UF receives major donation in step toward competing with SEC facilities
Athletic director Jeremy Foley has always said he’s not interested in joining a facilities arms race with other SEC schools. He doesn’t believe facilities have played into Florida’s success or deterred the Gators from achieving it.
“As you look around our facilities, we’re not into bells and whistles,” Foley said back in November. “We’re always looking to upgrade our facilities, but we’re not getting into an arms race.”
However, it’s no secret that the Gators’ facilities, despite being one of the more prestigious programs in the SEC, are behind much of their conference brethren.
Even former head coach Will Muschamp acknowledged this in his press conference with Auburn last week.
On the recruiting trail all the kids that would come to Florida and come to Auburn, they’d tell me how nice the housing was here, so that’s good to be on this side of it now,” Muschamp said. “I’m excited about that.”
Fortunately for the Gators, the program received a major anonymous donation late last week. Thanks to a $12.5 million donation, the school will construct a state-of-the-art academic area for Florida’s student athletes. The $12.5 million donation is the single-largest donation in school history. In addition to matching gifts, $25 million in all will be put toward this project.
This is the second big facilities upgrade for the Gators in recent weeks for its athletic program. The school is planning on constructing an indoor practice facility that will be ready by the commencement of the 2015 regular season. Florida is one two SEC schools without an IPF and it has cost the Gators valuable practice time over the years.
But these two latest developments are big steps forward for the Gators. As schools like Alabama and Texas A&M complete their facilities with amenities that resemble more of a five-star hotel than a locker room, the Gators can’t afford not to make improvements to their facilities.
Not only do recruits love the perks of facilities like they have at Alabama or Texas A&M, schools like that have also out-performed the Gators on the field. And with Florida looking to regain its momentum on the recruiting trail on its journey to return back to SEC prominence, facility upgrades like these two the Gators have committed to will go a long way in doing that.
So while Foley is on record saying he doesn’t want to get in an arms race, this $12.5 million donation speaks volumes for the university and it may be the first step in the school working to reclaim it’s spot atop the SEC.