Nevada will request new basketball facility to be named after Eric and Linda Lannes

During this week's Nevada Board of Regents meeting, UNR administration will request the planned Wolf Pack basketball locker rooms and players lounges be named in honor of Eric and Linda Lannes.

In February, it was announced the Lannes made the largest donation in the history of Nevada athletics, a $4 million pledge toward the construction of an $8 million building, which also included two $2 million anonymous donations.

"University of Nevada, Reno President Brian Sandoval requests Board of Regents approval of the new Basketball Building naming of the Eric and Linda Lannes Basketball Building," the Board of Regents agenda reads. "The Lannes’ have generously provided the lead gift of $4,000,000 towards this project. The University requests this name be approved now. Investments such as these in the University’s Division 1 Athletics program are important to recruiting Nevada students to post-secondary education. Likewise, initiatives such as athletics contribute to the ‘sticky campus’ culture, providing more opportunities for students to engage in campus life and advancing their academic success."

That building is Phase II of facility improvements for the Nevada men's and women's basketball teams following the completion of the Ramon Sessions Basketball Performance Center in 2017. The two-story building will have adjacent locker rooms and players lounges, one for the men's team and one for the women's team. The budgeted building cost is $10.5 million.

"This is a transformational moment for the future of our women's and men's basketball programs," Sandoval said in February when the project was announced. "We cannot thank the individuals who have made these historic gifts enough for their belief in the future of our women's and men's basketball programs. We already feel that we are building a championship culture throughout our entire athletics department, and today's announcement demonstrates that the impact our student-athlete athletes have in competition and in impacting our community in a very positive way will be magnified to an entirely new level."

The project is currently in the design phase and set to open in early 2024. It will be on the north end of campus next to the Ramon Sessions Performance Center. Nevada men's head coach Steve Alford and associate head coach Craig Neal played a large role in procuring the record-breaking donations.

"Like many in Northern Nevada, Wolf Pack athletics has always been close to my heart as a student and now alumnus," Lannes said in February. "We are honored to be part of the basketball programs' continued growth and help provide a facility that will be used every day by our student-athletes to advance their skills on the court and on their path to graduation. We hope this gift inspires others to invest in Nevada athletics and its tremendous student-athletes. They are a true asset to the university."

The Nevada Board of Regents will hold its quarterly meeting Thursday and Friday on UNR's campus.