Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
The University of Massachusetts athletics department announced Monday a gift by John F. Kennedy, a master's degree holder from the UMass campus in Amherst, to endow the head hockey coach position — the first endowed coaching position in UMass Athletics history. The announcement was made in conjunction with UMass Lowell Athletics, as Kennedy had made an equal gift to also endow the head hockey coach position there, with each campus being supported by separate $2.5M gifts totaling $5 million.
Longtime Michigan State Unviersity supporters Joe and Julie Serra have made a $10 million commitment to FOR SPARTA, marking the largest gift their family has made to MSU and continuing a relationship with the university that spans nearly four decades. The commitment will be used in support of Spartan football, including improvements at Spartan Stadium, and reflects the Serras' longstanding support of Spartan Athletics and their confidence in its future under new leadership from vice president and director of athletics Dan Bartholomae, according to the athletic department's Thursday announcement.
The University of Texas at El Paso has received a $29.1 million commitment from GECU Federal Credit Union to support enhancements to Don Haskins Center and the university’s athletics program. At a ceremony Monday celebrating the gift, UTEP president Heather Wilson announced a new name for El Paso’s largest indoor venue: GECU Arena at the Don Haskins Center. The gift is the largest gift ever made to UTEP Athletics and the second-largest ever in university history.
Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., made separate announcements in September regarding gifts toward athletics facility improvements totaling $6 million. On Sept. 4, emeritus trustee and Hall of Fame inductee Larry Shadek and wife Pat were acknowledged for making a $5 million gift to support the construction of Shadek Varsity House at the College’s Shadek Stadium. On Monday, the college announced that 2008 graduate and former track athlete Michael “Mike” Arnold his wife Dana had pledged $1 million to support the development of the new Arnold Family Track on F&M’s north campus.
Murray State University announced Monday that its athletics department has received a $1.25 million anonymous gift from a family of longtime Racer supporters in Murray. The commitment will support the Vision For Excellence Fund as part of Murray State Athletics' historic Leading The Pack campaign. The investment will provide resources to advance departmental strategic initiatives, ongoing capital projects and revenue sharing.
The University of Vermont Department of Athletics announced Monday that it has received a $1.2 million gift from the estate of Fred and Ann Curran. In recognition of this gift, the current Director of Athletics Discretionary Fund will be renamed the Fred and Ann Curran Director of Athletics Discretionary Fund. The fund provides Vermont's director of athletics with flexible resources to address the most pressing and strategic needs across UVM Athletics. Priorities supported by the fund include leadership development for student-athletes, travel for high-level out-of-region competition, academic support, and career and life skills programming.
Total amount of these gifts:
$52,550,000
Running total for 2026:
$705,728,347
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2025:
$1,671,578,500
