Baylor announces lead gift for $105 million basketball facility
Baylor University Athletic Director Mack Rhoades announced plans Tuesday to build a new $105 million basketball facility on the banks of the Brazos River, initiated by the largest gift in the university’s history.
A portion of the $100 million gift from an anonymous donor, which was announced Saturday to support the university-wide $1.1 billion Give Light campaign, will go toward the basketball facility and another portion toward academics.
Baylor officials didn’t specify Tuesday how the major donation will be divided, but Rhoades said the university still needs to raise $30 million before construction will begin on the new basketball pavilion, which will be built in the current parking lot between the Ferrell Center and Baylor Ballpark.
“Certainly to remain competitive and to continue to recruit student-athletes at the highest level as well as really have an environment for fans, it’s critical to have the best facilities,” Baylor President Linda Livingstone said. “That’s true on the athletics side, but it’s true on the academic side as well. This gift is so important because it helps us on both sides of that.”
The announcement of the new facility comes at an opportune time as Kim Mulkey’s women’s basketball team won its third national championship last month while Scott Drew’s men’s basketball team reached its fifth NCAA tournament in the last six years.
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