Miami University is building a new multipurpose arena district to replace Millett Hall, where the school's basketball and volleyball teams currently play. The university's trustees voted unanimously Friday to proceed with building the new arena at Cook Field, a recreational greenspace on campus.
Miami's leadership first expressed its desire to build a new arena in 2024, saying that necessary renovations to the old arena would cost the school more than $80 million. Construction of the new arena district will cost an estimated $281 million.
Trustees received input from both proponents and opponents of the project before Friday's vote.
Several students protested outside the boardroom, claiming university leaders were pushing the project through without considering student and faculty input, or the potential negative financial impact of investing so much money in an athletic facility.
Ashley Reynolds, a student and member of Miami's chapter of the Ohio Student Association, told trustees she felt the investment was irresponsible. The university is experiencing a decline in enrollment and recently merged and downsized several of its academic programs.
"My major is gone," Reynolds said. "We allegedly don't have the funding to nurture our humanities, but we want to go millions of dollars into debt? If we don't have the funds for my education — for our education — then we don't have the funds for an arena, plain and simple."
Others pointed to the sizable opposition to the new arena's location. A survey of more than 3,000 people conducted by a research team of students and faculty showed that many students and people with ties to Miami were overwhelmingly in favor of maintaining Cook Field over constructing a new arena.
Anna West, one of the student leaders of the research team, explained the results to the Board.
"I want to be clear: Our survey findings are not a referendum on Miami athletics. Instead, a widespread opposition to this project shows how much people love and value Cook Field," she said.
Miami Athletic Director David Sayler touted the arena project, saying a new facility will be a wise investment that will expand the university's brand. Sayler also presented a new cost comparison of building a new arena versus renovating Millett Hall. He argued that renovating Millett would cost more than $175 million in total, nearly $100 million more than the original estimate.
Saylor attributed this massive cost difference to the added expense of finding a place for the school's teams to play and practice, lost ticket revenue, and what he calls "unknown hidden costs" that "always arise."
The university says its Oxford campus has ample greenspace and abundant natural areas, and intends to construct two new recreation fields in front of Millett Hall and at Chestnut Fields on the south end of campus.
Miami also says the Cook Field site allows for the potential construction of a hotel and restaurant adjacent to the new arena, which the university claims will spur economic development.
The university plans to pay for the arena using funds from a fundraising campaign and the issuance of bonds.
Millett Hall will be demolished.
The new arena is expected to open in 2028.
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