Kevin Kamenetz
Tiger Arena Groundbreaking
May 10, 2011
We see the success of Towson University everyday in Baltimore County, and particularly here in Towson itself. But two weeks ago, a success story from Towson University was on display for an entirely different group of a people: a national television audience.
Towson's Own Gary Neal
The San Antonio Spurs were on the brink of losing a playoff game. But the Spurs had a secret weapon, a rookie guard named Gary Neal, who took a pass, and from beyond the arc, hit a three point shot that had to be seen to be believed and sent the game into overtime. And where did the Spurs find this clutch player who was no stranger to the NBA’s highlights reels and finished fifth in the rookie of the year voting? Where else but Towson University?
Gary’s a great example of how Towson prepares its students to succeed. This university creates success stories everyday, and today we are taking another step forward by giving the next generation of Towson student athletes a place to learn how to become champions. When complete, this state-of- the-art arena is going to be a great addition to this school’s athletics program and all of Towson.
Towson University
Towson University is already an important part of this community, with over 25,000 students, faculty, and staff who all contribute to the thriving businesses and vibrant culture of downtown Towson. This arena is going to bring even more fans, alumni, students, and parents to this university and give us a chance to make them a part of the greater Towson community as well. While we’ll have to wait a while to welcome those folks to this new arena, we won’t have to wait at all to see Tiger Arena’s economic impact on Towson. As we break ground today, we will be adding 400 construction jobs to this community. These jobs are going to help fuel the recovery that is happening all over the County.
There’s a lot of excitement at Towson right now with a new athletic director in Mike Waddell and a new men’s basketball coach in Pat Skerry. And this arena is going to help fuel that excitement and give Towson’s student athletes a place to shine, just like Gary Neal. And I know everyone in the Towson community will join me in cheering them on. Go Tigers!
