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The floor and video scoreboards are just part of the John Paul Jones Arena. |
The building speaks for itself. It’s a phrase that has being used increasingly at the University of Virginia of late. That’s a good thing too. Because the John Paul Jones Arena can easily leave you speechless.
From when the building majestically rose from the Virginia clay to when the University’s distinct beauty alluringly formed around the project, the new arena captured the gaze and imagination of all who passed. And now as the John Paul Jones Arena prepares to open its doors, there’s a palpable feel in the air. The problem is finding the right words to express the sensation of walking into the building for the first time. The public gets its first opportunity to tour the building on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Find out more about the open house here.)
“It’s almost beyond excitement, especially for those people who have seen it,” said Barry Parkhill, a Cavalier basketball legend and a lead fundraiser on the project. “For our basketball t teams, it will be as good as it gets, but also there’s a sense of excitement for all the other major entertainment events for the entire community.”
Indeed, the University delights in not only the architectural beauty and athletic aspirations encapsulated in the JPJ, but also in the inspiring possibilities for the entire Charlottesville community. Beginning with Cirque Du Soleil’s Delirium on Aug. 1, the arena will welcome more than 100 events in its first year with goals of 125-plus events within three years. Without question, that brings a seemingly infinite list of activities to town that existed merely in the realm of imagination before.
“Clearly this effort was a major one for us with a number of things that came together to make this possible, beginning with a Board [of Visitors] and President that were willing to stretch [their imagination] and willing to take a risk to make it happen,” said Leonard W. Sandridge, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the University of Virginia and Chief Financial Officer of the Board of Visitors. “Without objection, it will be the finest place to play basketball in the country but it is also a facility for our students and community to enjoy. … For the community and from a business and entertainment perspective, in the first year we’re bringing half a million to 600,000 people to see events, which is a tremendous benefit for business and tourism in this area.
“We place important [emphasis] here on having the addition of any facility add value and we’re very proud of this building,” he added. “As you will see, I think the building speaks for itself.”
Without question the JPJ makes a statement. From the pristine new basketball floor to the flashing lights of the audiovisual system, everything seems bold without being brash. Perhaps it’s the brick façade included in the interior of the arena itself. Maybe it’s the warm and inviting hues through every hallway and adjoining room. Whatever it may be, the building feels a lot like home.
Certainly, that’s what it should feel like to the men’s and women’s basketball programs, whose offices, locker rooms, and practice facilities are all housed inside the structure. That should provide a major boost in not only recruiting, but in player development and confidence. After all, who wouldn’t feel great about shooting jumpers and working on their athletic and academic skills inside a palace like this?
www.johnpauljonesarena.com Tickets Seating Charts Virginia Athletics Foundation VMDO Architects The Sabre’s Exclusive Photo Gallery (Free!) |
But the UVa Athletic Department took the original plan a step further just to make sure that all Cavalier student-athletes could take advantage of the facility. During the project’s growth, the department decided it would be best (and more cost effective in the long run) to add a full academic center complete with tutoring rooms and computer labs plus a dining hall to the building instead of just practice courts and weight rooms. Why? So that the students could have a convenient, state-of-the-art home to work on everything involved in the life of student-athlete.
“The practice facilities, weight room, locker rooms, classrooms, lounges, and offices will give the men’s and women’s basketball programs everything they need to recruit the best possible student-athletes to the University of Virginia and the facility was designed with player development and staff/student-athlete interaction as a priority,” said Jon Oliver,
Executive Associate Athletics Director, in an email interview.
“The academic center and the dining hall for all student-athletes were not part of the original project. My thoughts were that we would never be able to build these spaces in the future cheaper than we could build them as part of this project. The University’s administration ultimately agreed and allowed us to add these spaces. We believe that these facilities are a significant enhancement to the areas of recruiting and student-athlete welfare for all of our sport programs.”
Of course, the inclusion of so much additional amenities for student-athletes fits perfectly in to the 10-year plan first set forth by Athletic Direct Craig Littlepage. The University wanted to enhance every aspect of the athletic operation from attracting more top-notch student-athletes to building better facilities to winning more championships. The John Paul Jones , for which the fundraising is an ongoing effort (Sandridge indicated that the University “was on track to make the project a financial and continuing success”) since there were no municipal, public, or state funds involved, immediately addresses the goals set forth.
Oliver said he always kept those 10-year goals in mind while working on the project, making sure “that the programming included in the John Paul Jones Arena falls specifically under the athletics department’s goals.” Among the specific areas of focus, Oliver says were to “build and maintain the highest quality facilities in the country with the purpose of attracting and developing the best student-athletes to the University of Virginia annually” and to “fully comply with Title IX.”
Both of those have been noticeably incorporated into the project, even before the doors open for the first event. Whether it is in the types of recruits now listing Virginia as a possibility on both the men’s and women’s side of things or the separate full practice facilities for each program, the JPJ easily sits among college basketball’s royalty.
“One of the interesting and fun challenges was to make sure we could maximize the positive impact of the building with state of the art programming for our basketball programs and our basketball fans while respecting the multi-purpose mandate for the building,” Oliver said. “From the time I joined the project team in early 2002, this was my main focus.”
“The locker room, training room, weight room, and all the specifics for our basketball teams are as good as you’ll see,” Parkhill said. “The practice facilities a very important part of this for the teams. The players will have somewhere 24 hours, 7 days a week to go practice.”
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Courtside at the JPJ. |
Of course, the main purpose for the building will be to host basketball games. The interior of the arena is perhaps the most impressive portion of all. From a players’ perspective, it will provide a playing area that seems like a big-time tournament each and every game. For the fans, there don’t appear to be any bad seats with every cushioned chair seemingly on top of the action.
“I haven’t taken any shots in there, but like any homecourt as the players get comfortable and used to the background it will have the same affect as University Hall,” Parkhill said, before adding with a laugh: “The other guys never get used to it I hope. It’s an amazing building.”
Every Hoo – player, coach, administrator, fan – is hoping those two aspects combine to create a game-day atmosphere unlike any other. The planning certainly took that into account. The seating envelops those on the floor with an air of Roman mythology as every single seat breathes menacingly on the hardwood itself. All that’s missing is that agonizing wait for the emperor to give the thumb’s up or the thumb’s down.
That says nothing of the accompanying audiovisual system with a pro-style scoreboard as well as video and ribbon screens. Don’t forget the additional game day additions that add to the frenzy as well from entrance videos and music to the marching band. Oliver visited the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Seattle Supersonics, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats, Fresno State, Missouri, Maryland, and Texas Tech to “get ideas for the building and game day excitement.”
Under ideal circumstances, the feeling will be soothing for the Cavaliers, but unrelentingly suffocating for opponents. Heck, the most optimistic envision forever walloping any Dukies, Terps, and Heels (and anyone else) that ever step into the building.
“More than just coming to a game, we want to make sure that fans have a great time while supporting the men’s and women’s teams. I believe that the John Paul Jones Arena provides the canvas for us to create a great environment,” Oliver said. “I believe that the building is truly special and I believe that anyone looking to build an arena in college over the next 10 years will want to look at our building to get ideas. This is already happening.
“I think that the John Paul Jones Arena will provide an incredible canvas to create a great experience for the fans but it will take an extraordinary effort by the people behind the scenes to drive this experience,” he added. “We have incredibly passionate fans and I think we all have an opportunity to create an environment where we can consistently say that our fans helped carry us to victory.”
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There’s no doubting this man’s desire to win at Virginia. |
As Sabre posters have joked in the past few months, that only leaves one thing to add to the John Paul Jones Arena. Championship banners. Don’t worry, the fans aren’t the only ones thinking that way. Dave Leitao and Debbie Ryan are not bashful about their goals for the basketball programs and certainly championships are part of the plan.
While hanging banners may not be an immediate addition to the JPJ, it is something everyone involved wants for the teams, coaches, and fans of the Cavaliers.
“It is natural for a brand new facility to create a sense of urgency and I believe that both of these programs are primed for success but everyone has to understand that the effort is a marathon and not a sprint. Our coaches know that the elite teams in the ACC will not willingly give up ground to us and the quality of the conference dictates that you build a program rather than trying to have a great season every once in a while,” Oliver said. “When Craig Littlepage introduced the 10-year goals for the athletics department in 2002, he raised the expectations for all of our sport programs so it is not just a matter of the John Paul Jones Arena creating this expectation for the basketball programs.
“Debbie Ryan and Dave Leitao are the type of coaches that create high expectations for themselves and their programs. I work directly with the men’s program on a daily basis and I know that Dave Leitao wakes up every single day working on his plan to build a championship program.”
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