Marriott Center Annex
Nicknamed the “Y” MCA by a Wikipedian, the Marriott Center Annex is a “a second home for [BYU’s] men’s and women’s basketball programs.”
In 2015, BYU officials announced the construction of several improvements to the Marriott Center, including a new annex to be built right next to the arena. This wave of improvements was sponsored solely by private donors. The new Marriott Center Annex was completed in December 2016 and had its open house on February 21, 2017.
The 30,000 square-foot annex was meant to give players full access to practice and training areas. The Marriott Center is used for devotionals and other concerts weekly, which limits players’ ability to access the court. Therefore, the annex was highly anticipated by the men’s and women’s teams. The coach of the men's basketball team at the time, Dave Rose, worked tirelessly with donors to enable the annex. This, he earnestly hoped, would help the players in all aspects of their experience at BYU. After years of preparatory work on the annex, construction took only thirteen months. The annex opened in time for players to utilize the facility for the 2016-2017 season.
The annex, which has now become a “second home” for basketball players, contains a full-size replica of the Marriott Center basketball court, a strength and conditioning center, a training room, study spots, offices and meeting rooms, a theater, and a hall of honor showcasing the history of BYU basketball. The hall of honor also serves as an interactive museum display, granting visitors, including potential team members, a look at the rosters, stats, and tradition of BYU basketball. The museum, located in the front entrance, also includes TV monitors which continually play highlights from previous games. Other features of the annex include a hydrotherapy machine, which reaches negative 270 degrees fahrenheit. This, along with the other amenities of the annex, point to the increasing hope of coaches and fans to implement their “player-driven program,” aimed at helping players reach their full potential at BYU.
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