Nov. 9, 2012
The proposed basketball practice facility at Old Dominion University is one step closer to reality with the announcement today of a generous gift from Elza Mitchum of Chesapeake, VA., and the Mitchum family to the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation to name the practice facility in honor of their parents.
"The Mitchum Family has been a part of the ODU family for quite some time. Several family members have attended the university, and sports have played a significant role in our family's lives," says Elza Mitchum. "We have been blessed with sustained business growth, and now wish to share in our success with a gift to ODU, in honor of our parents, Bernett & Blanche Mitchum for The Bernett & Blanche Mitchum Basketball Practice Facility. We are extremely pleased and proud that the facility will be of major importance to the ODU Basketball Program for years to come."
The basketball support complex will be adjacent to the Ted Constant Convocation Center on Monarch Way, and will be home for both the men's and women's basketball programs. The state of the art facility will include practice courts, offices, locker rooms, a lounge and weight training room.
"We are extremely grateful for Elza Mitchum, his family and their business C & M Industries for their support of this critical basketball practice facility project. Their generosity will positively impact future generations of ODU men's and women's basketball student athletes and coaches", remarks director of athletics Dr. Wood Selig. "Not only is the Mitchum family supporting ODU, but they are creating an everyday reminder of Bernett and Blanche Mitchum that will memorialize the significant role they served within their family. What a wonderful gesture for their family and our ODU community," says Dr. Wood Selig, the Old Dominion University director of athletics.
The basketball programs are currently housed in the Jim Jarrett Athletic Administration Building, where they have resided since 1991. The completion of the new facility will allow both teams to be located adjacent to their playing facility at the Constant Center.
"Building a new practice facility adjacent to the Ted has tremendous benefits for our program and will keep our program on the cutting edge of our sport and extremely competitive on a regional and national basis, especially now as we prepare to enter Conference USA, " says Monarch head coach Blaine Taylor. "We are very grateful to the Mitchum family for this generous gift that moves us closer to completing this outstanding facility."
"This generous gift from the Mitchum family will take our student athlete experience to a higher level and allow us to stretch our potential as basketball programs," says Lady Monarch head coach Karen Barefoot. "The impact this facility will have on our recruiting is tremendous".