| Detroit Free Press
Michigan state athletics is about to get a massive overhaul of the facilities thanks to one of Tom Izzo’s former players.
Former basketball walk-on Mat Ishbia pledged $ 32 million for a significant expansion of the Spartans’ athletic facilities, including a new football facility and the renaming of the Breslin Center basketball court to Izzo.
It is also expected to drastically change the look of the center of the campus, just south of Spartan Stadium.
[ 25 years of ‘Mr. March’: Order our updated Tom Izzo book today! ]
“This donation is not about me, but to thank coach Tom Izzo, the business school and Michigan State University for the incredible impact they have had on my life,” Ishbia said in a press release.
Ishbia, a member of Izzo’s 2000 national championship team and a 2003 graduate of MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business, is chairman, president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, which was made public last month.
Lake: What you need to know about Mat Ishbia, the billionaire CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage
The gift is one of a person’s greatest pledges to MSU.
“From the first day he joined our basketball team and in the years since, I’ve watched Mat continue to make an impact for the betterment of others, taking the lessons he learned in Michigan State and bringing them into his company. Izzo said in a statement. “As a member of the team, Mat wanted to improve himself and others around him every day, knowing that in any successful team, as in the corporate world, everyone has a role to play. He never gave in to that attitude.
“This gift speaks volumes about Mat’s character and the way he runs his business today; always focused on creating a family atmosphere and being there for each other. His generosity will benefit the Spartan family for years to come and enrich the lives of so many Spartans far beyond their time in the state of Michigan. “
The bulk, $ 20 million, is for an expansion of the Skandalaris Football Center that opened in 2008. The money will go towards the expansion of the weight room, the construction of a new eating and feeding room and getting new player lockers that are intended to give football coach Mel Tucker ‘the means to compete for championships’.
Tucker in one release, he is “honored to be the head coach in a building named after Tom Izzo.”
“Facilities demonstrate a commitment to excellence,” said Tucker. “Mat’s gift will have a profound impact on our program and is a statement that Michigan State is relentlessly committed to excellence, both on and off the field, in our pursuit of championships.”
Ishibia has also put $ 2 million on the card to create a Spartans For Life fund, which will focus on helping athletes find employment after graduation and “aid in lifelong career opportunities” through leadership and development programs.
An additional $ 2 million will go to MSU’s Men’s Basketball Excellence Fund to be used, at the discretion of the head coach, to support the program, “in honor of the coach / player, mentor / mentee relationship” between Izzo and Ishbia.
The remainder of the donation will create an MSU Athletics Excellence Fund to provide “flexible, unlimited resources that can meet needs and take advantage of new opportunities as they arise.”
“MSU Athletics is extremely grateful for Mat’s transformative gift, which exemplifies bringing our mission to life,” said MSU Athletic Director Bill Beekman in a statement. “Mat’s gift will forever strengthen our department’s ability to ‘provide opportunities for our student athletes to succeed academically, athletically and in their lives.’
United Wholesale Mortgage is the # 4 mortgage company in the country by mortgage volume. It only follows Detroit-based Quicken Loans, which was made public as Rocket Companies last August alongside several other companies owned by Dan Gilbert, another MSU alum who donated $ 15 million to an extension of the Breslin Center in 2016.
Lake: The CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage says they can grow in a shrinking market by beating Rocket Mortgage
Ishbia grew his business from a 12-member family business when he joined a company of more than 8,000 in 2003, including some former MSU teammates and other athletes.
“I am very excited about the Spartan for Life Fund for current and future alumni,” said Ishbia. “This will create so many opportunities for the MSU family to connect with companies looking for people with drive, a strong work ethic and passion.”
Please contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Learn more about the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.