What new facilities? What is wrong with the 13,000 seat Convo? The largest arena by far in the MAC. Did Saul or Christian or Groce have any of these things you are talking about? Take a deep breath and see if Boals can win a regular season title first or win more than 60% of his games. The only coach to win a MAC regular season title outright in the past three decades has been Larry.

And that was with the best player in its history. Outlier?
Maybe something needs to be changed.
Maybe size (of the Convo) doesn’t matter after all.

+1 good call BtB

I can't imagine there is appetite for this just yet because of all of the recent pushes for IPF/Weight room/Locker rooms/Sook Center, but this is the next logical improvement(addition) IMO as well.

"Kind of far to walk" ?

Peden's right across the street.

I would think it wouldn't be too far to walk for a D1 basketball player.

And the woman’s team had to schedule practices around the Men’s team.

A couple of years ago O.U. was considering a new ice arena next to Ping.

That proposal died,so there should be more then enough space for a basketball practice facility there.

As far as cost,it depends on what you want.

At a minimum, you need a couple of courts,locker rooms and training rooms.
In the grand scheme of things,that cost wouldn't be astronomical.

By and large,basketball players don't tend to hit the weights that hard.
The basketball team also has a much smaller roster then football.
So,if you want to include a weight room,you wouldn't need the same kind of facility that Peden has.

My approach would be to design an "expandable" facility.
Start with practice courts,locker and training rooms.

You could then add a weight room and other amenities like a weight room at a later date.

You just need to make sure that the design,including the HVAC system,has the ability to be easily expanded.

I've been involved with several projects where we used this approach.

I would also think that,if the program develops under Boals,it should be possible,just like the IPF and Academic Center to solicit donations for a BB practice facility.

Just my $ 0.02,which I will happily donate towards the project. :-)

That walk from the convo to peden 4 days a week at 6am in January is not pleasant and a lot of times takes the attention off the task at hand. I know people here can sit back and say suck it up, but it really does take its toll on athletes' mindset. IMO a weight room in the convo would result in better workouts. Baseball, wrestling, volleyball, girls soccer, both basketball teams, cheerleading, and softball could utilize. Scheduling would have to be worked out but some of these teams lift in the afternoon anyway.

Peden also just got equipped with all new Rogue equipment. It's remarkable that OU spent that much money for an upgrade. Specialty bars and custom OU barbells/dumbbells. That place is sweet. Any college athlete is lucky to train there and would be hard pressed to find another school with the same level of equipment outside the P5.

I'm really bad at multiple quotes.
So let me address my responses by the poster's names:

Buckeye To Bobcat:
I don't know where the parking spaces you're talking about are located.
As long as they're not under the building,and there's enough room,that seems like a possible spot.

As far as "Punch Card Park".
Please,yes,yes and yes.
Really great idea creating "art" that can only be seen from the air.

Sponge BOB:
I agree 100%,a second weight room would be nice.

If you're going to make it available to more then BB teams,it
would have to be relatively large.
That seems to make "Punch Card Park" an ideal location.
You could even put some classrooms in it.

DJ:
If I recall correctly, at time they said Rouge "worked with" O.U. on the equipment for the new weight room.
It was one of their premier projects.
In fact,there's still a video of the facility on their web site.

That may have helped with the cost.

I would also think they'd be interested in a second weight room project.

As someone who still lifts a few times a week,yea,the place is "sweet".

Shoot,when I was at O.U.,the soccer team's "weight room" was a small Universal in a "closet" in the Convo.

We also got share it with every other sport,except football,PLUS the faculty.

Half the time we ended up at Grover Center, since they had better equipment,including free weights.

The timy school district I attended had more basketball courts than our entire college campus. That’s ridiculous. Just build them the equivalent of a high school gym.

My point exactly. Another facility would provide a flexible practice schedule for everyone.

Seems to me,if a practice facility is not coming in the near future,they should really be looking in to maximizing using Ping as a quasi practice facility.

I know, at one time, someone said teams do use is it at times.

Was wondering if anyone knows how much.

I know whenever I visit Ping during the day,the courts are empty.