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UCF fans enjoying 1st season in The Big 12
Fans of the University of Central Florida's basketball team are enjoying their first season in The Big 12. They even started a new tradition that includes palm fronds.
ORLANDO, Fla. - UCF Athletics received its largest single cash pledge commitment ever – and now, the university is sharing renderings for its planned "one-of-a-kind" football campus the funds will be used for.
Taylor Gerring, a 2005 alumnus, has pledged $5.5 million to UCF Athletics and $1 million to The Kingdom, the university's official NIL collective, UCF announced on Thursday. UCF Athletics said $5 million of Gerring's gift will support construction of a football center, and the remaining $500,000 will be invested in the Taylor A. Gerring Athletics Facilities Endowment Fund.
"I am proud to make this investment in UCF Football. Our competitive success on the field is very important to the comprehensive growth and progress of the university," the Florida native said in a news release. "This is my way to do what I can in this moment of time as we enter the Big 12 Conference. There’s a lot of momentum and excitement behind that, and I hope to inspire other donors to jump in and help us reach the end goals we’re looking for."
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The commitment from Gerring, a blockchain pioneer and expert and co-founder of Ethereum Foundation, will help fund construction for a new football administration and coaches building that's part of the Hagle Football Gateway Project.
The Hagle Football Gateway Project will not only feature a football center named after Gerring, but also Nicholson Plaza, McNamara Cove, a renovated Wayne Densch Sports Center, enhancements to UCF football's practice complex, a new VIP parking lot and a pedestrian promenade. McNamara Cove is among the projects announced several years ago that includes a recovery "lazy river" and hydrotherapy for student-athletes.
Renderings of the aforementioned projects can be seen below:
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"We appreciate Taylor’s belief in our capital vision as part of Mission XII to build new unique first-class facilities for our student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans," said UCF vice president and director of athletics Terry Mohajir. "Taylor’s gift commitment will provide huge momentum for our fundraising efforts. His generosity will help us ‘reach for the stars’ as we continue to emerge as a national program."
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Mission XII is UCF's strategic athletics campaign established to transition into the Big 12 Conference, which the Knights officially joined on July 1, 2023.
Phased construction is slated to start this spring.