Kentucky - $30 Million Basketball Practice Facility
Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 9:05 amPractice makes perfect gift
Alum donates $6M, name for UK practice court
Thursday August 17, 2006 - Sports Illustrated
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- A University of Kentucky alumnus pledged $6 million Thursday for the rights to name a new basketball practice facility at his alma mater -- more than double the largest private gift ever for the school's athletics department.
Joe Craft, 55, a Hazard, Ky., native, had anonymously pledged $3 million last year toward the 100,000 square-foot practice facility adjacent to Memorial Coliseum. That gift would have been the largest ever for the department, but this week he told university officials he intended to double it.
In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, Craft said he made the donation with no strings attached, although Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart has urged him to name the facility after Craft or his family.
"He suggested he would like for that to be the case," said Craft, president of Alliance Resource Partners, a Tulsa, Okla.-based coal company. "I said, 'We'll be glad to talk about it,' but we haven't talked about it with any specifics."
Craft said he made a trip to Lexington two weeks ago and was highly impressed with the progress construction crews were making on the 100,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Memorial Coliseum. It will house practice courts, locker rooms, weight rooms and coaches rooms when completed later this year.
Craft has been friends with Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith for years, dating back to Smith's tenure as Tulsa's coach. Their sons knew each other from amateur basketball during high school, Craft said.
Although some fans were disgruntled by the Wildcats' subpar season this year, Craft said he has confidence Smith will right the ship.
"I just look at the good as opposed to try to look at negatives," Craft said. "Tubby's a great person, a great leader and a great coach. The fans at Kentucky, they've always been passionate about their Wildcats. They want them to win. We all do. I understand how they feel at times, but I'm a Tubby supporter."
Craft said he has made numerous other donations to various academic programs at the university, where he received a law degree, but this is the largest. He also has contributed to other schools, including the University of Tulsa, where he sits on the Board of Trustees.
The donation for the practice facility puts the project only $800,000 short of its $30 million anticipate cost.
"The passion and commitment of our loyal alumni continue to amaze me," said Lee Todd, university president. "Joe Craft boldly leads by example in pushing our university to excellence. He has been a significant contributor to academic programs, our capital campaign and athletics. This major gift will help ensure Kentucky basketball remains one of the premier programs in the country."
Previously, the largest gift to the Kentucky athletics department was $2.78 million, donated anonymously toward the same facility. The Nutter family of Beaver Creek, Ohio, had contributed $2.5 million toward football facilities.
Alum donates $6M, name for UK practice court
Thursday August 17, 2006 - Sports Illustrated
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- A University of Kentucky alumnus pledged $6 million Thursday for the rights to name a new basketball practice facility at his alma mater -- more than double the largest private gift ever for the school's athletics department.
Joe Craft, 55, a Hazard, Ky., native, had anonymously pledged $3 million last year toward the 100,000 square-foot practice facility adjacent to Memorial Coliseum. That gift would have been the largest ever for the department, but this week he told university officials he intended to double it.
In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press, Craft said he made the donation with no strings attached, although Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart has urged him to name the facility after Craft or his family.
"He suggested he would like for that to be the case," said Craft, president of Alliance Resource Partners, a Tulsa, Okla.-based coal company. "I said, 'We'll be glad to talk about it,' but we haven't talked about it with any specifics."
Craft said he made a trip to Lexington two weeks ago and was highly impressed with the progress construction crews were making on the 100,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Memorial Coliseum. It will house practice courts, locker rooms, weight rooms and coaches rooms when completed later this year.
Craft has been friends with Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith for years, dating back to Smith's tenure as Tulsa's coach. Their sons knew each other from amateur basketball during high school, Craft said.
Although some fans were disgruntled by the Wildcats' subpar season this year, Craft said he has confidence Smith will right the ship.
"I just look at the good as opposed to try to look at negatives," Craft said. "Tubby's a great person, a great leader and a great coach. The fans at Kentucky, they've always been passionate about their Wildcats. They want them to win. We all do. I understand how they feel at times, but I'm a Tubby supporter."
Craft said he has made numerous other donations to various academic programs at the university, where he received a law degree, but this is the largest. He also has contributed to other schools, including the University of Tulsa, where he sits on the Board of Trustees.
The donation for the practice facility puts the project only $800,000 short of its $30 million anticipate cost.
"The passion and commitment of our loyal alumni continue to amaze me," said Lee Todd, university president. "Joe Craft boldly leads by example in pushing our university to excellence. He has been a significant contributor to academic programs, our capital campaign and athletics. This major gift will help ensure Kentucky basketball remains one of the premier programs in the country."
Previously, the largest gift to the Kentucky athletics department was $2.78 million, donated anonymously toward the same facility. The Nutter family of Beaver Creek, Ohio, had contributed $2.5 million toward football facilities.