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| New Gaither Gym floor 2022 |
In the waining days of his administration, the previous AD was quick to hail the new renovated floor in Gaither Gym as one of his successes. The new floor, complete with new (upgraded) basketball goals will be the home for the SWAC Championship Lady Rattlers Volleyball Team according to a tweet.
Coach McCollum shared that in its current form the facility can’t be used as an additional practice facility for the men's and women's basketball teams which are dire need of a place to practice and shoot around because they are currently restricted in their use of the Lawson Center.
As a "teaching gymnasium", the Al Lawson Center, falls under the College of Education, which operates the building as a health and physical education classroom building. Athletic teams aren't allowed to use the Lawson Center when classes are in session because professors complain the noise interferes with their classes.
This arrangement cuts back on the amount of time that the basketball teams are allowed to practice and shoot around. The renovated Gaither space was to help alleviate this issue essentially providing basketball with its own dedicated practice facility and volleyball with a new cozy home court.
McCollum expressed his concerns last night on the O&G Strike Zone podcast (1hr 22 mins in), inferring that the previous AD had promised him that the new (Gaither Gym) floor would be available to both basketball as well as well as volleyball.
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| New Gaither Gym floor 2020 |
Incidentally, the Gaither Gym floor was completely redone just two years ago, before the pandemic, with new wood, varnish, and painting.
For some reason, the former AD ripped it up and replaced an essentially new floor.