Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
The University of North Florida has announced an $8 million gift from the estate of Kernan R. Hodges in support of 9,400-seat Hodges Stadium, home to the UNF soccer and track & field teams. According to the university's Thursday announcement, Hodges Stadium and the Visit Jax Track have attracted major sporting events to Jacksonville, bringing more than 200,000 hotel room nights booked and $160 million in total economic impact since 2012. The stadium houses a lighted field, a nine-lane international track, the Browning Athletic Training and Education Center and UNF Athletics Department offices. The Hodges family's gift has helped UNF add national broadcast level lighting and a digital video board to the stadium. Along with $6 million allocated from the City of Jacksonville in 2025, the gift is also supporting additional upgrades including renovations to the restrooms, locker rooms, press box and infrastructure improvements. UNF is exploring the addition of premium seating, as well.
University of Utah head football coach Morgan Scalley has pledged $2 million to the Utes football program, director of athletics Mark Harlan announced Thursday. Scalley is entering his first season as head coach after 18 seasons as a Utah assistant, including the last 10 years as defensive coordinator.
Villanova University announced Tuesday a $1 million leadership gift from former men's tennis team captain AJ Rohde and wife Melissa to create the Villanova Tennis Endowed Fund. The first seven-figure gift in program history establishes the Rohde Family Endowed Men's Tennis Head Coach position and advances key program priorities, including sports performance, student-athlete services, enhanced travel and capital improvements that strengthen both men's and women's Tennis.
Longtime Oregon State supporters Wayne and Marta von Borstel have completed a $3 million, multiyear commitment to support Oregon State University women's basketball with a $1 million capstone gift to establish the von Borstel Women's Basketball Endowment Fund. The endowment will generate flexible, high-impact resources to support student-athlete development, competitive enhancements, program operations, student-athlete benefits and team priorities, according to the athletics department's March 6 announcement.
The Illinois State University athletics department announced last week that two anonymous Redbird families are giving $300,000 total for the modernization of the CEFCU Arena fan experience, which fans will notice starting next season. This joint donation, with each family contributing six figures, marks the fifth donation of $250,000 or more publicly announced by ISU Athletics in the last three months. ISU will install TV monitors throughout the concourse prior to the fall athletic seasons. The monitors will assist the Redbirds with improved fan communication, revenue opportunities and more on game days. These monitors will also be used during campus and community events such as ISU Commencement, the Gamma Phi Circus and IHSA state championship weekends to improve fan experience.
The Marquette University men's soccer program has received a $200,000 philanthropic commitment from alum and three-year letterwinner Matt Jermak. According to MU's announcement last week, the gift will establish an endowed Excellence Fund aimed at program sustainability and advancing the men's soccer student-athlete experience at Marquette.
Total amount of these gifts:
$12,500,000
Running total for 2026:
$270,575,000
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2025:
$1,671,578,500
