Georgia Athletic Association board approves $30.2 million budget for indoor practice facility

Georgia Athletic Association board approves $30.2 million budget for indoor practice facility

ATHENS -- The University of Georgia Athletic Association's board of directors approved a $30.2 million budget for the construction of an indoor practice facility during a Monday teleconference.

The board approved the plan in which $15.1 million will come from the athletic association's cash reserves. The rest will come from fund-raising efforts. Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said that while $15.1 million is projected to come from the cash reserves, the goal will be to fund-raise more to reduce the athletic association's responsibility.

"Our goal is to raise it all because this isn't the only facility that needs enhancement or construction," McGarity said. "We have a number of other sport facilities that need help. But I'm not sure how much of those are going to be attractive to someone who would want to contribute to, unless they had a desire to help us. This building allows us to solicit the revenue generated to get this done so our reserve can be used for what a true reserve is for, and that's areas that are very difficult to fund-raise for in the future."

The proposal will now be sent for consideration to the Board of Regents, which will also have to approve the plan. The board of directors will present the project to the Board of Regents at a Sept. 15 meeting, with the hope that the Board of Regents approves the plan during a meeting to on Oct. 13 and 14.

The facility is expected to be 80 yards wide and 140 yards long. It will be an estimated 65 feet high from the inside and 75 feet high from the exterior. The practice facility will be built on the Woodruff Practice Fields and adjacent to Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. It will be approximately 109,000 square feet. The Nalley Multipurpose Facility will be destroyed in the process of building the new indoor facility.

Construction won't start until after the 2015 football season, with a groundbreaking likely taking place this December, McGarity said. When asked to confirm that the facility would not be ready for the 2016 football season, McGarity said he couldn't provide an answer one way or the other.

"It just depends on us getting together to find out if certain areas could be expedited," McGarity said. "We're not that far along in the drawings yet."

At the latest, McGarity noted the facility could be completed in the 2017 calendar year.

Collins Cooper Carusi Architects and RATIO are constructing the indoor practice facility in a joint venture. It's expected that construction will prevent Georgia from practicing on site at Butts-Mehre, which has the athletic department deliberating alternatives on campus.

McGarity released three renderings of the facility, which he said head coach Mark Richt will use to show recruits what is coming to campus in the future.

"It's exciting to see the project continuing to move forward," Richt said in a statement. "We're appreciative of the support provided by President (Jere) Morehead, Greg McGarity, the athletic association board and Board of Regents. This will be the best indoor facility in the country."

The plan is for the building to be in place for at least 50-100 years. It will be a multi-purpose facility that other sports will be able to use, with McGarity singling out baseball, softball and track as examples.

The first phase of construction will entail digging 12 feet underground to relocate utilities as well as to place the indoor field at the same elevation as the outdoor artificial turf fields, which will be replaced by grass fields.

Although it will be tough for the indoor practice facility to be constructed by the 2016 season, McGarity didn't give a tentative date for completion. McGarity did say that while his preference is to get the facility built quickly, the job won't be rushed.

"This building will be here a long, long time," McGarity said. "We want to make sure we get it right."

<b>Theus proud to be named a captain</b>

Being named a team captain was a big deal for senior offensive tackle John Theus.

Georgia head coach Mark Richt announced last Thursday that Theus, along with fellow offensive tackle Kolton Houston and outside linebackers Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd would represent as Georgia's captains for the season opener.

"To have that announced, I can't really describe it, but I was definitely feeling it," Theus said. "I was in the front row of the team meeting room trying not smile, look like a little kid, so it's definitely a great feeling."

Although Theus was proud to receive the recognition, he felt the fact that the four captains came from the offensive line and linebacker corps says a lot about the team.

"I think it means we're going to run the ball and get after the passer," Theus said. "So to have the guys in the trenches named the captains I think is a big thing. That's where our leadership is."

Theus and Houston are the leaders of an offensive line returning four of five starters. Experience aside, Theus knows that the unit, which calls itself "The Misfits," probably won't win any individual awards of its own.

Not that he really cares.

"I don't know how many individual awards we will win but I think we pride ourselves in the way we play together as a unit," Theus said.

But the newly announced Jim Moore Award, given to the best offensive line unit in the country, is something Theus wants to win.

"That is a goal, to be the best group in the country. We want to be the best group. We go out there to be the best group," Theus said. "I think that says a lot about the offensive line if we get crowned that so that'll be something to work for."

This story was originally published August 31, 2015 at 10:53 PM with the headline "Georgia Athletic Association board approves $30.2 million budget for indoor practice facility ."