We all know that the John Paul Jones Arena is hugely successful and has brought lots of great attention and activity to Charlottesville, but it doesn’t hurt to have Sports Illustrated agree!

… BEST NEW ARENA: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, Va. The University of Virginia spent $140 million to build John Paul Jones Arena, which opened in 2006. The arena is a perfect size (capacity 14,593), includes state-of-the-art practice, training and academic facilities, and it blends perfectly into UVA’s stately campus. [From Tyler Hansbrough, Jonny Flynn shaped decade in college hoops – 2000s: The Decade in Sports – SI.com ] Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons

I received this letter today from UVA President John Casteen; The University is frequently recognized for offering an excellent education at a reasonable price. Last May, the Center for College Affordability and Productivity ranked us No. 1 among all national public universities. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine ranked us No. 3 nationally in “100 Best Values in Public Colleges” in December.