South Dakota opted for a new head coach in former Nebraska assistant coach Craig Smith in the offseason and now the school will also get a new basketball arena.
According to a report from Mick Garry of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, a groundbreaking ceremony will take place next Tuesday, south of the current DakotaDome, for the $66 million facility.
The majority of the work will begin later in the summer but the project includes a 6,000 seat basketball and volleyball facility to be completed by the fall of 2016. The arena then connects to a building that will have a science, health and research lab and will include classrooms, clinical areas, office space and the new weight room.
A soccer and outdoor track facility is also slated to be finished by the fall of 2015.
The 6,000 seat arena will feature a ground-level main floor and a second-level concourse that includes practices courts.
This is a big move for the Coyotes, as they’ll have one of the nicer facilities in the Summit League to go along with a new head coach in Smith.
South Dakota finished 12-18 and in the middle of the pack in the Summit at 6-8 and former head coach Joey James was not retained.