Grand Sierra Resort arena, future home of Nevada men's basketball, now set to open in 2027

Plans are moving forward for the Grand Sierra Resort arena that will be the future home of the Nevada men's basketball team.

The GSR released updated renderings Thursday and said the project could break ground in the spring and be open in 2027.

The Nevada men's basketball team has played in Lawlor Events Center since the 1983-84 season. The Nevada women's basketball team will continue to play at Lawlor.

Andrew Diss, senior vice-president and chief strategy officer for Meruelo Gaming wrote to the RGJ: "The plan is to break ground next spring as soon as the weather allows and we have all the approvals we need. Construction should be completed within 20 months, which puts it at a 2027 opening."

The updated plans reveal a new on-property location for the 10,000-seat arena, a satellite ice rink and a dedicated parking garage.

The arena will also host concerts and other sports events in addition to Wolf Pack men's basketball.

Alex Meruelo, owner of the GSR, is funding the project.

“The team that Alex Meruelo has assembled to create a transformative arena in Northern Nevada has been outstanding to work with,” Stephanie Rempe, Nevada athletic director, said in a news release. “We are grateful for their collaboration and commitment to making this arena a very special home for our men’s basketball team. It is an exciting time for Wolf Pack Athletics and we could not be more appreciative of the progress that has been made and eager for the future! This will be an absolute game changer for our basketball program and the community of Northern Nevada.”

The project had originally been scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2026.

Minor-league hockey rumored for arena

Meruelo, who also owns the Tucson Roadrunners minor league hockey franchise, is reportedly planning to relocate the team to Reno when the new arena is completed.

The report, from Sportico's Barry M. Bloom , said: "Meruelo told his staff (June 24) he will no longer pursue building a new arena to house the (NHL's Coyotes) in the Phoenix area, and that the franchise should be disbanded within a month. Meruelo will retain the minor league Roadrunners, who will now play their entire ... home schedule in Tucson, Ariz., before eventually moving to a new arena when it is completed in Reno, Nev."

The Roadrunners have been playing at the 6,500-plus-seat Tucson Arena on the downtown Tucson Convention Center campus since 2016 and typically draw about 4,000 fans per game.

The USA TODAY Network's Jeremy Cluff contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Grand Sierra Resort arena, future home of Nevada men's basketball, now set to open in 2027