Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
Wilmington College in Ohio has announced the largest gift in its 155-year history — $23 million from the estate of former women's basketball coach and accounting professor Jerry Scheve, who died in May. As reported Thursday by the News Journal of Wilmington, Scheve won 518 games in 30 years as the Lady Quakers' head coach, including the 2004 NCAA Division III national championship. Scheve's gift will help fund construction of the Scheve Athletic Center, which will include an indoor track. The Jenna Parlette Running Center will honor a former Wilmington College student-athlete who died after collapsing during a collegiate cross country race in 2013. Scheve had quietly supported the initiative for an indoor track for years, the News Journal reported.
Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
Wilmington College in Ohio has announced the largest gift in its 155-year history — $23 million from the estate of former women's basketball coach and accounting professor Jerry Scheve, who died in May. As reported Thursday by the News Journal of Wilmington, Scheve won 518 games in 30 years as the Lady Quakers' head coach, including the 2004 NCAA Division III national championship. Scheve's gift will help fund construction of the Scheve Athletic Center, which will include an indoor track. The Jenna Parlette Running Center will honor a former Wilmington College student-athlete who died after collapsing during a collegiate cross country race in 2013. Scheve had quietly supported the initiative for an indoor track for years, the News Journal reported.
The University of Pennsylvania announced Tuesday a landmark $20 million gift from alum Dave Pottruck, a former university trustee, an emeritus member of the Penn Athletics Board of Advisors, and a former wrestling and football student-athlete. The announcement came with the launch of The Penn Wrestling Lasting Legacy of Excellence Campaign, a fundraising initiative to raise $34 million for Penn wrestling. The centerpiece of the new initiative is a planned renovation to the Weightman Hall Gymnasium, which hosted the first-ever collegiate wrestling tournament. Once complete, the renovated space will become the Pottruck-Reina Wrestling Center, which will serve as the new home for Penn wrestling. The 13,000-square-foot renovation includes two main components: an 8,900-square-foot wrestling room and a 2,400-square-foot team complex. The Pottruck-Reina Wrestling Center is slated to open in Spring 2028.
McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., has announced a 10-year, $5 million stadium naming rights agreement with local philanthropist Ryan Navarre. According to the university's Wednesday announcement, it is the largest naming rights gift in both McNeese State athletics history and in the Southland Conference. The deal was made possible when longtime McNeese State supporter Bill Doré relinquished press box naming rights.
Total amount of these gifts:
$48,000,000
Running total for 2025:
$471,058,500
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2024:
$943,830,339
