University nets $700,000 for athletic complex

CLARKSVILLE — The University of the Ozarks continues to make progress on raising the money it needs to build an approximately $10.75 million athletic complex with the promise of a $700,000 “challenge grant.”

The private, four-year liberal arts university announced via a news release this week the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation — a nonprofit organization in Tulsa, Okla. — awarded the school the grant to help fund its new Wilson Athletic Complex.

Construction for the facility began in October, according to the release. It will be located where the university’s current baseball, softball and soccer fields are and include new turf fields on all three playing surfaces, along with new lighting, bleachers, locker room, press box and bathroom facilities.

“The Mabee challenge gift is a significant piece of the fundraising effort to complete the Wilson Athletic Complex and to provide an exciting new venue for our student-athletes to compete,” Lori McBee, vice president for advancement at the university, said via email.

“Not only is the gift significant from a monetary standpoint, we believe it will help encourage and inspire other individuals, corporations and foundations to contribute to the effort as well.”

However, the university has to raise more than $3.2 million by Oct. 10 to receive the $700,000 grant, according to the news release.

The Mabee Foundation requires the organizations receiving its challenge grants to raise the remaining money necessary to finish a project within a year of being awarded the grant, according to the organization’s website. Any group that doesn’t meet this deadline risks its grant being canceled. The foundation will grant up to 20% of the total costs for a project with a $2 million maximum.

“Construction must commence within two years after satisfying the grant challenge,” the website states. “Payment is not made on the grant until the challenge has been satisfied and construction has started.”

McBee said the University of the Ozarks has so far received a $6.2 million gift from Thomas and Frances Wilson of Tulsa for the athletic complex project, as well as $570,000 in additional fundraising. This leaves the university still needing more than $3.2 million to complete the project when factoring in the $700,000 challenge grant.

The university is engaged in a “concerted fundraising effort” to raise that $3.2 million, according to McBee.

“Propelled by the lead gift from Thomas and Frances Wilson as well as the Mabee challenge grant, University of the Ozarks has an amazing opportunity to transform its baseball, softball and soccer facilities and elevate Eagle athletics to new heights,” McBee said.

“We’re calling on alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to help play a role in establishing the most significant enhancement of athletics in the history of the university.”

McBee said the Mabee Foundation grant and the money left to be raised — a total of $3.9 million — will primarily go to the soccer portion of the athletic complex project. This includes a soccer field, seating, lighting and a clubhouse that will contain men’s and women’s locker rooms. The money will also go toward a barbecue deck.

The $6.2 million gift from the Wilsons paid for the baseball and softball portions of the project, McBee said.

Jimmy Clark, the university’s director of athletics, said in an email construction for the complex’s baseball and softball fields is about a month behind schedule. Although the university was hoping the fields would be completed in early February so teams could play their 2024 spring seasons on them, it now looks as though they will be finished around mid-March.

The university is working on moving some of its home baseball and softball games in February and early March to other venues, such as Clarksville High School, according to Clark.

“The rest of the athletic complex, including the soccer field, clubhouse and parking lot, is on schedule to be completed by early September, in time for the 2024 soccer season,” Clark said.

The university confirmed Mammoth Sports Construction — a firm headquartered in Meriden, Kan. — is building the athletic complex. Duffield Gravel Co. in Russellville is building the complex’s parking lot.