Alleva’s turn to carry upgrade ball
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In his first official day on the job, LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva was turning over a ceremonial shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking for the school’s new $14 million basketball practice facility.
It’s the latest in a string of facility upgrades LSU has taken on this decade, first under former Athletic Director Joe Dean and then Athletic Director emeritus Skip Bertman.
Since 2000, two decks (one new, one rebuilt) have been added to Tiger Stadium. LSU — and it’s athletic fundraising arm, the Tiger Athletic Foundation — have renovated the seating area of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, built new parking lots to accommodate football tailgaters and is in the midst of construction on new baseball and softball parks.
“The facilities we have are really good,” Alleva said after Tuesday’s ceremony. “Now it’s my job to make them a little better.”
If he had another 10 years, Bertman said, he would want to tackle the last few critical items on LSU’s facilities wish list: an indoor tennis facility, an upgraded natatorium for swimming, and other improvements.
“I think we could catch Florida,” Bertman said, “which is essentially the best athletic program in the conference.”
Would improvements include adding an upper deck, suites and/or club seats to the south end of Tiger Stadium? Bertman wouldn’t go there, but Alleva does regard the 84-year-old monolith as a fixer upper.
“My first priority is to make it a real showplace,” Alleva said. “Then we’ll think about expanding.
“It should be a gem that really stands out. It’s big and it’s beautiful, but there are things I’d like to do to the facade.”
Alleva cited hundreds of rusting windows, which open onto now unused dormitory rooms.
Dormitories were first built into Tiger Stadium in the 1930s as a compromise project to provide student housing and expand the arena.
“Then there’s the infrastructure,” Alleva said. “That’s going to be a big priority.”
It’s the latest in a string of facility upgrades LSU has taken on this decade, first under former Athletic Director Joe Dean and then Athletic Director emeritus Skip Bertman.
Since 2000, two decks (one new, one rebuilt) have been added to Tiger Stadium. LSU — and it’s athletic fundraising arm, the Tiger Athletic Foundation — have renovated the seating area of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, built new parking lots to accommodate football tailgaters and is in the midst of construction on new baseball and softball parks.
“The facilities we have are really good,” Alleva said after Tuesday’s ceremony. “Now it’s my job to make them a little better.”
If he had another 10 years, Bertman said, he would want to tackle the last few critical items on LSU’s facilities wish list: an indoor tennis facility, an upgraded natatorium for swimming, and other improvements.
“I think we could catch Florida,” Bertman said, “which is essentially the best athletic program in the conference.”
Would improvements include adding an upper deck, suites and/or club seats to the south end of Tiger Stadium? Bertman wouldn’t go there, but Alleva does regard the 84-year-old monolith as a fixer upper.
“My first priority is to make it a real showplace,” Alleva said. “Then we’ll think about expanding.
“It should be a gem that really stands out. It’s big and it’s beautiful, but there are things I’d like to do to the facade.”
Alleva cited hundreds of rusting windows, which open onto now unused dormitory rooms.
Dormitories were first built into Tiger Stadium in the 1930s as a compromise project to provide student housing and expand the arena.
“Then there’s the infrastructure,” Alleva said. “That’s going to be a big priority.”
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