Binghamton University has received its largest gift ever.
The school received $60 million that will go to a new baseball stadium complex.
The university announced on Tuesday afternoon that its sports facility in Vestal will be transformed, using the anonymous gift, into an 84,000-square foot facility that will include a new stadium, increased fan seating, a clubhouse, and indoor training facility.
“This gift will help put Binghamton University into the upper echelons of Division I schools,” said Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger. “This unprecedented gift perfectly matches donor passion and the strategic needs for the campus, and it is my hope that it will inspire others to give back to the area of campus that they are most passionate about. This is an exciting time for Binghamton University, and we are extraordinarily grateful for the generosity of our anonymous donor family.”
Construction will begin as early as next week according to Stenger. BU's baseball team is thrilled about the possibility of attracting more talent.
"It's huge. Especially in the Northeast you know, if you're talking to kids from warmer climates and to have them up here and say we can full practice even when it's cold outside, it's definitely a huge tool," said Senior Catcher, TJ Wegmann.
Head Coach Tim Sinicki said this gift definitely expands the recruiting process. "We've recruited very good players in the past. But it's been very regionalized. And now maybe this opens it up to a different type of kid, as terms of where they're from in the country."
The university hopes their team will play in the new stadium next year, when phase one of the project is completed.
The entire project is expected to be finished by Spring 2022.