Dozens of Furman Paladin fans, donors, student-athletes and Furman University administrators gathered Saturday, April 13, to turn a spade of soil in a ceremonial groundbreaking for renovations to Timmons Arena.<\/p>\n
The $40 million project, announced in February<\/a>, is funded by more than 200 donors, with a lead gift of $10 million from philanthropist and businessman Ravenel B. Curry III \u201963.<\/p>\n During renovations, the Paladins men\u2019s basketball program will play in the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville, and the women\u2019s team will play most home games at North Greenville University.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is our goal to build a facility that will represent the type of first-class experience one would expect from Furman,\u201d President Elizabeth Davis told the crowd. \u201cA renovated Timmons Arena will not only honor and celebrate the Paladins\u2019 storied past but will also create a tremendous homecourt advantage for our teams. Timmons will be a jewel on campus for all of our students, faculty, and staff, and it will continue to be a place for the Upstate and Furman communities to gather for basketball, Furman Engaged, graduation, and other events.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think this puts us on par with the best mid-majors (basketball programs) in the country, as far as facilities go,\u201d Pierre Curtis, women\u2019s basketball coach, told Fox Carolina<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a lot of excited fans,\u201d Bob Richey, men\u2019s basketball coach, told the TV station<\/a>. \u201cTo see the energy with former players, and boosters and players and people from the community here, that\u2019s what we want to be. We want to be a true program. We look at this as a program moment, a Furman moment, a Greenville moment, and that brings a lot of joy with it.\u201d<\/p>\n