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February 9, 2007 > News > Autry to undergo major renovations

Autry to undergo major renovations

By Perry Factor | Thresher staff

Autry Court will receive its first major upgrade in 57 years this July. A $7 million gift from alumnus, trustee and former varsity basketball player Bobby Tudor (Hanszen ‘82) and his wife Phoebe Tutor jump-started the project, estimated to cost $23 million.

The upgrade, which is being designed by sports architectural firm Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, is expected to take 18 months. Autry Court will be reconfigured, and the space between it and Fox Gymnasium will be filled in, according to the tentative plans released Tuesday.

The renovation will create new offices, restrooms, locker rooms and concession stands. A new weight room for varsity athletes will supplement the one at Rice Stadium, existing academic facilities for the varsity athletes will be improved and expanded, a team store will be built in the entrance lobby and a club lounge will be built on the second floor behind the north end of the arena.

Although the name Autry will remain in some capacity, Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said new facility may receive a new name.

The blue curtain on the south end of the arena, long part of Rice athletic tradition — and the brunt of jokes on nationally televised broadcasts — will be removed, and seating will be installed on that sie of the court.

Del Conte said the curtain may be cut up and sold to collectors or placed in an athletic hall of fame.

“It’s part of Rice culture, but at the same time it’s also part of a detriment to us as we recruit,” he said.

The current Rice Pool and the Recreation Center’s facilities will not be affected by the construction.

“No student will not have a place to work out — period,” Del Conte said.

He said an upgraded Autry will not only be nicer to look at on the inside but will also enhance the attractiveness of campus.

“Rice students have the finest facilities in the country to learn, but the facility used the most is one of the worst,” he said. “It is an eyesore at an institution of greatness. … You come to the pearly gates when you see Lovett Hall, yet [Autry] looks like an old junkyard, even though it’s the most-used facility.”

Since he was hired, Del Conte has said he wants to use the basketball program to generate revenue for the Athletic Department and hopes this upgrade will help.

Having played and then worked at Autry since 1978, Men’s Basketball Coach Willis Wilson (Will Rice ‘82) knows the disadvantages of the current state of Autry and the challenges they present.

“We want this to be a place that’s welcoming,” he said. “Are you able to get in and out of the bathrooms? Where are the concession stands? Do you look forward to getting into the building because it looks nice?”

Women’s Basketball Coach Greg Williams (Hanszen ‘70) said all of Rice’s women’s coaches are looking forward to the upgrades because the current locker rooms are inadequate.

Other than having a nicer facility at which to train and play, the benefits for the athletic programs are numerous, the coaches said. Facilities are one of the key factors that recruits consider when choosing a school, and Wilson said the upgrades will enhance Rice’s appeal to recruits.

“The new building is going to give us confidence that we never had, and that level of commitment to athletes will spill back into recruiting,” Wilson said.

Autry has also prevented some major out-of-conference teams from agreeing to play at Rice — despite Rice traveling to those schools. With the added incentive of wanting to probe Houston for recruits, these programs will find a home-and-home series with Rice more attractive after Autry is upgraded.

Wilson said improved facilities will also attract more students and community members to Rice athletic events.

“We need an appreciation for college basketball on campus,” Wilson said. “You still want to be a part of an event that’s a social outlet and an opportunity to show school pride.”

However, the volleyball and basketball teams currently face the possibility of a season away from campus. Del Conte is trying to arrange for the use of temporary spaces, with Reliant Arena the ideal candidate, but no arrangements had been finalized as of Wednesday. ATTRIBUTE

Wilson said the thought of an off-campus season is daunting, and administrators and coaches recognize the challenges this presents.

“[Next season] is a contrast to all the things the new facility is going to have to offer,” he said. “But it will just be one year. It’s going to require a lot of patience on everyone’s part. But we know what’s in front of us once we get through it.”

Despite the challenges next year, there is a general sense of excitement about the upgraded facility.

“It’s like moving from a 57-year-old house to a brand new house,” Williams said. “Like anything else, it’s different and nicer, and it makes you feel appreciated that the Athletic Department and boosters are improving your facilities.”

Tudor said his desire to enhance Rice athletics and the university as a whole motivated him to make the donation.

“The university has big ambitions and needs across the board,” Tudor said. “It needs an aggregate raising of money to get things done, and as a board member I felt an obligation and an opportunity to contribute.”

A former managing director of Goldman, Sachs and Co., Tudor now runs an energy investment and merchant banking firm. He said the opportunities Rice gave him both as an athlete and student deserve his gratitude.

“I probably wouldn’t have come to Rice if they didn’t offer Division I athletics,” Tudor said. “If we want that to continue, we’ve got to continue to invest.”

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