By Skip Coopersmith

The newly renovated space is expected to include a regulation-size practice court, locker rooms, training room, film room, team lounge and coaches’ offices

ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland University Board of Trustees approved the plan to renovate space to create the Varsity Basketball Training Center. This endeavor will create a cutting-edge basketball practice facility within the heart of Oakland West Campus.

“Thank you to the Board of Trustees for its support of this project. The basketball practice facility, locker rooms/team lounge, film room, and offices will elevate and enhance the experiences of current and future Golden Grizzlies women’s basketball and men’s basketball student-athletes,” Director of Athletics Steve Waterfield said. “Since I arrived at Oakland in 2018, President Pescovitz has championed and supported OU Athletics. Her support and the teamwork of cabinet members and others across the OU community have been instrumental in getting the project to this point. I look forward to the next phases of the project and seeing the project’s completion as we enter into a new era for the basketball programs.”

The practice facility will be approximately 15,000 square feet and is expected to include a regulation-size practice court, locker rooms, training room, film room, team lounge and coaches’ offices. Once the new space is renovated, the OU Credit Union O’rena, will provide the volleyball program access to more practice times throughout the year. In addition, moving the basketball programs to the OWC facility frees up office space in the current Athletics Center to be backfilled by head coaches of other Oakland University varsity sports.

“The Board of Trustees’ decision to fund the renovation of the basketball practice facility is a game changer for both basketball programs and the most significant advancement for the basketball programs since we entered the Division 1 era,” Men’s Basketball Head Coach Greg Kampe said. “On behalf of current and future Golden Grizzlies basketball players, I am grateful to the Board of Trustees and University leaders for their support.”

“This is a great day for Oakland’s basketball programs and a day we’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jeff Tungate said. “We cannot thank the University and Board of Trustees enough for understanding our need and approving this renovation.”

The next phase of the renovation project involves collaborating with multiple stakeholders and architects to conceptualize the facility’s design. The funding for this estimated $5 million project will be drawn from existing reserves allocated by the University for this purpose.

COURTESY OAKLAND ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS