MONTICELLO — With legislators, dignitaries and former coaches holding the scissors, the University of Arkansas at Monticello formally cut the ribbon dedicating a new indoor practice facility Saturday afternoon.

The 34,160-square-foot building located just north of the playing field at Convoy Leslie-Cotton Boll Stadium was called “a dream come true,” by UAM Chancellor Jack Lassiter, who praised former Boll Weevil player Hugh Heflin for directing The Campaign for Athletics,. The campaign raised over $600,000 in private contributions to help pay for the facility.

“Hugh Heflin is a big reason this facility is here today,” said Lassiter. “He volunteered to head up the athletic campaign and without his efforts and the extra money he was able to raise for this project, this facility would not be at the level that it is.”

UAM broke ground on the building prior to the 2008 football season. The building includes a 26,030-square-foot artificial turf room for use by all of the university’s athletic teams as well as the marching band. The turf room is the width of a regulation football field and 40 yards long.

The rest of the building includes eight offices, a workroom, a coaches locker room, two video meeting rooms and two classrooms which can be partitioned into smaller rooms if necessary.

“The indoor building is nice, but the classrooms and video rooms facilitate every team on campus,” said UAM head football coach Gwaine Mathews. “This is a first-class building.”