The University of St. Thomas Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Phil Esten announced on Monday that the historic fundraising campaign goal in support of the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena has been surpassed. Thanks to the efforts of the St. Thomas Athletics Development team (Tommie Athletic Fund) led by Deputy Athletic Director Ben Fraser, the Tommies raised over $131 million, surpassing the fundraising goal set by President Rob Vischer in 2023. It is the largest single fundraising campaign for a facility project in university history. Â
“This is a monumental day for the University of St. Thomas and St. Thomas athletics,” said Esten. “I want to thank all the donors who made this possible, choosing to make an impact on the lives of our student-athletes. These gifts are a demonstrated commitment from the greater St. Thomas community to excellence and a transformational experience as we continue to push forward as a Division I institution, enhancing both the student-athlete and fan experience.” The fundraising campaign for the new home of Tommie basketball and hockey officially kicked off in January 2023, when the University announced a $75 million gift from Lee and Penny Anderson. The donation is one of the 10 largest known collegiate athletics gifts ever received nationally and is the single largest monetary gift ever given to a Minnesota university.Â
“We believe in the power of Division-I athletics to enhance our student experience, strengthen our alumni engagement, and grow our national visibility, and our community has stepped forward in a big way to make that vision a reality through the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena,” Vischer said. “I am deeply grateful for the generosity of this community, and I know that gratitude will be shared by St. Thomas students for generations to come.”Â
Earlier this year, St. Thomas announced additional gifts from the Ryan and Iversen families towards the arena, which is set to open in October 2025. Collectively, St Thomas has raised over $56 million since the announcement of the Anderson gift in January of 2023. This included 13 gifts of $1 million or more, six of those being greater than $5 million. In all, 35 gifts were closed to reach the $131 million goal. Â
Lee & Penny Anderson Arena will be the home of Tommie men’s and women’s basketball and hockey programs along with special campus events, such as commencement. Season tickets for the basketball and hockey inaugural seasons in the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena will go on sale to the general public at tommiesports.com/tickets on Monday, April 21.
