U.Va. Athletics receives $40M anonymous gift

The University of Virginia’s athletics department has received a $40 million anonymous bequest from a former student-athlete, the university announced Tuesday. The donation is the largest in the Virginia Athletics Foundation’s history.

Part of U.Va.’s $5 billion capital campaign, the donation will be used to broadly support the university’s athletic programs, student-athletes and coaches, according to the statement, and the gift brings the VAF’s campaign total to $443 million, $57 million from its $500 million capital campaign goal.

“This extraordinarily generous gift reflects a deep passion for the university and our athletics program,” U.Va. President James E. Ryan said in a statement. “We are grateful to have philanthropic leaders among our former student-athletes, and we applaud their desire to make the U.Va. experience even better for future generations. This commitment will do just that and strengthen the student-athlete experience for years to come.”

U.Va. has 750 student-athletes, and the athletics foundation has launched its annual fund effort with a goal of raising $20 million to support scholarships, academic affairs and the athletic department’s operational projects. Phase 1 of U.Va.’s three-phase athletics master plan is now complete, including the construction of two football practice fields, and fundraising is nearly complete for the second phase, which will fund construction of a football operations center. The university plans to build an Olympic sports complex in the third phase.

“This type of philanthropic giving helps to ensure U.Va. Athletics will remain a leader in college athletics and positively impact generations of student-athletes,” Director of Athletics Carla Williams said. “The commitment of this very special family is inspirational to everyone who loves the University of Virginia.”