McNeese Legacy Center reopens

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - McNeese Basketball hits the court of the Legacy Center Saturday, playing on the fresh hardwood for the first time since March 2020.

“First off, we’re 506 days removed from Hurricane Laura which if you live down here it’s going to be 506 days of struggle, headaches, heartaches,” donor David Griffin said.

That struggle and strife makes days like Saturday even more special as McNeese’s Legacy Center is unveiled after being destroyed in Laura.

“We were so excited to be in the Legacy Center so for today’s opening and ribbon cutting is just really awesome to see how everybody came together as a community and be here to support the athletes and the community,” McNeese senior Adriana Ramirez said. “It was just awesome.”

Not only is the unveiling a win for McNeese, the reopening can also help boost tourism in Lake Charles. For the next four years, the Southland Conference Basketball Championships will be held inside.

“What is your legacy, what are you doing with your time, talent and treasure to better your community?” Griffin asks. “We just hope the legacy concept - it’s a call to awareness, it’s a call to action.”

McNeese Men and Women’s Basketball played their first games in the legacy center Saturday, January 15, 2022.

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