East Tennessee State University’s men’s and women’s basketball programs should be getting a new facility within the next several years.
The plan for the new facility is only in the early stages. Land for construction has not been obtained, plans have not been drawn up and the cost has not been determined.
“We’re really looking at probably a couple of years of really developing the whole concept before we really get down to the specifics,” said Todd Stansbury, ETSU director of athletics.
Stansbury said that the Mini-Dome, where almost all sports on campus are played, is nearly 27 years old. It was felt that now was time to see how a new facility, and what kind, would benefit the university’s various athletic programs.
ETSU has 17 sports programs, eight men and nine women’s, all vying for space at the same time in the same building. Physical education and the band also need to use the space.
“It gets pretty crowded,” Stansbury said. “Twenty-seven years ago we didn’t have as many sports as we do today so that has just added to the load on the facilities we have. It creates a situation where you’ve got programs competing with each other for time, whether its P.E. and athletics or whether its teams within the athletics department.”
Since the proposed facility is still early in development a place to construct it has not been chosen, although one place near the university is being considered.
“The university is in the process of buying some land across the street that could be a potential site,” Stansbury said. “It’s going to be across the street from the Thomasville factory on University Parkway.”
Stansbury said this proposal was being considered years ago and he thinks the addition of a basketball facility is important, considering all the factors: the level of basketball the teams are capable of playing, most teams in the conference have already upgraded their facilities and the need to create a good atmosphere for basketball that will allow the university to recruit and compete for athletes.
“When I got here in 2000 one of the things I felt was at some point, based on the age of the facility we were in, that it would be something we were going to have to do if we were going to compete at the highest level.”
Stansbury said that when a facility like this is considered, it usually makes sense to look at other uses for it.
“Typically there is some type of convocation hall, as well,” he said. “One of the things we’ll look at is how this facility could potentially be a venue that could be used in additional ways.

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