The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees today (Friday) approved the next two steps in planning, design and construction for an indoor tennis facility that has long been included in the university's construction plans.
The proposed $3.5 million facility, eligible for funding through the state's athletic facilities matching fund program, has been a part of UW's Capital Facilities Plan since 2006 and been deemed critical to the Cowgirls' ability to compete in the Mountain West Conference. The facility would be located adjacent to the existing indoor court building north of Willett Drive near the UW baseball stadium.
UW does not have a men's tennis program.
Trustees authorized a preliminary design study at their November meeting. The design and construction documentation is scheduled to begin immediately, with construction beginning as soon as late summer.
Many of UW's conference rivals have superior tennis facilities, including the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center at Texas Christian University, which features 27 indoor and outdoor courts, and the University of Utah's George S. Eccles Tennis Center, the state's only indoor playing facility with eight courts. Additionally, San Diego State University and UNLV have state-of-the-art outdoor centers, each with 12 lighted courts.
UW's current tennis facility, with two covered courts for competition, does not accommodate NCAA Division I competition.
