Northern Iowa to build new Panthers basketball, volleyball practice facility

Adding to its list of athletics projects, the University of Northern Iowa received Board of Regents permission Wednesday to start planning a 22,000-square-foot, $10 million “court practice facility“ to be shared between men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball.

UNI last year also received board approval to pursue a $5 million new wrestling facility. And in October 2022, the Cedar Falls campus launched a $50 million capital campaign to renovate its nearly 50-year-old UNI-Dome.

All three projects would be funded with private donations.

“Several UNI alums and donors have recently stepped forward expressing interest in providing financial support for a court sports training facility,” UNI President Mark Nook said in a statement. “The enthusiasm for this initiative and the approval of the regents has brought us to a point where we can proceed with conceptual planning for a court sports training facility."

The new stand-alone facility would accommodate all the space needs of UNI men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball programs, currently sharing space in the McLeod Center — a single-court performance venue, according to board documents. The teams now also use practice space in the campus Wellness Recreation Center, requiring schedule coordination between the basketball, volleyball and wrestling programs.

“This current practice arrangement is less than ideal in terms of scheduling conflicts for sharing space with the UNI basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams,” UNI officials reported to the regents. “There is no single, dedicated practice space.”

The proposed new practice facility not only would provide additional practice courts but strength and conditioning space, training rooms, lockers, showers, restrooms, offices and storage.

“When comparing UNI’s practice facilities to peer institutions and considering the enhanced recruitment potential, this project has become a priority for UNI Athletics,” the university said.

Although UNI officials plan to weigh options for the most cost-effective site through the design process, key site considerations include property near the McLeod Center; near existing utilities and parking; and within "high visibility of the athletic programs in the UNI community.“

“There are multiple existing sites on campus that would be considered to house the court practice facility,” according to board documents.

UNI Interim Athletics Director Bob Bowlsby, after the project gained board approval, said in a statement, “This is another exciting day for the University of Northern Iowa.”

“We appreciate the willingness of several loyal Panthers to make this facility a reality in the near future,” he said. “Whether it’s this project, the UNI-Dome or the new wrestling training facility, now is the time to make or consider increasing your commitment to the future of UNI Athletics.”

The university in November unveiled conceptual renderings for a proposed 11,000-square-foot wrestling training facility — after its longtime home at West Gym “reached the end of its useful life.”

“The West Gym has been deemed unsafe and has been vacated,” according to board documents. “The UNI wrestling program is temporarily located off campus in a tenant building.”

UNI, like the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, has a long history of funding athletics projects through private giving.

In the 1970s, UNI raised $7.5 million after plans for the UNI-Dome were unveiled. The $25 million McLeod Center, which debuted in 2006, was constructed with private dollars.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com