Investing in the Future of Student-Athletes with State-of-the-Art Basketball Practice Facility

Seton Hall World-Class Intercollegiate Project Reflects Upward Trajectory for Pirate Nation

Seton Hall University plans to build new Basketball Practice Facility on South Orange campus.

Seton Hall is proud to formally announce its plans to construct a new state-of-the-art Basketball Practice Facility for student-athletes, a major renovation to enhance the student experience for a new generation of Pirates.

Located within the Richie Regan Recreation & Athletic Center on the South Orange campus, the Basketball Practice Facility will include a new basketball court, locker rooms, lounges, offices, sports medicine room, strength and conditioning room, film room and more. The creation of the basketball facility also includes enhancements to women’s basketball facilities.

Seton Hall plans to direct meaningful resources to this effort, including private philanthropy and a portion of bonds secured at historically low interest rates. The University has already received several generous donations, including from Pat Murray and Mary Ann Pfaff Murray, Jim O’Brien and Family, Al Frungillo and Family, Joseph Torcivia and Family, and Bruce Tomason. Seton Hall will continue to prioritize building-fund contributions in the coming months.

Seton Hall University has been implementing a 10-year master plan to dramatically improve athletics and recreational facilities for the entire community. The department of Athletics and Recreation has transformed its facilities to ensure student-athletes are able to compete for championships while enjoying their campus experience. This includes the renovation of historic Walsh Gymnasium completed in 2021 which now provides a better experience for women’s basketball and women’s volleyball student-athletes and fans. Seton Hall strives to ensure their intercollegiate athletics and recreational programs reflect the mission and goals of the University with quality opportunities and programs that enable all student-athletes to maximize their personal potential.

"The Pirates are a unifying force on our campuses, bringing our community together to share our collective pride. The new training facility will help them climb in the rankings, attract talented recruits and give fans worldwide new reasons to cheer," said Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D., president of Seton Hall.

In the past decade, men's basketball has enjoyed tremendous success and has built a reputation as one of the best programs competing in one of the best basketball conferences in the nation. This includes five NCAA Tournament appearances and two BIG EAST championships and a national ranking as high as No. 8. Building a dedicated basketball practice facility will go a long way toward preserving the program's status as a national brand. The construction of the facility will also free up space within the Recreation Center to begin making enhancements to women's basketball's facilities. The women's basketball program has competed in either the NCAA Tournament or WNIT seven of the last 10 years and won a BIG EAST championship in 2015.

"Our practice facility project marks a new era for Seton Hall basketball, an era that will build upon the tremendous success our basketball programs have had over the last decade," said Bryan Felt, Director of Athletics & Recreation. "With the new practice facility and the enhanced women's basketball facilities within Walsh Gymnasium, we strive to equip our student-athletes with the resources they need to flourish at the highest level of college basketball and compete for conference and national championships."

The University has contracted with Cannon Design, the architect for recent projects such as Virginia Tech’s baseball stadium, Maryland's football practice facility and Southern Indiana's basketball arena, and plans to break ground in Summer 2023.

"A strong Athletic program really helps to build pirate pride and an affinity for Seton Hall. It really promotes school spirit and unity," said Monica Burnette, Ph.D., Vice President of Student Services.

Agreeing with that sentiment is Shaheen Holloway, Head Coach of Men's Basketball, whose first season ranks as the best in program history among Seton Hall's rookie head coaches, winning the most overall, BIG EAST games and earning a national postseason berth in the NIT. Holloway, a McDonald's All-American and star Pirates point guard, returned home to The Hall following his historic run as head coach of Saint Peter's, leading the Peacocks into the 2022 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. Now he is pushing for the resources to help his student-athletes be champions in the classroom, champions on the court and champion leaders in the community.

"We're in a new era of Seton Hall basketball, and with that we need to bring out the best in our players," said Holloway. "The new basketball practice facility is very much needed so that we can continue to recruit and develop players capable of helping our program win at the national level. I'm eager for the Pirates family to get behind us, get behind this project and help us win in this new era."

Women's basketball has also been winning at the national level with multiple national postseason berths and top-six finishes in the BIG EAST Conference under head coach Anthony Bozzella, who boasts the highest winning percentage (.599) of any Seton Hall women's basketball coach. His program will see significant upgrades to its Walsh Gymnasium spaces when the practice facility is complete.

"The new basketball practice facility will open significant space for our program and provide us with a tremendous opportunity to modernize and expand our current footprint around Walsh Gymnasium," said Bozzella. "It's a capital improvement that will undoubtedly advance the student-athlete experience for both programs."

"We are very grateful for the enthusiastic response from benefactors who share Seton Hall's vision and value its forward-leaning strategy," said Jon Paparsenos, Vice President for University Advancement. "We are not yet there. Additional support from alumni and friends will be essential to delivering a Practice Facility of the highest caliber to our campus community."

Interested in learning more about the project or making a lead gift to the Basketball Practice Facility fund? Please contact Josh Azer, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development at joshua.azer@shu.edu. Learn more about the project. 

Categories: Alumni, Athletics, Campus Life