Practice facility for VCU basketball teams

New VCU basketball practice facility designed by Barton Malow and VMDO Architects

The VCU Rams men's and women's basketball teams currently play their games in the Alltel Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. The men's team practice facility has, until just recently, been the Franklin Street Gym. The women's team practiced mostly in the Siegel Center, but occasionally practiced on Franklin Street.

Franklin Street underwent a $250,000 renovation in 2006 to update the practice facilities. The update included two full courts and six basketball goals. It did not, however, include air conditioning.

School officials believe that VCU’s new men’s and women’s $25 million basketball practice facility will have a significant impact in developing players, attracting high-caliber recruits and helping the Rams maintain a national presence. The 62,000-square-foot facility sits across from the Siegel Center on West Marshall Street.

“Certainly it will help (with recruiting),” said new men’s coach Will Wade, who called it one of the top-five facilities in the country. "I think one thing that separates (our facility) is a lot of people have practice gyms, but ours is an actual development center. We’ve got the latest in technology, state-of-the-art things that can not only help you become a better basketball player, but can develop parts of your body, can develop things for the rest of your life that you’ll need." (note?)

Players will have 24-hour access to the building, which houses identical courts and areas — one each for the men’s and women’s teams — that are separated on the first floor by the lobby, weight room and sports medicine room, and on the second floor by players’ lounges, a dining area and administrative offices. The coaches’ offices on the upper floor overlook the courts.