A new era

Spider basketball is set for the most significant transformation of its facilities since the construction of the Robins Center in 1972 and its three-phase renovation, which began in 2013.

In February, the university announced a lead gift of $7.5 million to jumpstart fundraising for a $15 million training and performance facility for men’s and women’s basketball. It will include academic support areas, sports medicine and nutritional facilities, a full-sized practice gym, strength and conditioning areas, an athletic training room, coaches’ offices, team locker rooms, and a Spider Heritage Hall celebrating Richmond’s athletic excellence.

The facility “will greatly enhance the experience of our student-athletes and will assure potential recruits of our school’s commitment to excellence on and off the court,” said men’s basketball head coach Chris Mooney.

The lead gift comes from 1986 graduates Paul and Anne-Marie Queally, both Phi Beta Kappa graduates. Paul Queally is a university trustee and retired co-president of the investment firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe. The Queallys are longtime supporters of the university. They also made lead gifts to support the construction of the Queally Center for Admission and Career Services and Queally Hall, a 33,000-foot addition to the Robins School of Business.

“The constant across all of Paul and Anne-Marie’s philanthropy is a profound dedication to our students, who with this most recent gift will continue to benefit from the remarkable generosity of these two dedicated alumni,” said Ronald A. Crutcher, university president.

The facility, which will be named the Queally Athletic Center, will be southeast of the Robins Center next to Millhiser Gymnasium. Construction is expected to begin in late spring 2019 with the conclusion of a fundraising effort to match the lead gift. The center is slated for completion by fall 2020.