 "Photo: Julia Lee")
UC Riverside's Chancellor Timothy White and athletic director Stan Morrison have started discussions with the campus long range planning committee to build an events center much like UC Irvine's Bren Events Center and CSU Fullerton's Titan gym.
The events center is being planned in order to improve student life and UCR athletics. It will stage events like commencement, convocation and concerts. On the athletic side, men's and women's basketball and volleyball will be staged. The proposed name of the events center is the "C" Center.
"The idea [of the events center] has been around for a long time because it would provide a venue for so many activities that would be enjoyed by students, faculty, staff and the Riverside community," Morrison said. "The idea is not original to UCR. Many other [college] campuses have similar facilities."
Morrison said that the events center could also hold an infinite amount of events for the community such as concerts of many genres of music, X-Games, community events, wrestling, the circus, gymnastics and hockey. The that the amount of events will be decided once the budget of the services of the events center is established.
Irvine's Bren Events Center had Kanye West perform in 2004 and held the 2008 NCAA Volleyball Championships. The Titan Gym hosted handball in the 1984 Olympics. Events like these could be held at the "C" Center.
As for Highlander athletics, the establishment of an events center would do wonders, especially in the recruiting department.
A prospected recruit would much rather play in a well established arena like UCLA's Polly Pavilion than the Student Recreation Center.
It would certainly also enhance the image of UCR athletics.
Highlander men's basketball head coach Jim Wooldridge said, "Facilities are a key component to having a good athletic program. It would take our athletics to a whole new level."
In the 2008-2009 men's basketball season, the Highlanders set a school Division I record win total by winning 17 games. They also set a school Division I record home game winning streak by winning eight consecutive home games. The Highlanders also had a record crowd of 2725 witness them beat the UC Davis Aggies at the Student Recreation Center in the Homecoming game.
To add a new professionalized arena to last year's success and popularity, Wooldridge believes the men's basketball program will be boosted by the creation of a new venue to play its home games.
"It will be a huge step for us to make a tremendous place for our program," he said. "In Division I [athletics] you are constantly in competition. If you look at programs across the country, they have arenas so it becomes an arms race."
Morrison said that if the "C" Center gets capabilities to hold an indoor track, the events center can host indoor track meets as there are no indoor tracks in the state of California and universities are forced to fly out to places like Reno, Nev. and Boise, Id.
He also hopes for volleyball championships to be held at the venue.
As for a finishing date on the project, Morrison said no timetable has been established as of yet, but the project can be expected to be finished within 10 years.
"The campus long range planning committee does not have such a venue on their radar yet. I cannot venture a guess as to when the discussions would even begin given the current economic circumstances," he said. "[As for how long it will take to complete, the events center depends on what goes] into the events center and the number of seats it would provide for the events. Additionally, the issue of offices, limited suites, concourses, number of locker rooms and meeting rooms would be a part of a venue like this. Generally speaking, it takes around two to two and a half years from ground breaking."
In addition, no location has been established for the "C" Center. Morrison said that the location would be decided by the long range planning committee and the amount of land available.
However, White has expressed desire in having the events center within walking distance for students, according to Morrison.
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