McNeese students to pay $2.5M for construction of new fieldhouse

are you o.k. with that?

Justin Daigle and Sarah Pucket

Issue date: 12/4/06 Section: News

The last Student Government Association meeting was held on Nov. 29 in Baker Auditorium with a group of special guest speakers in attendance, representatives from the athletics department and the field house committee. They were there seeking the adoption of a bill that would raise over 2.5 million dollars to build a new field house. The proposed fee would increase tuition by $20 per semester.
If this referendum is adopted by an SGA senator it would be written into a bill then voted on by the senate. Then the bill would go to administration for approval, the Board of Regents and the University of Louisiana system, ultimately ending back with the senate. Once the bill is passed for a second time in the senate students would have their vote.
Lance Horner, SGA President said that if all goes smoothly the bill should end up on the Spring Ballot.
The breakdown of the fees is $10/semester designated for the field house; the other $10 designated for other needed student programs. Athletic officials stated, in the meeting, that the fee could be $15 for the field house and $5 for "student excitement funds."
Fundraising has been going on since 2005, with the interruption of Hurricane Rita, and has raised over $6M. Major contributors to the project have been the Cowboy Club, Quarterback Club, and the Petrochem Club. Along with the Alumni Association and Dist. Judge Rick Bryant. The Petrochem Club and the Cowboy club have both pledged an additional $50,000 each. Other sources of funding will come from a portion of the occupancy tax along with named sponsorship opportunities, former athletes, area businesses, individual donations and fundraising events.
The key features of new field house are: expanded weight room, enlarged locker room, team meeting room, coaching, staff offices, media room, additional conference rooms, enlarged ticket office, Hall of Fame in public lobby, covered Cowboy pavilion for half-time meetings and 2nd level club seating in a private, climate-controlled area. The private box seats are currently being sold and put into the field house fund.
Marcus Stein, SGA, asked if all student organizations would be able to utilize the meeting rooms in the new field house. Head Coach Matt Viator responded, "we have never run into that question, nor did the committee think about it, but it's a very good idea." Pam McGough, Coordinator of Athletic development, stated that student athletes would come first and depending upon the season other organizations could try to get in.

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