Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
University of Kansas alumni Paul DeBruce and Linda DeBruce have provided a $25 million gift in support of the Gateway District and the overhaul of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. According to a KU News release, "The Gateway District will be a powerful new front door to the university, welcoming Jayhawk students, alumni and fans as well as new recruits and visitors from Kansas and beyond. The transformed stadium with enhanced game day fan experiences will be anchored by a dynamic conference center and other commerce and entertainment facilities. The area will be energized year-round, attracting visitors, providing jobs in Lawrence and driving economic growth across the state." In recognition of the couple’s generosity, a premium hospitality space at the stadium has been named the Paul and Linda DeBruce Jayhawk Club, which will offer hospitality on game days and provide student-athletes dining services on non-game days, Wednesday's release stated.
The Virginia Athletics Foundation (VAF) and University of Virginia Athletics have announced a historic $2.2 million anonymous commitment, representing a $2.7 million total fundraising impact when coupled with university matching funds, to support scholarships for UVA’s men’s swimming student-athletes. According to Tuesday's announcement at virginiasports.com, the transformational gift marks the largest single commitment in the program’s history and comes at a time of unprecedented momentum for the men’s team. The investment will significantly enhance the program’s ability to recruit and retain top-tier student-athletes by strengthening scholarship resources.
Utah State University head men's basketball coach Jerrod Calhoun and his family have announced a transformational commitment to the Wayne Estes Fund, pledging to match every new gift up to $150,000 in support of recruitment and retention efforts for USU's men's basketball program. According to the July 31 announcement at utahstateaggies.com, the Wayne Estes Fund, originally established to provide operational support for men's basketball, was recently restructured and will now support retention and recruitment efforts following the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement. Additionally, fans who want to support men's basketball but don't meet the minimum donation requirement for the Wayne Estes Fund will have the option to contribute at a different price point to a recruitment and retention fund designated for men's basketball.
Total amount of these gifts:
$27,350,000
Running total for 2025:
$503,408,500
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2024:
$943,830,339
