Taylor Gerring β05, a ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ College of Business graduate who is a blockchain pioneer and expert and co-founder of EthereumFoundation, has pledged $5.5 million to ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics. This is the largest single cash pledge commitment ever by an individual for ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics. In addition, Gerring has pledged $1 million to The Kingdom, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athleticsβ official NIL collective.
As part of Mission XII, the Knightsβ strategic athletics fundraising campaign to ensure a successful transition into the Big 12 Conference, this commitment will help fund construction of a new football administration and coaches building as part of the Hagle Football Gateway project. In recognition of this extraordinary leadership gift, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Board of Trustees voted today to honor Gerring by approving the naming of the Taylor A. Gerring Football Center.
For more information about making a gift in support of Mission XII, please visit .
Gerring, of Stuart, Florida, credits his ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ education for giving him a strong foundation for the success he has achieved in business. He graduated with a bachelorβs degree in business administration.
βIβm happy to give back to the university to show my appreciation for everything thatβs been provided to me,β he says. βMy hope is that it inspires other students to achieve great things.β
Gerring is an avid Knights fan whose enthusiasm grew while he was in school with his business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi and through his involvement after graduation with the Chicago ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ alumni community. His worlds collided in 2014 at the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl.
βI was living in Europe and traveled back, very excited to see the culmination of this whole Bitcoin/Ethereum world come together with my ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Knights in St. Petersburg, and itβs literally the Bitcoin Bowlβ¦I was like, βis this event made for me?β β he says.
βI have met many Shareholders Society donors over the last couple of years and have enjoyed becoming part of thiscommunity of like-minded friends who care deeply about the success of the Knights,β Gerring says. βI am proud to make this investment in ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Football. Our competitive success on the field is very important to the comprehensive growth and progress of the university. This is my way to do what I can in this moment of time as we enter the Big 12 Conference. Thereβs 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 weβre looking for.β
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ is creating a one-of-a-kind football campus to help the football team succeed at the highest levels of competition and enhance the fan experience. These initiatives are part of the larger Mission XII program to expand and enhance game and practice facilities for all of the Knightsβ teams throughout the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village.
In addition to the Taylor A. Gerring Football Center, the Hagle Football Gateway will feature Nicholson Plaza; McNamara Cove, which will offer student-athletes a recovery river and hydrotherapy; a renovated Wayne Densch Sports Center, which will include an expanded football team locker room, the Thow Family Locker Room; enhancements to ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs football practice complex; a new VIP parking lot; and a pedestrian promenade. Phased construction is scheduled to start in the spring of 2024.
Gerringβs $5.5 million gift to ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics includes $5 million in support of the construction of the football center and $500,000 that will be invested in the Taylor A. Gerring Athletics Facilities Endowment Fund.
βΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ aspires to be the best metropolitan research university in the country, and that includes building a collegiate athletics program that competes at the highest level,β said ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ President Alexander N. Cartwright. βWe are grateful for passionate alumni like Taylor who are reinvesting in their alma mater. Taylorβs significant investment in ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Football will be a game-changer in delivering unmatched facilities for competition, training and recovery.β
βWe appreciate Taylorβs 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,β says ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir. βTaylorβs gift commitment will provide huge momentum for our fundraising efforts. His generosity will help us βreach for the starsβ as we continue to emerge as a national program.β
βWeβre so grateful for Taylor and how he continues to be one of the biggest supporters of our program,β says ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ football head coach Gus Malzahn. βThis gift is huge for our program, both now and in the future, and weβre extremely thankful for his investment in ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Football.β
For more information about making a gift in support of Mission XII, please visit .
