Q: Will Kaplan Arena be closed during the renovations? When do you expect the project to begin/be complete? 
 
A: Kaplan Arena will remain open for competition during construction. The project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2022.
 
Q: How much will it cost?
 
A: Total cost of the project is projected to be $57M.
 
Q: There are so many facility construction/renovation projects on campus. Why do we need this now?
 
A: William & Mary has tremendous momentum across campus and is not only enhancing the learning and research spaces for our students and faculty, but also improving the student experience.
 
Construction and renovation projects are a sign of strength on a campus.
 
The renovation of Kaplan Arena is a part of that momentum and a testament to the high bar of excellence set for the entire campus.
 
Q: How is this going to help us win?
 
A: The revitalized Kaplan Arena will provide a state of the art facility for our student-athletes to compete, train, recover and learn. It will help our programs attract and retain the best student-athletes possible and provide a first class experience for our fans on game days, all of which will help us continue forward in our goal to compete for and win championships.
 
Q: Will all students have access to these facilities?
 
A: Kaplan Arena will remain a central gathering place for the campus community. We hope that the revitalized arena will continue to serve as the home for several campus events, as well as attract outside events that the entire student body and William & Mary community can enjoy.
 
Q: Will it still be called Kaplan Arena?
 
A: Yes
 
Q: Will construction affect the upcoming volleyball/ basketball/ gymnastics seasons?
 
A: The arena will remain operational during construction and will not affect the upcoming volleyball/basketball/gymnastic seasons.
   
Q: Will the renovation help secure better nonconference home opponents?
 
A: We are always looking to schedule the best non-conference opponents possible.  This project will help strengthen all of our programs and that can only help when building the non-conference schedules.
   
Q: What impact will this facility have on recruiting?
 
A: William & Mary is a world class institution that attracts the best and brightest students from all over the world.  Having an arena that matches that level of excellence will only help as our coaches compete for the best students and student-athletes in the country.
 
Q: How did you determine the number of seats?
 
A: Conventions Sports & Leisure was engaged by the Department of Athletics to serve as our feasibility advisor during the planning stages of the renovation.  As part of this process, CSL conducted market research and developed financial projections to assist William & Mary in understanding the potential incremental revenues and expenses that could result from developing and operating a renovated arena.
   
Q: What size is the videoboard?
 
A: The size of the videoboard is still to be determined.
   
Q: What are the plans for student seating?
 
A: The renovation plans include new student seating in the current open end of Kaplan Arena.  This seating will also include a lounge which will be exclusively available to students on game days as well as non-gamedays.
    
Q: Will the price of season tickets increase?
 
A: Ticket prices are set every year based on several factors, including the number of games, opponents, demand, etc.  The new arena will provide a variety of seating options and price points that we are confident will meet the needs of all of our fans who wish to experience William & Mary athletic events in person.
 
Q: Will this project impact staff and coaches offices?
 
A: This project will be centered around the needs of the student-athlete first and then the experience for our supporters and fans.  There will be new and renovated offices for staff and coaches, however the priority for those areas come after the two areas previous mentioned.
 
Q: How does this project affect every student-athlete?
 
A: This project will affect every student-athlete in the fact Kaplan Arena is the heartbeat of the Department of Athletics.  Every student-athlete touches Kaplan in some way.  Whether is is the updated academic center, updated & new high performance areas, updated & new sports medicine areas, renovated locker rooms and more, every student-athlete will benefit in some way from this facility upgrade.
 
Q: Parking: Where will we be able to park/how will parking be handled during and after the renovation?
 
A: Parking will move and adjust based on the phase of construction.  There will be parking available for games and other programming.  After construction is complete, parking for basketball games will be evaluated and distributed in a similar fashion to how it is currently assigned.
 
Q: Will the renovation help secure concerts and entertainment in our area?
 
A: This renovation will improve the ability to secure concerts and other entertainment in our area.