Ceremonial Groundbreaking Held for Schmidt Family Complex
Transformational facility to play central role in FAU’s athletic program and help student-athletes excel in the classroom, on the field.
“From left, Pat McKay; Anthony Barbar, chair of FAU's Board of Trustees; Abdol Moabery, an ֱBoard of Trustees member; Christine E. Lynn; Dick Schmidt; ֱPresident John Kelly; Barbara Schmidt; Barbara Campbell; Bobby Campbell; Eleanor R. Baldwin; Lane Kiffin, ֱfootball head coach”
BOCA RATON, Fla. (January 20, 2017) — ֱ celebrated the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence this evening with a ceremonial groundbreaking, marking a major milestone for the transformational facility that will play a central role in FAU’s ֱ program and help student-athletes excel in the classroom and on the field.
ֱPresident John Kelly; ֱbenefactors Dick and Barbara Schmidt; Anthony Barbar chair of FAU’s Board of Trustees; and Lane Kiffin, who was named head coach of FAU’s football program in December, stuck shovels in the ground at the construction site just west of ֱStadium. They were joined by other university leaders, community officials and ֱbenefactors, to ceremonially break ground as part of a large celebratory event.
President Kelly said the Complex will be a landmark on FAU’s Boca Raton campus.
“We are extremely grateful to all the generous donors who have come forward to support the construction of this amazing facility on our Boca Raton campus,” Kelly said. “It started with the Schmidts’ vision for a complex that would benefit all our students and that vision is becoming a reality thanks to our giving community.”
The Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence will be constructed adjacent to ֱStadium and will play a central role in elevating FAU’s academic standing – benefiting students in all academic programs, including those not associated with ֱ. The Complex will include the Bobby and Barbara Campbell Academic Success Center; the Christine E. Lynn Sports Medicine Center; Eleanor R. Baldwin History and Tradition Hall; a strength and conditioning center and an indoor training facility.
The Complex received initial funding of $16 million from the , the largest single gift in FAU’s history.
Many other donors have followed the Schmidts, including a $5 million gift from Bobby and Barbara Campbell . The donation is the first time the Campbells have given to ֱAthletics and it enabled ֱto begin the project’s engineering and architectural design process. , Christine E. Lynn gave a $5 million gift, her first contribution to FAU’s Department of Athletics as well. Additionally, ,Eleanor R. Baldwin, a longtime benefactor of ֱand ֱAthletics, donated $1 million to name the History and Tradition Hall within the Complex. Other notable donations include gifts from Cathy and Abdol Moabery, an ֱBoard of Trustees member, and Drs. Ann and Alan Aker— both couples gave $500,000.
The successful secured more than $28 million for the Complex in just two years.
“The Schmidt Complex will catapult our ֱ program into a new stratosphere,” said Pat Chun, vice president and director of ֱ at FAU. “We will be able to develop our student-athletes at the highest levels academically, athletically and socially. Embedded in our ֱ culture is academic achievement and leadership. The Schmidt Complex will only enhance our abilities to achieve academically and grow the leaders of tomorrow through intercollegiate ֱ.”
The 2017 ֱOwls football team will kick off their 2017 season by playing host to the Navy Midshipmen at ֱStadium on Saturday, Sept. 2. The Owls will play six home contests, two non-conference matchups and four within the Conference USA eastern division. Deposits for 2017 ֱfootball season tickets can be made by calling 1-866-FAU-Owls
ֱAthletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving more than 450 student-athletes, including cheer and dance. The Owls’ 29,419-seat football stadium opened in October 2011. Since then, the stadium’s field was named in honor of legendary coach and “father of ֱfootball” Howard Schnellenberger. ֱStadium also hosts the Boca Raton Bowl in December.
ֱselected Orlando-based HKS Architects Inc. as the architectural and engineering firm and West Palm Beach-based DPR Construction as the construction management firm for the Complex.
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