Since 1969 the Georgia Southern men and women’s basketball teams have played their games at Hanner Fieldhouse. Soon they will be moving into their new arena the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.

Located just across the bypass from Paulson Stadium, the 95,000 square foot arena will have approximately 5,500 seats and is coming along well. Once completed it will be the largest event venue space between Savannah and Macon.

 Georgia Southern director of athletics Jared Benko took members of the media on a tour Wednesday afternoon and is excited about the opportunity to play basketball games there this season.

“Hanner Fieldhouse has so much tradition and we are planning on closing it out officially in November,” Benko said. “This arena not only serves our team needs, but we are also excited about the fan amenities. The sight line of seating is a marquise attraction but we will also have updated concession stands including a grab and go. We will have premium area and opportunities to host events throughout the year. This is a big win for Georgia Southern and a big win for our basketball programs.”

Benko said he hopes to be taking possession of the building in October with an additional 30-45 days to get the fixtures, furniture and equipment moved in. They will have to get the offices and locker rooms set up as well as the scoreboards and video board in place. They are planning on starting the season in Hanner and are hoping to hold a grand opening in the new arena in December.

“I have been fortunate enough to work on many projects throughout my career and this has gone very smoothly,” Benko said. “Everyone involved in this has done a great job and we feel it is coming around nicely.”

Benko said they have already been able to bring potential basketball recruits into the new arena and he feels like having a home for men’s and women’s basketball is a huge recruiting tool.

“We talk to the moms and dads and the prospective student athletes about the fact that their car is really going to be at two places, where they live and here where they will train and play,” Benko said. “When we built this, we were thinking of ways to consolidate. They will have film studies, training, strength and conditioning facilities and practices all right here. We think this will be a tremendous time saver for our student athletes.”

While they hope to move into the facility in October, Benko says there are plenty of things that can be added to the arena down the road.

“It’s kind of like when you move into a new house,” Benko said. “I don’t know many people who move into a new house and just leave it the way it is. There are opportunities for premium seating and a new scoreboard as well, so we are really excited about future projects down the road.”