Center will be ready in 1996

By NAINA NARAYANA
Collegian Sports Writer

Nittany and Lady Lion basketball players will have a new court to play on when they start Big Ten conference play next January.

William McKinnon, senior assistant vice president for business and operations, said the teams will be able to start playing in January after the Bryce Jordan Convocation Center is tested to ensure its safety. This will also allow time for the athletic department to move and the teams to get used to the new court.

Pennsylvania's Department of General Services extended the center's completion date from its original fall date of Sept. 19 to Nov. 28.

McKinnon said the extension was made based on the severe weather last winter.

"It was evident to the University, the department," he said. "They were behind schedule."

In January, University administrators were contemplating recovering damages due to the delay, but the University will work together with contractors and the department to complete the center, McKinnon said.

The 400,000 square-foot arena, located at the corner of University Drive and Curtin Road across from Beaver Stadium, will seat 15,000. The center, which costs $52 million, will be used for athletic, entertainment and campus events.

Athletic Ticket Manager Bud Meredith said tickets for both men's and women's basketball games will be available for a split-venue season with non-conference games played at Rec Hall and conference games played at the center.

Plans for ticket packages have not been settled yet because the teams receive their schedules from the Big Ten in the summer, Meredith added.

Bob Howard, the center's general manager, said events are currently being planned for the center. But because the basketball teams get their final schedule in August, dates for other events cannot be finalized.

Basketball games will be played in the center between January and March, Howard said. Other events will definitely be planned for after that period, he added.

Howard said he is in the process of making preliminary plans for shows such as circuses, ice shows, children's shows and other sporting events such as wrestling.