Construction on much-needed new locker and team meeting rooms for Marshall University’s men’s and women’s basketball programs will begin within the next couple of weeks, Athletic Director Bob Marcum announced Monday.

Marcum said the locker rooms will be located under the south stands in Cam Henderson Center, Marshall’s basketball home since 1981. Each locker room will be 3,100 square feet.

“This project will assist our men’s and women’s basketball programs in being more competitive in Conference USA,” Marcum said. “It is a continued effort to improve our venues to make us more competitive in the conference. We all know that new facilities can assist in recruiting efforts.”

Exact cost of the new locker rooms has not yet been determined, but Marcum said it could be in the range of $2 million. Bids on the project are due in by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Marshall has about $800,000 of the money in hand – $600,000 from its facility enhancement fee included in ticket sales and $200,000 from a donor. The Marshall athletic department and the Marshall University Foundation, Inc., will begin a major fund-raising effort to pay off the balance.

“The locker room project just goes to show the commitment our University has to our basketball program,” men’s coach Donnie Jones said. “When kids come on campus, their first impression of commitment is usually the facilities. This will showcase to our players and incoming recruits not only our commitment to success, but that of Marshall University.”

Marcum said it has been several years since the current locker rooms were last “spruced up.” The new ones, he said, will be first class. Plans call for theater film rooms, lounges for players and coaches, locker rooms for players and coaches, flat screen TVs, kitchens and large storage areas to be included in the new locker rooms.

“Not only is this a really-needed project, but it also will allow us to improve the accommodations for the visiting teams,” Marcum said. “We will take the present home locker rooms and turn them into the visiting locker rooms.”

Women’s Coach Royce Chadwick said the new locker rooms are important for a number of reasons.

“This is another side to our joining Conference USA,” he said. “We travel to places like UCF and see their outstanding facilities. Now, when UCF comes here, they will leave here saying Marshall’s facilities are second to none. They will be in our old locker rooms and they will say, ‘they’ve got really nice facilities at Marshall.’ Perception is reality.”