Bob McNair Makes Gift to Gamecock Football Operations Center

Jan. 24, 2017

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University of South Carolina alumnus Bob McNair and his wife, Janice, have once again made a tremendous impact on his alma mater with a $5 million commitment to the construction of the Football Operations Center.

The Football Operations Center is the most aggressive capital project in recent years for USC Athletics. With the generous gift from the McNairs, more than $16 million of the $30 million goal has been raised for the facility. Fundraising efforts continue for the Football Operations Center, as well as several other projects included in the Expanding Our Vision capital initiative.

“Janice and I have been privileged to support great initiatives in higher education and athletics,” said Bob McNair. We are again honored to join with other Gamecock supporters in supporting the new football operations center at the University of South Carolina. We hope all fellow Gamecocks will join us in taking part in this extraordinary project.”

“We are very appreciative of Janice and Bob McNair for their substantial gift towards the new football operations center,” said Gamecock Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “Their many contributions to the University of South Carolina make our institution one of the best in the nation.”

The 110,000-square-foot Football Operations Center will provide the Gamecocks’ program with a recruiting center, locker room, weight room, athletic training room, coaches’ offices, meeting rooms, dining room, equipment room and player areas — all in one convenient location. It will be adjacent to the new Jerri and Steve Spurrier Indoor Practice Facility and outdoor practice fields.

With hefty demands on the student-athletes’ time for athletics as well as academics, the Football Operations Center centralizes all football activities to maximize preparations and allows for a more efficient way for student-athletes and coaches to conduct their daily responsibilities.

“The football operations center is a state-of-the-art facility that will benefit our football program and student-athletes for years to come, “added Tanner.

Earlier this year, the McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise was announced at the University of South Carolina with an $8 million gift. In 1998, the family funded the McNair Scholars Program, which has attracted more than 350 of the nation’s best out-of-state high school graduates to South Carolina.

McNair earned a psychology degree from USC in 1958. Following his days at South Carolina, he founded Cogen Technologies, one of the largest privately held energy companies in the world. He sold Cogen before founding the National Football League’s Houston Texans in 1999, and he maintains ownership of a private investment company. The team has won three divisional championships and will host Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston on Feb. 5, 2017.

To learn more about the Football Operations Center and the Expanding Our Vision capital initiative, visit expandingourvision.com.