UCF receives $5.5 million pledge for new football operations building

UCF‘s Board of Trustees approved naming its proposed football operations building the Taylor A. Gerring Football Center.

The move acknowledges a $5.5 million financial gift from Gerring, a 2005 UCF graduate who is a pioneer in blockchain technology and co-founder of Ethereum Foundation.

The gift is the largest single cash pledge given to the athletics department and is part of the Mission XII fundraising initiative, which was created to upgrade the athletic department’s operating budget and athletic facilities as the school enters Year 2 in the Big 12 Conference.

“This is a tremendous opportunity,” said BOT chair Alex Martins.

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Gerring also has pledged $1 million to The Kingdom, UCF’s official NIL collective.

“I’m happy to give back to the university to show my appreciation for everything that’s been provided to me,” Gerring said in a statement. “My hope is that it inspires other students to achieve great things.

“I am proud to make this investment in UCF Football. Our competitive success on the field is very important to the comprehensive growth and progress of the university. This is my way to do what I can in this moment of time as we enter the Big 12 Conference.”

The two-story standalone football operations building was included in a proposed football campus that UCF athletics director Terry Mohajir initially presented to the BOT in 2021.

Those plans have since evolved and now include several phases, including Phase One, which would see the building of McNamara Cove and the “Sharon and Marc Hagle Gateway.” It will serve as an activation area on gamedays while providing an additional entryway to the football stadium.

“We’re so grateful for Taylor and how he continues to be one of the biggest supporters of our…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ucf-receives-5-5-million-230000889.html

Author : Orlando Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-02-22 23:00:00

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