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Baylor University dedicates Fudge Football Development Center

Baylor University dedicates Fudge Football Development Center

Vaseline 1 month ago

WACO, Texas (September 27, 2024) – Baylor University today dedicated the Fudge Football Development Center during a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring open house tours and remarks, followed by an evening celebration in the Paul & Alejandra Foster Pavilion, which also celebrated the official completion of both buildings .

The dedication event recognized the Fudge Football Development Center’s namesake and lead donors, Jeremy, BA ’97, and Kristy Fudge of Parker, Texas. Construction of the official home base for Baylor Football was announced in November 2021 with the Fudges’ $15 million lead gift to the Give Light Capital Fund, which supported the capital priorities of Baylor’s successful Give Light Campaign.

“The generosity of Jeremy and Kristy Fudge, which has led us to this moment, fills the Baylor family with gratitude,” said Mack B. Rhoades IV, vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics. “We are blessed to be able to celebrate the transformative support of the Fudge Family and so many others this weekend. The Fudge Center and Allison Indoor are state-of-the-art facilities made possible by the visionary support of the Fudge and Allison families. and our great university. The impact the Fudge Center will have on the football program and our daily mission to prepare lifelong champions is immeasurable.”

The Fudge Football Development Center, located adjacent to the Simpson Athletics and Academic Center and the Beauchamp Athletic Nutrition Center, includes a 150,000-square-foot expansion of the Jay and Jenny Allison Indoor Practice Facility, creating a large field and a new front. entrance, lobby, second level bridge access connecting the Fudge Center and Allison Indoor Practice Facility, and new offices for the football program’s coaching staff. Other features include:



Strength and fitness

  • 14,000 square foot weight room with 18 Power Lift racks
  • Virtual walk-through space of 1,200 square meters with a video wall of 400 square meters
  • Direct access to the Allison Indoor Practice Facility

Athletic human performance spaces

  • Athletic medicine space for evaluation and rehabilitation of injuries and illnesses
  • State-of-the-art hydrotherapy treatment room
  • Centralized fuel station to optimize nutritional needs
  • Individual consultation room to provide options for confidential mental health and medical support

Team meeting rooms

  • Team auditorium with space for 205 seats in tiered theater style
  • Large meeting rooms for attack, defense and function-specific meetings

Spaces for students and athletes

  • Players locker room with video technology in every locker and a quiet room
  • Players’ lounge overlooking the locker room and private terrace with views of McLane Stadium and the Brazos River

“As Christians, we are ambassadors of Christ to the world and one of the ways we do that is by pursuing excellence in everything we do,” Jeremy Fudge said at the dedication ceremony. “Baylor and Baylor Athletics believe and live that in everything they do, and we are blessed and honored to partner with them in that endeavor. We look forward to seeing what this new facility does for the development of every student athletes and our athletics program as a whole.”

The Fudge Football Development Center is a capital project funded through the Give Light campaign. The campaign raised more than $285 million to support capital projects including the Fudge Center, the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, and the renovation of the Tidwell Bible Building. To learn more about the campaign’s impact, visit baylor.edu/givelight.

A legacy of support

“In business and in our personal lives, our family has always lived by the motto of ‘Pursue the Exceptional,’ and we are proud to support Baylor University in their pursuit of excellence,” Jeremy Fudge said in announcing their gift. “As Christians, we are called to pursue excellence in all we do, as an act of worship and obedience. At Baylor, our excellence can be a testimony to our Christian faith on a national stage, and we are excited to participate to the good work they do through our gift to support these programs, people and priorities as they continue Preparing champions for life.”

The name of the Fudge Football Development Center recognizes the generosity of Jeremy and Kristy Fudge, longtime supporters of Baylor Athletics. Jeremy currently serves on the Baylor Athletics NIL Advisory Council, a six-member group of Baylor supporters and business leaders who strategically guide NIL efforts for Baylor student-athletes. All six Advisory Board members are Baylor graduates and generous supporters of the university. The group was founded in the summer of 2022.

Jeremy Fudge received a BA magna cum laude from Baylor University in 1997. He is currently CEO of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP, the leading U.S. corporate immigration law firm. He leads the company’s activities, formulates the vision and strategy and drives the company’s mission and culture. Kristy graduated from the University of Northern Colorado.

Kristy and Jeremy are parents to four daughters: Brynna, Addy, Calley and Delaynie. Kristy is an active volunteer in the community and serves on the board of the National Charity League, as well as several other committees and boards at their daughters’ schools. Kristy became connected to Baylor through her husband and was recognized as an Alumna By Choice in 2021.

Jeremy and Kristy, who are members of the Baylor Bear Foundation, previously provided the first endowment gift to Baylor Athletics’ Baylor Built program, dedicated to Preparing champions for life by providing workshops and seminars to student-athletes to enhance their development and character building in addition to their academic and on-field success.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution. The university provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by combining interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to education and scholarship. Chartered by the Republic of Texas in 1845 through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas. Based in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a wide range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic departments.

– BaylorBears.com –