Posted: Thursday, November 1, 2012

Tomorrow, the University of Evansville and Fifth Third Bank will host a dedication ceremony for the new Fifth Third Bank Basketball Practice Facility.

The 2:30 p.m. ceremony will be held Friday, November 2 in conjunction with Homecoming 2012 Reunion Weekend. Women’s basketball coach Oties Epps, men’s basketball coach Marty Simmons, players from the men’s and women’s teams, and Fifth Third Bank President and CEO John N. Daniel, Jr. will speak at the ceremony.

The $3.6 million, 25,000-square-foot facility, located on the west side of UE’s Carson Center, was funded entirely by private donors. It includes gym space, men’s and women’s players’ lounges, and offices and storage areas for basketball coaching staff. The Fifth Third Bank Basketball Practice Facility marks the first phase of the University of Evansville’s new campus facilities master plan.

“Less than eight months after announcing the Fifth Third Bank Basketball Practice Facility, we’re thrilled to show off the completed facility,” said John Stanley, UE director of athletics. “We anticipated the need for a practice facility when the men’s and women’s basketball programs moved to the Ford Center, which resulted in fewer opportunities to practice on their home court. It also caused scheduling challenges for the University’s athletics, fitness, and recreational activities that use the Carson Center.”

“The Fifth Third Bank Basketball Practice Facility will help us recruit outstanding athletes, support the men’s and women’s basketball players already enrolled, and benefit all students at the University of Evansville by creating more space in the Carson Center,” Stanley added. “We’re very grateful to Fifth Third Bank and all project donors for their support of this beautiful new facility and of Purple Aces athletics.”

“Fifth Third Bank is proud to be a part of this dedication,” said John N. Daniel, Jr., President and CEO of Fifth Third Bank, Southern Indiana and chairman of the Athletics Committee of UE’s Board of Trustees. “Not only is the Fifth Third Bank Basketball Practice Facility a major step forward for Aces athletics, but also the University of Evansville as a whole. This facility marks the first phase in the master plan to update and renovate the campus.  Fifth Third is excited and pleased to be a part of history that will continue to impact UE, its students, faculty, and the community into the future.”

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