The Ole Miss Pavilion is scheduled to host its first basketball game on Jan. 7, 2016.
BL Harbert International, a construction company out of Birmingham, Alabama, has worked on the project for 18 months. Retractable bleachers, floor finishings, paint, furniture and site work are all that is left for the project to be complete. The total project cost was $90 million.
(The Pavilion at Ole Miss was slated to open this fall semester but will instead host first basketball game on Jan. 7, 2016 | Photo by: Royce Swayze)
Joseph Swingle, associate athletics director, said early season basketball games, including the one occurring tonight, will be played in the Tad Smith Coliseum.
The Pavilion will be a multi-purpose facility and is expected to not only host basketball games, but also concerts, convocations, and commencement ceremonies. Swingle recommended everyone purchase tickets for Pavilion-hosted events, and said “it will be well worth it.”
Ian Banner, director of facilities planning and University architect, describes the Pavilion as a new, state-of-the-art basketball facility.
Banner said the Pavilion seating count will be more than the Tad Smith Coliseum, which holds 9,500.
Hannah Crabtree, a sophomore exercise science major, said she is looking forward to experiencing her first Ole Miss basketball game at the Pavilion.
“I’m so excited for the Pavilion to be finished,” Crabtree said. “It will soon become a main attraction on the Ole Miss campus.”
Crabtree also mentioned utilizing the Pavilion for the new restaurants that will be introduced to campus in January 2016.
Steak n’ Shake and Raising Cane’s will be offered as concessions during athletic events and will also maintain regular business hours during the week. Both restaurants will accept meal plans with a Plus 1 as well as flex dollars.
“The Tad Pad is 40 years old and everything in the building is outdated,” Banner said.
Swingle said of their are no immediate plans for the Tad Pad when the games transition to the Pavilion.
“This is a University building and will probably be used as a swing space for around five years,” Swingle said. “The master plan is to turn it into a green space.”
