NEWS

NEWBERRY — Newberry College has received a $2.5 million anonymous irrevocable pledge agreement to support the construction of the Athletic and Academic Achievement Center at historic Setzler Field.

The gift will be used to begin the second phase of the college’s stadium project, which will be built on the visitor side of Setzler Field. The facility will include locker rooms for the football, lacrosse and field hockey teams, coaches’ offices, classrooms, team meeting rooms and other student-athlete support space. The projected cost of this 18,000-square-foot facility is approximately $4.5 million.

“This is a most generous gift, and it is a game changer for our College,” said President Maurice Scherrens. “This facility will benefit all of our students, as it is designed to be multi-functional with the inclusion of three to four state-of-the-art classrooms. We need to raise additional funds to commence construction of Phase II, but thanks to this generous gift, hopefully others will follow and we can put a shovel in the ground soon.”

The total estimated cost of the stadium project remains approximately $10 million. There will eventually be a third and final phase, on the home side of the stadium, where a new press box, seating, concessions, a hospitality suite, storage and restrooms will be built. The projected cost of this final phase is $3 million.

“The timing of this gift could not be better,” said Robert Best, chair of the Board of Trustees and a 1971 graduate. “In the midst of the confusion and anxiety caused by the coronavirus and the losses in the stock market, we have an anonymous donor make the type of gift that will propel Newberry College through these difficult times and allow us to emerge stronger than ever.”

In March, the college announced a $500,000 gift from the Younts family to complete the Melvin and Dollie Younts Athletic Performance Center, a 6,750-square-foot athletic training and sports medicine facility at the north end zone of Setzler Field. The gift was added to the family’s previous $1 million matching pledge.

Newberry College has now raised over $30 million toward its Scaling the Summit capital campaign goal of $35 million. The college is also currently raising funds to construct the Nursing and Health Science Center, to be located on the corner of College and Evans streets.

“This anonymous donor makes the stadium project a reality, and it is now incumbent upon us to raise the money to make the Nursing and Health Science Center a reality as well,” Scherrens added.

Pictured: Possible rendering of Athletic and Academic Achievement Center. Source: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture.