There was a time when having a football team at the University of West Florida seemed like a far-off dream, much less having a football stadium on campus. Now UWF not only has a championship winning football team, but there are plans to break ground on a new football stadium.
UWF President Dr. Martha Saunders made the announcement during a gala at the university’s field house Thursday night. Pensacola native and former UWF accounting student Darrell Gooden and his wife Debbie gifted more than $9 million to the university for the new Darrell Gooden football stadium.
It’s the largest gift from a living donor in the university’s history. The multi-use stadium will have about 7,500 seats and will be built in the same area where the football field is now.
Gooden said he remembers talk of a football team and stadium on campus when he was a student in the 1970s and he’s proud to help make the dream a reality.
“It is a big deal especially to have a stadium on campus,” Gooden said. “Back when (former UWF President) Dr. (Judy) Bense decided to start the football program, I was involved with that from the very beginning, and I was one of the original football founders. One thing led to another, and we decided to put this together. I just think it’s going to make the campus a better educational experience for the kids that go here to actually have the stadium on campus.”
UWF expects to break ground on the project in the fall of 2026. Gooden said according to the plans, it will probably take about two years to build and it could be finished by the end of 2028. Saunders said she sees it as a gathering place for students and the community for a variety of events, not just football.
During the gala, Saunders also announced the public phase of the “Here for Good capital campaign,” which aims to fundraise $90 million for the university. UWF has already raised $65 million for the capital campaign, which is the largest in the university’s history.
The money will be used to expand the university’s footprint in the area and provide student scholarships for undergraduates, create new high-impact programs, and expand current ones, among other goals.
According to UWF, the key focus areas of the capital campaign include people, programs, place and community:
Saunders said the effort is also a way to demonstrate UWF’s commitment to the community, that the university is a “force for good and here for good.”
For more information on the campaign, visit uwf.edu/hereforgood.
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