UCLA Athletics introduced plans for a new on-campus basketball training and performance facility Tuesday.
The Mo Ostin Basketball Center is expected to be located near Pauley Pavilion at the south end of the Los Angeles Tennis Center, with construction starting this year.
“This visionary project, made possible by the generosity of a visionary donor, propels us toward our goal of providing state-of-the-art training facilities that will help our players thrive and honor the rich and inspiring history of our basketball program,” said Chancellor Gene Block in a press release.
Plans for the on-campus facility were announced in May of 2014 as part of the Centennial Campaign.
Named after famed music industry executive and philanthropist Mo Ostin – who committed $10 million toward the project – the state-of-the-art basketball facility is expected to cost between $30 and $40 million, with all funding coming from private donations.
“UCLA basketball is more than an athletic program, it is an iconic and uniquely Los Angeles institution,” said Ostin as part of a press release.” I hope this gift helps both preserve the legacy of UCLA basketball and propel it forward so future generations of Bruins can be as fortunate as I have been.”
The basketball center will house locker rooms, training areas, a strength and conditioning facility, coaches’ offices, team meeting rooms, equipment rooms and video rooms and is designed by Kevin Daly Architects in partnership with design firm AECOM. Kevin Daly Architects designed the Evelyn and Mo Ostin Music Center which opened late last year.
Ostin, who earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA in 1951, worked for Warner Bros. Records for 32 years, serving as its chairman and CEO for 25 years before heading the music arm of DreamWorks SKG. In his time in the music industry Ostin worked with and signed such artists as Jimi Hendrix, the Beach Boys, Neil Young, Van Halen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“It’s only fitting to have a Bruin alumnus of this magnitude associated with a basketball program that established the standard by which success is measured,” said UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero in the press release. “ We cannot thank Mo enough for this extremely generous gift and for leading the charge in helping our basketball program continue on the path of competitive greatness.”
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.