KNOXVILLE — The basketball practice facility at Tennessee that both Bruce Pearl and Pat Summitt have been pushing for is about to become a reality.
A recent $5 million commitment from alumnus Larry F. Pratt means that Tennessee officials anticipate the project being fully funded by the time ground is broken in August.
Tennessee Athletics Director Mike Hamilton has said the project will cost around $15 million.
Pending formal approval by the UT Board of Trustees in June, the new building will be called "Pratt Basketball Practice Pavilion."
Pratt Pavilion will house two full-size gymnasiums, one for each of the men's and women's teams, as well as space for an athletic training room, a weight room and film study room.
Pratt, an Athens native, graduated in 1972 from UT in the college of business. He now lives in McLean, Va., and serves as president and CEO of First Savings Mortgage Corp., the largest private mortgage banker in Washington D.C.
"I have a longtime appreciation for the standard of excellence Pat Summitt has established for Tennessee, and I have confidence that Bruce Pearl is the right coach to lead the men's program to the same level," Pratt said. "We've got to make sure that they have all the tools they need to recruit the best possible student-athletes and develop their skills to a championship level."
Hamilton and other UT officials have visited practice facilities around the country, including those at Texas, Oklahoma and Florida, during the design and planning stages of Pratt Pavilion.
"Larry has been a great friend to Tennessee, and we are grateful that he is stepping forward at an important time to make this facility a reality," Hamilton said. "Pratt Pavilion will make a difference in player development and recruiting as well as give us the opportunity to have more concerts and special events in Thompson-Boling Arena."
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