Oregon State Unveils Newest Facility Addition; Opens OSU Basketball Center
June 11, 2013
CORVALLIS, Ore. - In a celebrated day for Oregon State basketball, the Beavers showed off the newest addition to their programs on Tuesday afternoon, officially unveiling the OSU Basketball Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of hundreds of donors, alumni, family, friends, student-athletes and supporters.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which opened with words of thanks from Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis, also featured remarks from Jim Rudd, a donor to the project and co-chair of The Campaign for OSU; Beaver legends A.C. Green and Gary Payton; and head basketball coaches Craig Robinson and Scott Rueck.
All praised the donors for their support and described the integral role such a facility will have in the development of current Oregon State basketball student-athletes and the impact it will have in drawing the next generation of Beavers to Corvallis.
Among the crowd assembled included 2012 NBA first-round draft pick Jared Cunningham; former men's basketball head coach Jimmy Anderson and former women's basketball head coach Aki Hill; as well as men's basketball all-American Charlie Sitton and women's basketball all-American and 1984 Olympic gold medalist Carol Menken-Schaudt.
Following the speeches and ceremonial ribbon-cutting, the OSU Basketball Center was opened for self-guided tours with players stationed throughout the building to lend guidance for those getting their first look at the most recent addition to Oregon State Athletics' facility portfolio. In the last two years, OSU has successfully completed the OSU Boathouse, Phase I of the Whyte Track and Field Center and now the OSU Basketball Center.
The OSU Basketball Center is a 34,500-square-foot, four-story, $15 million structure that features two regulation basketball courts on the first and third floors along with locker rooms, satellite training and medical areas, and service and mechanical space. The second and fourth floors include coach and program staff offices that offer panoramic views of the basketball courts.
With some minor work still to be completed on the facility, both teams plan on moving into their new home during the month of July.
Some key quotes from the ceremony from each speaker were:
Bob De Carolis
"What you'll see of this facility is that it's going to be a game-changer, but more importantly it makes a statement that OSU is committed to being competitive at the highest level. I think you'll get a great feel for how this facility will impact the development of our student-athletes."
Jim Rudd
"The university strongly believes that competition in the classroom, on the field and the courts is integral to the experience of its student body. There is no other endeavor on campus that generates more daily publicity for Oregon State University's brand than her athletic teams. Success and playing by the rules are bedrock at OSU."
A.C. Green "We greatly appreciate Coach Robinson because we know you get it. You're building men here. We appreciate that and that's the kind of thing we like getting behind and being supportive of. This campus is where our maturity started; the life lessons we learned. That's why we stay connected. Our manhood started right here."
"This is a game-changer. It really is because this is what recruits want to see and this is what they need to see. This is who we are. We are the Oregon State Beavers. This is what we want to show and convey, not only to our colleagues out there on other campuses, but also to the world itself."
"We've got a former athlete right now who is playing professionally right now in the NBA, Jared Cunningham, who like most of these guys, weren't considered a pro when they got here, but he worked hard and became a pro. With this facility, each and every one of our guys can fulfill that dream of trying to make it to the next level because they will be able to use this place seven days a week."
"This is a huge marketing tool and you can understand that being part of Beaver Nation for so long. We all love this place. We all know this place. We all know this is the place most people want to come to go to school, but the fact of the matter is, when you're recruiting against folks who have more resources, who live in larger metropolitan areas, we have to have something that gets them here to visit this place. That's what this practice facility will do."
Scott Rueck
"This gift is invaluable. This is a facility that's going to allow young people to realize their potential, at a different level than we've ever been. To me it represents pride, vision and passion and that's what this place always has been about this sport."
"I'm proud to be an Oregon State alum. I don't have to point out all the changes around here. It's evident. But this OSU Basketball Center is one more huge reason I'm proud to be from Oregon State. This place proves that we're committed to excellence and we're demonstrating that to our students and that they are our top priority."
Basketball Season Tickets
Starting today, fans are able to renew their 2013-14 season tickets online at BeaverTickets.com. New season ticket holders also have the opportunity to secure their place in line for men's basketball season tickets by placing a $50 per seat deposit. A $50 deposit guarantees the best available seats after renewing tickets holders have been assigned, while saving significantly on single-game ticket orders and giving priority to purchase postseason tickets. New season ticket orders will be assigned in order of deposit date in late August.
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