Auburn’s Board of Trustees is set to vote next week to approve a plan for a new “modern” videoboard in the north endzone of Jordan-Hare Stadium. The plan, which does not yet have a budget or timeline, will be the first major project under new athletic director John Cohen.

The Board of Trustees agenda for its Feb. 2 meeting only discusses the videoboard development and not the future developments Cohen has suggested for a full-scale premium-seating-focused renovation of the north endzone.

But as Cohen has suggested, one of the next projects on his mind is how to clear congestion at Neville Arena. It’s an issue men’s basketball head coach Bruce Pearl has pushed for in years past.

Auburn’s Board of Trustees has previously approved plans for a new practice facility, but there has not been any progress toward initiating a project. Since the Feb. 2022 approval from the trustees, Auburn has seen a change in its athletic department leadership from previous athletic director Allen Greene to Cohen.

“It’s not that the men’s basketball practice facility or more space in Neville is not needed and have been improved,” Pearl said during a press conference Friday. “It’s just that the best way that I can tell all of our fans, for all of our sports, was when our project was up next, let’s call timeout and get some of these other things right first.”

Pearl said that despite the previous approval, he is willing to sit back and wait his turn while Auburn makes other maybe more pressing upgrades.

But Neville Arena, as both Pearl and Cohen have noted, is the most crowded athletics facility Auburn has. The men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics teams all use the building. Both basketball teams and volleyball use it as their primary practice facility.

“Whatever the second most-used building is, it’s not even close,” Pearl said.

Cohen has proposed a plan to create a permanent facility for volleyball. That plan could include re-modeling or re-building the largely vacant Beard-Eaves Coliseum.

“Our volleyball team has needs that we have not yet met,” Cohen said during a January interview with AL.com.

Creating a practice schedule to fit the three teams is difficult, especially when basketball season crosses over with volleyball or gymnastics with everyone seeking time on the main arena floor. The men’s basketball team frequently rotates between practicing on the main floor and the practice gym currently attached to Neville Arena.

Cohen said the volleyball team has practiced in three different spaces since he arrived at Auburn.

“If I was in his position, I would do everything he’s doing in the timeline that he’s doing it,” Pearl said of Cohen. “So we’re addressing that need, and I’m very satisfied with John Cohen’s plan.”

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]