Public Grand Opening Set for Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 9:30 AM
TAMPA, JAN. 5, 2023 – The University of South Florida has announced a $5.1 million gift from J.D. Porter and the Porter Family to name its new Indoor Performance Facility. The Porter Family Indoor Performance Facility will help support all USF student-athletes.
“The Porter Family Indoor Performance Facility will be a game-changer for our student-athletes as they prepare for their next competition – especially on days with inclement weather,” USF President Rhea Law said. “We are incredibly grateful to the Porter family for supporting USF Athletics and the success of our student-athletes.”
The Porter family are steadfast supporters of USF. The James H. and Martha M. Porter
Endowment for Alzheimer’s Research was established to benefit the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s pursuit of collaborative Alzheimer’s research with the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute. In addition, the Porter family started the James H. & Martha M. Porter Alzheimer’s Research Equipment Operating Fund to support equipment purchases for use in that collaborative research.
“Our family has been here for generations, and it’s been really wonderful seeing the synergy at USF,” said J.D. Porter. “A strong board and strong university leadership who recognize the importance of athletics and education coming together. The right mix of people and the right team together made it easy for us to step up and do this for the community.”
USF Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said the donors’ generosity will
continue to transform the lives of student-athletes for years to come.
“The impact of J.D.’s gift is truly transformational for our university. As we continue to challenge for conference and national championships, this facility will be a key element and it would not have been possible without the Porter family,” Kelly said. “We are beyond grateful for their incredible support of USF Athletics.”
J.D. Porter is known as a true land planner who is determined to create a sustainable development at the over 5,000-acre Wiregrass Ranch project in central Pasco County.
As the founder of the Wiregrass Ranch Foundation, J.D. and the Porter family remain committed to Pasco County and the broader Tampa Bay region. They are dedicated to increasing opportunities in the community through philanthropy, stewardship and innovation. Wiregrass Ranch is one of the largest regional developments on Florida’s west coast and recognized nationally as a premier mixed-use community. Although still in its infancy, it is currently home to the Shops at Wiregrass, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, North Tampa Behavioral Health, and the new state-of-the art Pasco Hernando State College Porter Campus.
“I want to thank J.D. and the Porter family for stepping forward with this incredible gift that will benefit our student-athletes and the entire USF community,” said USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman. “This gift further cements USF’s path to continued excellence both on and off the field.”
The Porter Family Indoor Performance Facility is an 88,000-quare foot facility featuring a 100-yard turf field, observation deck, reception lobby and donor wall, outdoor plaza, scoreboards, video work area, officials locker room and restrooms. It is part of the USF Athletics Facilities Master Plan that includes additions and enhancements of facilities for all varsity athletic sports programs.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics currently sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, which will expand to 21 teams with the recently announced additions of women’s lacrosse (2024-25) and women’s beach volleyball. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and completed its 55th season in 2020-21. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 26 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including seven trophies in the 2021 calendar year, and own 139 conference titles in department history. The Bulls have posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for more than seven straight years and have posted a program-record of 15 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0 as of the spring of 2022. USF has had over 500 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
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