A New Den for the Lady Griz

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act being signed into law to create gender equality in sport and education programs. Grizzly Athletics’ latest facilities upgrades are taking shape in time for the milestone.

The Grizzly Women’s Locker Room Improvement Project will provide a new and expanded locker room, lounge and meeting space for the Montana women’s basketball and volleyball programs, while also providing new locker facilities for women’s Olympic sports and staff.

Construction on the Lady Griz locker room will begin once fundraising is complete, with upgrades to the volleyball and Olympic sports spaces designated for phase two of the project. The current focus is relocating the current Athletics Equipment Center, which will make room for the women's locker room project.

“The Lady Griz basketball program is one of the true treasures of the state of Montana and this university,” said Director of Athletics Kent Haslam. “Over the last several years we have made great strides in constructing facilities that help all our student-athletes. However, this next phase is focused specifically on supporting UM women’s sports.”

Estimated cost for the project is $3.5 million, with $1.9 million raised to date. Former Lady Griz student-athletes are playing a key role in funding these upgrades.

The Lady Griz program has always been a prestigious one and this project ensures the facilities are reflective of the caliber of academic and athletic accomplishment for generations to come, said former UM basketball team member Britney Gilder ’09, a trustee of the University of Montana Foundation.

“The locker room project has been such a special way to invite our Lady Griz family — which includes former players, family, friends and our phenomenal fans — to uphold the legacy and tradition of Lady Griz basketball,” she said.

You Can Help

To support the locker room project, contact Dan Ingram, associate athletic director for development, at 406-243-6294 or dan.ingram@supportum.org.