Mizzou athletics gets second $10 million gift for indoor football facility
The Missouri athletic department is looking to fund its new indoor football facility, and it took another significant step toward that goal Thursday. MU announced it has received its second anonymous $10 million gift for the building.
Mizzou football has utilized the Devine Pavilion since 1998, but the facility is only 70 yards long, instead of the typical 120 yards needed for a full football field. It’s why MU, the northern-most program in the SEC, has moved to further improve its facilities.
It’s another area where Missouri is committing more resources into its football program.
MU athletic director Jim Sterk signed football coach Eliah Drinkwitz to a $4 million annual salary in part because he was sought after by other programs. The south end zone facility has also been another key step in keeping up with Mizzou’s SEC counterparts.
The new indoor football building, they say, is the next step.
“Mizzou football enjoys great momentum under Coach Drinkwitz, on and off the field, and completing this project in a timely fashion will help bring Mizzou in line with other SEC programs from a facilities standpoint, while helping Coach Drinkwitz fulfill his vision for our football program,” Sterk said in a statement. “Having a full length indoor practice field will provide our coaches and student-athletes the ability to train year-around, no matter the weather in mid-Missouri.”
The Board of Curators approved a resolution on Dec. 6 to move forward with the indoor facility. Part of the process came with the stipulation that MU athletics must provide the board with a project scope, fundraising plan and budget no later than Jan. 30. According to the release, the athletic department has already done so.
MU is working with St. Louis-based architect HOK, along with Kansas City counterpart HOK-Sport, to “develop pre-design programming and planning.”
Mizzou previously received a separate $10 million gift in late December for the facility.
That’s not the only fundraising effort, though. Drinkwitz is asking MU fans to buy season tickets. He added rural Missouri must be a pillar for the athletic department to get the project done, alongside the major metro areas. Drinkwitz has even joked he will sell cookies door-to-door, as long as they get it done.
“We are grateful for this impactful leadership gift to help make this project a reality for our football program,” Drinkwitz said. “This facility will give Mizzou football a convenient, year-around training facility that will help develop our student-athletes for the challenge of playing in the SEC.”