McNeese State University is investing in itself.

Last week its athletic director, Bruce Hemphill, told the American Press that plans for building an on-campus basketball facility were “moving forward quickly.”

That news should be received with a resounding cheer.

While final plans are not complete, the new building will not only be home to the school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, it will house the Department of Health and Human Performance. The women’s volleyball team will also play in what is expected to be a roughly 4,000-seat facility.

Yet the arena is much more than just a place to host games. It can be a showcase for the entire community, especially the students and sponsors of McNeese.

It will serve as the centerpiece to the school’s entire athletic efforts. It will be a modern building where students and fans can come together to celebrate not only basketball but a university that is progressing nicely into the future. It will also be a place the university can show off and use as a selling point to potential McNeese players and students.

This is not just good for athletics but also all students, facility and the entire community.

Currently the school’s basketball teams play home games at Burton Coliseum, with usually a few each year at the Lake Charles Civic Center when the rodeo is in town. Neither is great on the eyes or provides for much of an atmosphere.

And students — the lifeblood of any program — have shown their lack of interest in both off-campus sites by staying away.

McNeese deserves an arena to call its own. It is the only Louisiana state school that plays off campus, and just one of two in the Southland Conference. It makes for almost no real home court advantage.

McNeese is better than that.

Then there is the revenue stream the new arena should bring in. We are talking possible naming rights, parking, concessions and most importantly advertising. It is their building, so it will be their dollars earned.

In the competitive world of college athletics it is important that schools get as much money as they can to keep up with other schools. This isn’t a wish but rather more about competitive survival.

As our community changes, progresses and grows it is important that our institutions keep pace.

In this case we applaud McNeese State University for setting the pace.(MGNonline)