Baptist Healthplex Begins Renovations on Basketball Courts

The renovations raised questions and complaints from Mississippi College students and the surrounding community.

Students and community members play pick up basketball on the Healthplex Courts.

Renovations began in the Baptist Healthplex on the gymnasium basketball courts in Dec. 2023. The renovations raised questions and complaints from Mississippi College students and the surrounding community. 

The plans of the Healthplex are to split the current basketball courts in half, with one half being taken by a synthetic turf area, and the other being used as a pickleball court. The “Amenities” page of the Healthplex website has since been rewritten, listing “pickleball courts” and “indoor functional turf area” rather than the former “basketball courts.” 

Some students have voiced their dismay with these changes, preferring to have basketball available to pick up and play at the Healthplex. 

“I’m not a fan of the basketball courts being removed at all,” MC freshman Kaleb Pennington said. “My friends and I would always play pickup at the [Healthplex] and now we don’t really have anywhere to play on campus anymore.”

However, other students and Healthplex workers have voiced their support for the renovations in the gymnasium. 

“As a worker, I’m definitely happy with the changes happening,” Healthplex staffer Kaci Craft said. “Most students I’ve talked to have voiced their disappointment with the basketball court being gone, but pretty much everyone I work with is relieved.”

 “I enjoyed the basketball courts while they were still up, but I also understand that the staff had lots of issues with people acting foolish and starting arguments,” MC junior Logan Hux said. 

Before the renovations began, many had speculated that MC intramural basketball games would be moved to the Healthplex upon purchase from the University. However, the games will remain in the A.E. Wood Coliseum, per the IMLeagues website. 

The results of the Healthplex renovations have yet to unfold, and progress is already being made. Although the turf and pickleball court decals have yet to be installed, all basketball goals have already been uninstalled from the court area.