Murray State’s CFSB Center is getting an upgrade.
The western Kentucky school’s athletics director, Nico Yantko, announced the plans for “significant eight-figure project” to the board of regents Thursday during the group’s annual retreat, ahead of its Friday meeting.
This marks the first major renovation to the home of Racer men’s and women’s basketball since the facility opened in 1998.
Yantko wants Murray State to be active in what he said is an ongoing “arms race” to improve athletics facilities across the country, and he wants to do that by investing in the campus venue that’s become known as The Bank. The athletics director said that prioritizing Racer basketball is the best path forward when it comes to getting eyes on Murray and competing with other schools’ facilities.
“You can't quantify the marketing dollars tied to our institution, region and state when Murray State makes the NCAA tournament,” Yantko said. “So basketball continues to be our North Star. Again, [it’s] no more important than other sports, but it has to continue to eat first.”
This new-and-improved CFSB Center will boast premium seating options as well as enhanced seating options for all patrons and a new courtside “bunker club” that Yantko said will be the first of its kind. The arena will also get new LED ribbon boards and enhancements to concessions and retail sales points, player amenities focused on nutrition, physical therapy, development and academics and an NIL Studio.
Yantko said this project is a part of MSU continuing to adjust to its “new neighborhood” in the Missouri Valley Conference, which the school joined in 2022.
The athletics director said that “prioritizing recruitment and revenue generation” is paramount for the school’s programs to thrive and he believes this new CFSB Center will be the best “at the mid-major level” in the country and the best basketball facility in the MVC. Around 1,000 premium seats are expected to be installed with arena capacity projected to be unchanged.
MSU’s men’s basketball team hasn’t secured an NCAA bid since joining the MVC, but the Racers aren’t strangers to “the Big Dance.” The school’s men’s program has made the tourney 18 times in program history.
The Racer women’s program has continued to establish itself in the new conference, winning more than 20 games in two of the last three seasons.
He thinks the new facility will be a big revenue generator for the school, with the projected yearly economic impact of the upgrades expected to be as much as $1.65 million for the school between income from premium seating sales, gameday and concessions revenues, VIP parking and digital assets.
“Just like we're recruiting students to our campus and student athletes, we got to recruit fans just as hard so the facility better compete with that comfy couch at home and that 75-inch television,” he said. “We're still a blue collar team and a blue collar fan base. We're going to continue to respect that, as well as bringing out new social and entertainment opportunities to leverage some philanthropy to get reinvest back into our sport programs.”
Murray State Board of Regents Chair Leon Owens praised Yantko for his leadership since rejoining MSU as athletic director two years ago, saying that the former Racer quarterback has raised $20 million in private funds since returning to Murray. Yantko said the school is currently experiencing its second largest year of athletics fundraising ever, drafting off the success of the largest single gift in MSU Athletics’ history announced earlier this year.
During Friday’s meeting of the Murray State Board of Regents, it was announced that the winner’s circle area outside of the CFSB Center will be named after current Chair Leon Owens.
Further details and a timeline are expected to be announced at the board of regents’ December meeting.
