More Details Emerge On Potential New LSU Arena, Including Possible Locations

LSU Athletics COO Keli Zinn recently spoke with WBRZ about a possible new arena coming to LSU's campus.

Zinn said they began "aggressively pursuing" options over a year ago, working alongside the Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF), which would fund that potential cost of $400 million for the arena.

Zinn said they are proposing an arena similar to The Moody Center at the University of Texas.

quote:

---

The Moody Center in Austin cost around $300 million and was completely privately funded, which again is the plan for the proposed arena at LSU.

In the year since the Moody Center's opening, it has hosted big acts like Bruce Springsteen, Harry Styles, and Tim McGraw, as well serving as the home court for UT's basketball team.

"We see it really as a community asset even before an athletics asset, and I say that because there's probably an opportunity of anywhere from 60-80 events in a given year that that arena could host."

---

If the Metro Council decides to restrict the types of events hosted by the River Center due to developers not wanting the competition, LSU could move quickly to "at a pretty aggressive pace," Zinn said.

There are a few options for the location of the arena:

quote:

---

Overall, Zinn says they hope to have the arena ready to host top acts in the next five years, but first, they need to nail down a location for the potential 15,000+ seat venue.

"At this point, there are a few sites that are being looked at on LSU's campus and some opportunity that exists out near baseball and tennis and all of the acreage that currently exists within that space."

One of the locations on their list is LSU's 250-acre golf course off Nicholson and Gourrier.

Two locations that have already been researched and vetoed for being cost prohibitive—the PMAC and Bernie Moore track.

---