UMass athletic director John McCutcheon was joined by Patricia Filippone, UMass. Building Authority interim executive director, Trey Davis a UMass. men's basketball point guard, staff and students, to sign the top-most steel beam of the new Champions Center before it is put into place on the structure. Whiting-Turner is the contractor and JCJ Architecture is the architect. The $22 million facility, funded by the University of Mass. Building Authority, is slated to open in spring 2015. The 53,000 s/f building will serve both the men's and women's basketball programs with dedicated practice courts, office space for the coaching staffs, new locker rooms, and areas for strength and conditioning along with athletic training services. "Today is an exciting milestone in the construction of a first-class, state-of-the-art athletic facility for the students of UMass. Amherst," said Filippone. "The Champions Center was designed to be one of the best basketball facilities in the country to provide student athletes with all the tools they need to train and succeed." Filippone said, "It continues to be an exciting time of growth and change on the Amherst campus as the Champions Center and several other construction projects promise to enhance the education and overall experience of students." The UMass Building Authority is currently managing more than 40 construction projects that will significantly improve teaching, learning and student life at the University of Mass. at Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Worcester. Filippone, works together with UMass president Robert Caret, the board of trustees, and the campuses to deliver the most cost-effective, highest quality construction of world class buildings to support the mission of the University.