Some Boston University Athletics facilities are looking a little different this spring.
Thanks to efforts from the Campus Planning & Operations team, much of the BU campus has been given, or is actively receiving, a makeover.
Some of the most notable completed changes are the improvements that were recently unveiled for men’s and women’s basketball spaces.
The women’s program, with its three conference titles, has been at the varsity level since the 1975-76 season — its home of Case Gymnasium precedes it by three years.
The men’s program goes back even further, becoming a varsity program during the 1916-17 season, reaching the Division-I level 41 years later. Since then, the team has won seven conference championships, six of them after setting roots in Case Gym.
Many of the athletics facilities in the Case Center, the building that houses Case Gym, Walter Brown Arena and other team spaces for many BU teams, have embodied this era for quite some time.
The two programs have lived with and found success with their aging amenities, but now their experiences have been elevated as part of a $13 million renovation of the Case Center, hopefully raising their game even further.
The new, state-of-the-art Todd and Anne Klipp Video Room will be accessible to both teams and is designed to increase the quality of film and strategy development.
Todd Klipp held positions of senior vice president, senior counsel and Board of Trustees secretary at BU before retiring in 2018, spending 34 years with the University. He also contributed to upgrades at the BU softball field in 2019.
Looking forward to this upgraded facility is men’s basketball junior captain Ben Roy, who believes, “film is probably the most underrated part of what goes into basketball.”
Updated facilities can be integral in ensuring the future success of college sports teams.
When the track and tennis center was completed in the mid-70s, the coaching teams at the time quickly felt a difference in terms of increased recruiting interest. The same was true for field hockey when the program got a new home at New Balance Field in 2012. Both of these projects were again updated in 2023 alongside resurfacing the track around Nickerson Field.
When asked for her opinion on the new film room, women’s basketball head coach Melissa Graves said “What they did there was higher than what my expectations even were. It’s so nice to see, and kind of a reward for the team and their hard work.”
The facilities retouched in the fall are not only expenditures toward the future of the basketball programs, but also investments in the current student-athlete experience, where players not only have more comfort but better technology.
Players on the women’s basketball team are also excited about the film room and its potential to support their game preparation, post-game reflection and overall improvement.
“I think just the focus piece for us will definitely increase, as it is our own area,” said sophomore guard Audrey Ericksen.
In addition to the film room that will be shared by the teams, the men’s program has also been given an improved locker room named after Ike Brown, Questrom graduate, who, along with his wife Candy, contributed $250,000 to assist with the renovations.
This new space is significantly larger, expanding the footprint of the locker room by 1,369 square feet to its present size of 2,636 square feet.
“The locker room is a place where we probably spend a lot more time than we think, and a place where a lot of good memories are made,” said Roy. “I think just having a big space [will] make us come together more.”
The modern spaces also feature more team colors and emblems, contributing to a greater feeling of dedication and school spirit, with “Terrier Basketball,” “BU” and “Boston” branded large on walls, doors and video room seats.
Both men’s and women’s basketball will make great use of these spaces as they continue conference play through March, hopeful for spots in their respective Patriot League tournaments.
