May 24, 2013
Troy - Troy University’s basketball, volleyball, and track teams have a new home. The new Trojan Arena is replacing Sartain Hall after 50 years.
“It's time to retire the old building. 50 years is long enough to play basketball in a facility,” said Dr. Jim Bookout, Senior Vice Chancellor of Finance and Business Affairs.
“In basketball vernacular this is a slam dunk. This is one of the finest facilities not only in Alabama but also the us. It has all the bells and whistles,” said Men’s Basketball Coach Don Maestri.
The new Trojan arena seats twice as many people as Sartain, but there's a lot more to it than just a basketball court.
In addition to the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame, there are kiosks with the history of other Trojan sports, and a food court style dining center.
“As you walk around the first level there's so much many people won't see if the just come to an event here,” said Maestri.
The basketball players have their own locker room, game room, and a practice facility bigger than what they had at Sartain. The $40 million dollar facility could help draw better players to Troy.
Maestri said, “We expect this year’s recruiting to be one of the best we've had in years. It’s going to bring us a high caliber of basketball player. They're not expecting this when they get here either.
The ribbon cutting for the arena will be Saturday afternoon at 2:30. You’ll have your own chance for a behind the scenes tour of the facility.
