ULM trades Grove, L-Club house for medical school

Adam Hunsucker | The News Star

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Tailgating has never been an issue at ULM. Regardless of what transpired on the football field.

The Warhawks may not win the game, as the saying goes, but ULM fans have never lost a party in their beloved Grove — the sea of RVs, tents and trees that line the south side of Malone Stadium on fall Saturdays.

That may not be the case in the future.

The 2018 season will be the last for the Grove in its current form. ULM’s primary tailgating spot is being paved to accommodate the university’s proposed medical school. The ULM L-Club will also be relocated from its recently-renovated house on campus.

“The terms that we have specified with the medical school is that we will transition in 2019, which gives us time to develop plans,” ULM President Nick Bruno said. “The Grove will remain as is for the upcoming season and what we’re looking at is to relocate the tailgating once we see the plans.”

Bruno said whether fans have future access to the current Grove area is at the discretion of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM).

VCOM was granted an initial license by the Louisiana Board of Regents Planning, Research and Performance committee to operate a medical school at ULM by the Louisiana Board of Regents on May 23.

More: Regents approve med school license for ULM

Bruno has discussed both impending moves with the ULM Athletic Foundation and the L-Club. The student tailgating section will remain at the current site.

“We were apprised of it and the talks have been preliminary at this point,” ULM Athletic Foundation president Ron Bush said. “The possibility of a medical school in our region is unbelievable and we will do our best to make our gameday experience even better by including other areas.”

Bruno said other sites for the medical school were discussed.

“We showed them the land by the pharmacy school that could be developed, but they wanted to be on campus and close to student services…we could see the benefit of that,” Bruno said.

“The buildings are spectacular and (VCOM) is very adamant they want to build the prettiest building in their system on our campus.”

VCOM has targeted September to begin construction on a 100,000 square-foot, $31 million facility, pending approval from the UL System. ULM hopes to have its lease with VCOM approved by July.

Per VCOM, the four-year medical school requires over five acres and 450 parking spaces to accommodate faculty and students. The student population is estimated between 150-162 per class.

“It’ll be a step down wherever we go, but it will also be a step up,” said Buddy Embanato, a diehard ULM fan and the unofficial “Mayor of the Grove.”

“I believe the medical school is more important than my five home tailgates a year and I’ll go wherever they want us.”

ULM’s on-campus pecan grove and the east end of Malone Stadium are among the possible new tailgating locations.

Bruno said the university is working with the L-Club on a relocation plan.

“Certainly, we want to keep them going because they have a good thing going now,” Bruno said.

The L-Club rents its current house from ULM for $1 per year. The organization has invested in several renovations over the past year with several members making donations to replace flooring and appliances, repair the roof and construct a new outdoor patio.

The Board of Regents granted a license to the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) to operate a similar medical school at ULM in June 2017, but NYIT withdrew its application later that month.

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