I was reading the local newspaper the other day and spotted a RFQ for a construction project at the Coliseum. “Hmmm,” I thought. Then a person who knows a contractor said that contractor was poking around and it was, presumably, for the basketball practice facility. “Hmmm, hmmm,” I though. So I asked around and was summarily told one was not related to the other.

While not directly related to the basketball practice facility, it is at least a preliminary task. Director of Athletics Ed Pastilong said the job will make the eventual facility construction quicker and less complicated. The current improvement project had to happen before the facility could be built.

“It is another thing we have to knock out before we can begin,” Pastilong said. “At the very moment we have comfortable money in hand, we want to be able to get to work.”

Fair enough … but behold the local newspaper today:

West Virginia University on behalf of its Board of Governors, invites suppliers of construction materials for the new WVU Indoor Basketball Practice Facility. WVU haas released three (3) separate bid packages for the following RFB 90002070V-Site Electrical Materials; RFB 90002071V-Site HVAC Materials; and RFB 9000207072V-Site Utilities Material. Each package is for materials only – installation is by others.  

Sealed bids will be received by WVU Purchasing, Contracts, and Payments Services, until 3:00 PM, June 17, 2009.

A copy of the Request for Bids may be obtained by visiting our web site at: http://wvubids.finance.wvu.edu

Uh, OK, what the heck is that about? The hour is near, right? Right?