a first-class venue in an air conditioned space," Hamilton said.
Through five games this year the volleyball team has averaged 410 fans.
"We have an athletic campus master plan that involves plans for all of our campus sports.
"The plan includes building a volleyball facility, but that's contingent on fundraising. Right now, we do not have a location, and we haven't done anything on fundraising as it relates to building that facility."
The basketball court will be on the floor throughout the rest of the week. The women's basketball team practiced in Thompson-Boling Arena on Monday, and the men's team is expected to practice there today.
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Comments » 14
thetruth writes:
Can someone tell me why the basketball teams have to practice in TBA? Didn't they just build a basketball practice facility?
sevenmaxims#354995 writes:
They prefer to practice where they they play the games whenever possible.
MaxPower writes:
I read they prefer to practice at TBA because of bad acoustiscs at the practice facility.
That would be interesting to read about an expensive practice facility they prefer not to use.
$28,000 per year, with $21,000 related to adding a volleyball court isn't that big a deal.
The headline made me think it was $28,000 each time they switched from one to the other.
ZR writes:
volleyball will surpass football, soon.
smitbo7 writes:
Multi million dollar practice facility and it has bad acoustics? Fix it!
dirtywhiteboy writes:
if stokely has been declared unfit by the fire marshall i'd say it's about time to knock it down and move on. lots of history there but it's sitting on land that could be used for something more beneficial.
LostinNCVol writes:
Hire Butch Davis!
miamiVOL writes:
maybe they prefer to use the hoops in TBA that they will play on during the season, especially with all the young talent. believe me, the Pratt Facility is getting used plenty
thetruth writes:
I know why they do it, my point is they have a practice facility. If you prefer to practice where you play, then why build the practice facility? That's my point.
arkyvol writes:
410 fans???
did hamilton consider the old alumni gym? even there, the fans would have a choice of seats.
JacksonvilleVol writes:
Uh.... alumni gym is now the alumni building and it houses a large auditorium with a pipe organ:)
DeerPark12 writes:
Stokely is slated to be torn down once the offices are moved out.
There are plans to build a new facility, but for now TBA was the only option.
Volleyball averaged more than 400 fans the last few years, the number includes a home tournament game that started at 10:30 AM on a Friday, with nearly noone there so it's a little misleading. I'm certainly not saying that they're going to average 5,000, but attendance should be much better as the season goes on.
spvol writes:
Bad acoustics? They're practicing basketball, not watching concerts.
dirtmerchant writes:
I think it was Mark Twain who wrote something to the effect of a plan with no course of action is a hallucination.
Any 'plan' that is contingent on fundraising, and finding a location, and the statement "haven't done anything...as it relates to building that facility" doesn't lead me to believe there is much of a PLAN in place.
Hamilton has been blowing LOTS of smoke the last few weeks.
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