From http://www.goblackbears.com


Dan from Kennebunk asks:

Mr. Nero,

Are there any plans for a men's and women's basketball-only facility in
which they can both practice and play their home games? If yes, when will
fund-raising begin and could you shed some light on what it will entail.


Patrick's answer:

Dan,

Thanks for the question.

As we plan for our future, I do believe it is very important for us to
look at different facility options for our men's and women's basketball
teams.

It is very difficult to have four teams sharing one facility as we
currently do at the Alfond. We not only have difficulty getting our
basketball teams practice time in the building, but each year there are
several occasions where the building is not available for our men's and
women's hockey teams practices.

The changeover from ice to the basketball court costs us a great deal of
time and money. We are at the point that basketball does not practice more
than once or twice a year in the facility. There have been times this year
when the team pre-game warm-ups were less than 45 minutes, rather than the
required 2 hours.

The Alfond was built as a hockey rink, and we believe it is one of the
best college hockey venues in the country. I hope in the coming year we
can look at options for a basketball facility that seats approximately
3,500-4,000 people. This would give us a facility that would be full many
nights and give our fans a great experience and our teams a real home
court advantage.

The cost of constructing a facility such as this will be the obvious
stumbling block. We will look at the option of renovating a current
facility or new construction. At that time we will also need to plan a
fund-raising campaign. In the meantime, feel free to send us a donation
and we will put it towards this project.

Go Black Bears!