UConn’s Gampel Pavilion in Storrs – home to the men’s and women’s basketball programs among other teams and events – will be undergoing an overhaul.
The UConn Board of Trustees unanimously approved $688,480 at its Dec. 7 meeting to replace the court. The project is slated to be completed in time for the start of the 2023 fall semester, officials said.
The Gampel Pavilion, also home to UConn volleyball as well as career fairs, open houses, and commencement ceremonies, opened in 1990. UConn officials said due to its age and current thickness, the wood court can no longer be sanded as part of scheduled maintenance and is beyond its useful life.
UConn spokesperson Michael Enright said the new floor model hasn’t been decided yet. But, he said, “it will be more modern and more aligned with a new college or NBA arena.”
The project, though, will include the removal of the existing wood flooring, inspection and repair of the subfloor (the middle layer of a flooring system); installation of a new maple floor system; and sanding, finishing, and painting.
UConn officials said there was no choice but to replace the current facility because there is a risk to athletes who could be exposed to nails from the subfloor after three decades of repairs and maintenance.
The project, officials said, will begin after the spring semester ends and occur over the summer of 2023.
