By Jesse Welte
The Yum Center will soon be the new practice home to the men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams. This new $14 million facility will be a step up from the current Cardinal Arena, which resides in the bottom of the Student Activities Center. In recent years it has become too small for the growing programs.
Men’s basketball practices in Cardinal Arena in 40 minute sessions throughout the day, followed by a two-hour practice. The women’s basketball and volleyball teams also conduct similar practices. This sharing limits the amount of time each team has in Cardinal Arena. The Yum Center will alleviate these issues and allow teams to schedule practices as they wish. It will house two complete practice courts for basketball and volleyball.
In addition to the new practice courts, this state of the art facility will contain plenty of meeting rooms, locker space, and separate workout rooms for each team. “It’s something that there’s a definite need for on campus,” said Associate Athletic Director Kenny Klein. However, some students may not completely agree. The Yum Center will be constructed on Floyd Street, south of the Eastern Parkway overpass. While it is a valuable addition to the athletic department, it will subtract from the amount of parking on campus.
Sam Grossman, a sophomore bioengineering major said, “While I understand the need for the new practice facility, I wish they could build it on a piece of land that would not take up parking spots of which we are in dire need.” The new facility will take up an estimated 40 parking spaces on the north end of the blue faculty parking zone, which is also located in this spot. Grossman, who resides in Threlkeld, believes that compensating for these blue spaces will, in turn, cut into yellow resident parking.
Not only will the Yum Center be the new practice home for basketball and volleyball, it also will provide office space for what will become the newest athletic team at the University of Louisville. Women’s lacrosse is slated to begin in the spring of 2008. The lacrosse field will be located adjacent to the new building.
Both the men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams are expected to be among the top programs in the country. Hopefully this new facility will allow them to expand even more in the coming years, providing them with a brand new practice atmosphere and the opportunity to attract some of the best recruits in the country.
One of the best features of the Yum Center will be its appeal to the players. Klein said, “It will be a very attractive place to say the least. It will serve the players really well because it’s very conducive to them, allowing them to prepare as they wish too.”
This advantage should also assist the women’s lacrosse team when it jumps onto the NCAA scene in 2008, giving it a chance to become one of the best teams at U of L, as well as in the country.
This project is scheduled to be completed in July 2007.
