Tigers’ indoor practice facility construction to begin soon

Memphis football is getting closer to the building of its long-in-the-works indoor practice facility.

On Wednesday, the Tigers football staff, including coaches, began moving their furniture into their new offices at the Billy J. Murphy Athletic Complex. The offices are part of Phase I of the indoor practice facility project, which also includes new athletic training, dining and recruiting areas.

Construction will begin for Phase II, which is the actual facility, as Phase I goes through its final inspections. Groundwork prep has begun directly behind the Murphy Complex.

“We are excited and grateful for the renovation and development of our football facilities at the Murphy Sports Complex,” Memphis football coach Mike Norvell said in a release. “The new facilities will provide an enhanced student-athlete experience that will focus on their mental and physical development as well as a state-of-the-art-rehabilitation center.”

Construction of the indoor practice facility was approved on June 26. Memphis President M. David Rudd shared a statement on Twitter from the state architect.

“Everything is in order. You may proceed with construction.” the statement read.

Ground was broken for the practice facility in April 2017. Fundraising began in 2011 and in August 2017, the university’s Board of Trustees approved $10 million in debt financing for the facility project from the Tennessee State School Bond Authority to begin Phase I.

The timeline was sped up in July 2018 when the school began managing future construction projects through the Board of Trustees and the State Building Commission. In December, Rudd announced

that Phase II was approved by the State Building Commission in Nashville.

In February, the university filed an $8.8 million building permit for construction.of the facility and in March, former athletic director Tom Bowen told the Board of Trustees that he expects the facility to be completed by April 2020.

There is no update if that target date will be pushed back because Bowen’s statement assumed construction would begin in May, not July.

But with coaches and football staff now moving in, the facility is closer to being built than it has since ground was broken over two years ago.

“We are excited about the seamless transition to construction of Phase 2 and the indoor practice facility,” Norvell’s statement continued. “Thanks to Dr. M. David Rudd, the Board of Trustees, and all of our supporters that have allowed this project to become a reality. It is just another example of the progression and commitment to Memphis Tiger football the focus to #Keepclimbing in all we do.”

You can reach Tigers football beat writer Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_b) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com