Wayne State University has announced plans to build a new $25m (£19.2m/€22.4m) basketball arena that is set to house the G League affiliate of NBA franchise the Detroit Pistons.
The 70,000-square-foot arena will seat 3,000 fans and will be based near the intersection of Warren and Trumbull avenues on the west side of Wayne State’s athletic complex.
It is hoped the new arena, which will feature office space and locker-room areas for WSU’s men’s and women’s teams, will be ready for play by the 2021-22 basketball season.
Kim Trent, chair of the WSU Board of Governors, said: “Our outstanding student-athletes have played basketball at Wayne State for a century, but never in an arena facility designed for basketball. I am thrilled that they will soon have the best amenities around. A special thanks to Governor Sandy Hughes-O’Brien who has been a passionate proponent of this project.”
Wayne State basketball games have been played in the Matthaei Center for more than 50 years. The arena was built in 1965 as part of Detroit’s bid for the 1968 Olympics and has a current capacity of 1,131, which the university feels does not suitably accommodate its teams.
Through its partnership with the Pistons, Wayne State will work with the franchise to host Pistons summer camps and clinics, as well as basketball games and tournaments in the arena.
The Pistons’ G League team will play its home games at the new arena. The G League is the NBA’s developmental competition.
Image: Wayne State University
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