A new Kentucky basketball practice facility is in the works

Mark Pope made history in his first season leading the Kentucky Wildcats, and now, he’s getting some big-time help to keep that basketball momentum rolling. The second-year coach hinted that a new practice facility was “definitely in the working stages” to wrap up his debut campaign, and now, the powers that be have officially confirmed that dream is becoming a reality.

The UK Board of Trustees is set to meet this week to potentially approve the pre-design and programming phases of a new multi-use facility, anchored by a basketball practice facility.

Specifics such as location and cost have not been finalized, but the on-campus facility is expected to include a UK HealthCare Sports Medicine ambulatory space and sports-related research space consistent with other professional teams such as the Green Bay Packers with Titletown Sports Medicine & Orthopedics, the Atlanta Hawks with the Emory Sports Medicine Complex and the Cleveland Cavaliers with the in-development Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center.

It is expected to be integral to the entertainment district — or “fan zone,” as Mitch Barnhart called it — near Kroger Field, previously announced in June.

Green Bay’s 52,000-square-foot facility is part of the Packers’ “Titletown District,” adjacent to Lambeau Field and geared toward injury prevention, performance improvement, and treatment for players as the official healthcare provider of the iconic NFL franchise. Kentucky’s setup could resemble something similar.

Atlanta’s 90,000-square-foot facility opened in 2017 with a cost of $50 million, combining practice and training for the Hawks as the hub of Emory’s Sports Medicine program and Sports Science and Research division. Cleveland’s complex is part of a bigger $3.5 billion project called the Cuyahoga Riverfront Master Plan, set to open in 2027.

An expense of just north of $1 million will be authorized to do the study and pre-design to come up with the programming elements for Kentucky’s new basketball facility.

The men’s basketball program would move into the new multi-use facility while conversations are ongoing regarding logistics for the women’s basketball program, which could opt to take over Historic Memorial Coliseum and the Joe Craft Center alongside the volleyball team for a women’s sports-dedicated complex that just completed an $85 million renovation.

Champions Blue LLC will meet on Tuesday to officially endorse the pre-design and programming phases for the visionary multi-use facility. Those stages will include the development of schematic floor plans, conceptual renderings and a rough order of magnitude cost estimate.

Change is coming to the University of Kentucky campus, and it’s going to benefit Mark Pope and the Wildcats in a massive way.