OXFORD — Ross Bjork set out to ensure that The Pavilion at Ole Miss would be more than just a basketball facility.
Instead of building a new and bigger arena with all of the latest amenities, Bjork and the Ole Miss administration wanted something that served as a front door for the athletic department and a facility that could be integrated into the day-to-day life of everybody on campus.
After giving members of the media a tour of the facility Friday 48 days prior to its scheduled opening Jan. 7, 2016, Bjork said everything is on schedule for the Ole Miss men’s basketball team to play host to Alabama in front of a packed house of 9,500.
“I would say we are right on track, and we are under budget, so that is a good thing, too,” Bjork said. “I really don’t know what to expect because we have never done this. You don’t open a building like this but once in a lifetime, and I just can’t wait to see the expression on peoples’ faces.”
Bjork served as one of two guides on tours that lasted about an hour. Guests went from upper levels of the building to the bottom, which is about 30 feet below ground level, to offer a glimpse of a facility that will replace Tad Smith Coliseum. The cost: $96.5 million.
Bjork believes the price tag for a new facility is worth the investment because The Pavilion at Ole Miss is going to be much more than a new home for the school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. He said he and the school made sure the facility would serve multiple purposes due in part to its location next to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and across the street from Tad Smith Coliseum.
“That was the biggest thing for us,” Bjork said. “This could not just be a basketball facility tucked away somewhere where you only play basketball games. It had to be a centerpiece on campus, in my mind and also in the administration’s mind. It had to be a front door, if you will, for athletics. It had to have a student component Monday through Friday, like our food court area (which will have a Steak ‘n Shake and a Raising Cane’s).
‘To me, football had to be a piece of it. How do we utilize a venue like this on football game day? We know what that is like on our campus, but all of that helps build basketball, so that was the thing. Get people in this build, get used to this building, make it multi-purpose, have concerts. We don’t have a concert venue like this anywhere in our town. So that is another example. That was a big piece of it, make it a multi-dimensional cornerstone of the campus.”
Bjork said he tours the Pavilion at Ole Miss on an average of once every three weeks. He said he also typically does executive tours once a month and special tours for other groups or staff members. He said he likes to do the tours so he keeps track of the progress. On Friday, he noticed a lot of differences since his last visit and the addition of paint, carpet, lockers, tile, and other things in numerous areas.
Bjork said mid December will be a “critical time” to put in retractable seating at floor level and to begin the cleaning of the building so everything can be tested to make sure it works. He said furniture will go in Dec. 28, so the building will have to be ready at that time. Teams also will have to practice in the building, prior to the opening date, he said.
Bjork praised the work of the architect, contractor, and the members of the campus team for making sure everything has stayed on track. He said the completion of a number of the big tasks, like the installation of the center-hung scoreboard and wood game floor and the arrival of the retractable seating, was instrumental so other projects could move forward. He said the ability to complete the bigger tasks has made everyone feel comfortable that The Pavilion at Ole Miss will hit its due date.
Still, Bjork said some of the paint or finishings might not be completed by Jan. 7, but those things can be touched up after the building opens, if needed.
Bjork said the road in front of The Pavilion at Ole Miss will be a three-lane road when it is completed. He said 800 parking spaces in the garage that is a part of the facility will help alleviate parking concerns. He said additional parking spaces also will be available on Hill Drive. He said the athletic department is working well with the University Police Department to ensure there is a smooth traffic flow after events.
In addition to basketball games, Bjork envisions concerts in the facility. He said a date late in January is being examined and could soon become a reality for the first show in the venue.
The project is part of the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation’s Forward Together campaign that has raised more than $155 million. Last week, Ole Miss received its largest gift in school history — $25 million. As a result, the school has pushed its fundraising goal to $200 million.
Earlier this month, Dr. Gerald “Doc” Hollingsworth made a $25 million donation to Ole Miss. Ten million of the donation is a cash gift to be used through the Forward Together campaign. The remainder of it will be in the form of a charitable remainder trust that will establish the Gerald M. Hollingsworth, M.D., Athletic Scholarship Endowment.
A portion of the donation will be used to support the North End Zone expansion of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, where the playing field bears his name.
Bjork hopes the momentum continues because Ole Miss will starting on its North End Zone project for Vaught-Hemingway Stadium “the moment the LSU game ends.” That construction is slated to cost $25.6 million and is expected to be completed in August 2016.
Ole Miss also will begin renovations on the South End Zone in January. Those plans are expected to be completed in August 2016.
There also are plans for the football practice fields and the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium video boards, lighting, and audio systems. Both projects are slated to begin next month and to be completed by August 2016.
Basketball and football facilities aren’t the only ones Ole Miss has on its schedule. Ole Miss started construction at the track and field facility in October. It is scheduled to be finished in June 2016. The cost: $7.3 million. He said construction at the Gillom Sports Center, where the volleyball team plays, is scheduled to start in the spring (May 2016). The work is scheduled to be completed in March 2017. The cost: $13.8 million.
As for The Pavilion at Ole Miss, Bjork said there is room to grow. He said seating could be added in the North End Zone that would push the total attendance to a little more than 10,000. He said the school would examine the possibility of expansion after it sees how many tickets are sold for basketball games. He said the school has sold almost 5,000 season tickets for men’s basketball.
Bjork also said Ole Miss hopes to land a naming partner for the building. He said multiple organizations are talking to the school about signing an agreement to place their name on The Pavilion at Ole Miss. Bjork said he has a “good dialogue” with potential naming partners.
Bjork also said he hopes the facility will be able to play host to other athletic events. He said The Pavilion at Ole Miss will be able to bring events that aren’t predetermined to Oxford due to the issue with the Confederate flag on the state’s flag. The presence of the Confederate flag precludes Ole Miss from playing host to predetermined events like NCAA tournaments. He said a volleyball tournament is one example of an event that is not predetermined that Ole Miss could hold in The Pavilion at Ole Miss.
Other than that, Bjork envisions The Pavilion at Ole Miss being packed year-round and enhancing the atmosphere on campus, whether it is football season, basketball season, or baseball season.
“We want this thing from graduations, to family shows, to concerts, to business retreats. Whatever it might be,” Bjork said. “We want this to ne a destination for people to have other events besides basketball.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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