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Updated: December 18, 2024 @ 12:00 am
CBS19’s Mark Gad speaks exclusively with the anonymous donor behind the recent massive gift to UVA football.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) — An anonymous donor who contributed a multimillion dollar gift to the University of Virginia football program believes that a successful team has the power to transform both the university and the Charlottesville community.
According to the donor, the visibility of UVA’s football team is integral to the identity of the university and the local community.
“A place like Charlottesville can’t be separated from the university itself, obviously, and the fact is that the most visible brand of that university is the football team,” the donor said.
The generous donation has enabled UVA to make significant moves in the transfer portal, bringing in new talent and working to retain star players for the team. The donor believes that success on the football field will also foster economic growth in Charlottesville.
“You’re telling me Scott Stadium is overflowing six weeks a year, has a home playoff game, has constantly meaningful, important games, that that won’t help the hospitality industry in Charlottesville? That won’t help food and beverage in Charlottesville? That won’t require new jobs in Charlottesville?” the donor asked.
Local businesses like Littlejohn’s, a popular establishment on The Corner since 1976, have already felt the impact of football success.
“Back in the early ’90s, when everything was popping with, you know, just Al Groh and the team, it was like this place would be popping on a Saturday,” said Dain North, one of the owners, recalling the peak years of UVA football in the past.
Down the street, Mincer’s, a family-owned staple that began as a pipe shop in the late 1940s, also saw a shift as football success increased merchandise sales.
“By the time we were good at football in the ’90s, there’s kind of full-blown shirts and merchandise and no more pipes,” said Cal Mincer, the store’s president. “If we were the No. 1 team in the nation, like we were for a second in the ’90s, we’d probably need to hire some people. We’d probably need some extra help around here.”
The anonymous donor’s primary goal is to make UVA football a contender in the coming years, with aspirations for the team to once again be a national powerhouse.
“People say, well, you know, what does the football team really do? Try it once and see what it does. Try a championship in Charlottesville in football and see what it does,” the donor said.
While the economic benefits are significant, the donor emphasized that the most important aspect of a successful UVA football program is the intangible unity it creates.
“The guy who lives in Charlottesville outside Charlottesville and is working the grounds is not a UVA alum, but is a part of the school when UVA football wins. He throws on that Virginia sweatshirt. And he feels pride, and he feels connected to the kids on that University,” the donor explained.
Lo Davis, the executive director of Cav Futures, shares a similar vision, noting the unifying power of a successful UVA football team.
“I was able to experience firsthand what it was like to have a team that was No. 1 in the country. UVA football is about bringing people together, and that is something that I think our community has to get reintroduced to,” Davis said.
The anonymous donor is confident that despite challenges, including player transfers and recent tragedies, UVA football has what it takes to rise again to the top through trials, tribulations, transfers and tragedies.
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