Louisiana Tech fans are invited to attend the groundbreaking of the Origin Bank Center for Student-Athlete Success, which will take place on Friday, April 25 at 11 a.m.
The ceremony for the transformative facility will be in the north end zone of Joe Aillet Stadium and is open to the public.
Made possible through both state funding and private donations, the Origin Bank Center for Student-Athlete Success will serve as a significant educational space that will provide world-class academic, wellness, and leadership resources for all LA Tech student-athletes.
Origin Bank, the official bank of Louisiana Tech Athletics, is the naming partner for the state-of-the-art facility after making the largest corporate gift ever to Louisiana Tech University. [Louisiana Tech]
Every design choice in Covenant Health Park, like the color of the seats where fans will watch the Knoxville Smokies or One Knoxville SC play, came after hours of deliberation between designers and architects.
In the case of the seats, the team decided between 12 samples, said interior designer Aimee Yarbrough.
"The original intent had been that they would be green to reminisce the Cubs' Wrigley Field, because (the Smokies) are affiliated with the Cubs," Yarbrough, director of interior design at Design Innovation Architects, told Knox News. "Ultimately, when everybody got together, we felt like the gray was the better choice for this stadium."
The design for the multiuse stadium in Old City largely came together over three days in 2019, as designers and architects met with investors and Knoxville Smokies team owner Randy Boyd for a massive brainstorming session at the Design Innovation Architects office on Gay Street. [Knoxville News Sentinel]
A ribbon cutting will be held for the Ralph "Shug" Jordan Track and Field athletic facility on Wednesday, April 9 at 10 a.m.
The track was damaged by Tropical Storm Zeta and later by the January 2023 tornado, but it was in poor shape before the storm. Selma once hosted regional track and field meets, but the track was so damaged that local track teams couldn't even practice on the track.
The $640,000 project included removing the existing track system and installing 6,500 square feet of running surface. The track will accommodate running, long jump/triple jump, steeplechase, javelin, shot put and discus to high school and college level standards. [BBNN]
