Georgetown Debuts New Home for Basketball Program

WASHINGTON — The Georgetown University Hoyas have a brand-new athletics facility to celebrate just in time for the beginning of college basketball season. The university held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new, $62 million John Thompson Intercollegiate Athletic Center on Oct. 6 in Washington.

The 144,000-square-foot facility features new practice courts, locker rooms, team meeting rooms, lounge areas and coaches’ offices for men’s and women’s basketball. While the university’s basketball program occupies roughly 50 percent of the space, it also houses a weight training facility and sports medicine or training room areas for all varsity student athletes, according to the project website. All varsity sports programs can also take advantage of the facility’s student-athlete academic center, auditorium and team meeting facilities. Last but not least, the facility houses the Georgetown Athletic Hall of Fame, which celebrates the university’s sports history.

Populous, with offices in New York, and locally based Bowie Gridley Architects designed the structure. The two firms were tasked with creating a new facility for the basketball program, while also complementing the adjacent McDonough Gymnasium, which had been home to Hoya Athletics since opening in 1952. As such, the Thompson Center and McDonough Gymnasium connect at the corners, resulting in a Tetris-like shape when viewed from overhead, according to the Populous website. The new facility also features complementary building materials such as brick and limestone trim.

The facility is dedicated to John Thompson Jr., who was the men’s basketball coach from 1972 to 1999. During his time as coach, Georgetown won a national championship and made three Final Four appearances. While his achievements for the university’s basketball program were certainly noteworthy, he also received praise for his support of social justice and racial equality, according to The Washington Post. Thompson Jr. was also on hand to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony.