The Harold Alfond Foundation gave the University of Maine’s sports department an $80 million gift, the university announced Tuesday afternoon.
That brings the foundation’s total gift to $170 million, following a $90 million gift to upgrade UMaine’s sports facilities in 2020.
“In the tradition of our founder (the late Harold Alfond), the Foundation is doubling down on the Black Bears with this additional grant,” said Greg Powell, the executive chairman of the Harold Alfond Foundation. “We are hugely excited to see this progress so far and confident our additional funding will finish the job. Our state’s only Division I program and its terrific student-athletes, coaches and fans deserve nothing less.”
“The relationship between the Harold Alfond Foundation and the University of Maine is truly one of a kind,” University of Maine athletic director Jude Killy said. “The Harold Alfond Foundation investment positions UMaine to fulfill our goal of being a top-5 athletic program in greater New England. Thanks to the Foundation, this is all possible.”
The university has already added top-notch softball and field hockey facilities with the first gift in addition to upgrades to Alfond Arena, Morse Field and Mahaney Diamond.
The additional $80 million from the Harold Alfond Foundation and additional funds raised through gifts and pledges will be important for upcoming projects like the 13,000-square-foot addition to the Shawn Walsh Center, which will include renovated strength and conditioning facilities, new film room, recovery rooms, team offices, expanded locker rooms and team lounges along with a 4,900-square-foot expansion to the arena itself.
The funding will also assist in the construction of the Morse Arena, the future home of the UMaine men’s and women’s basketball programs.
The two teams currently play in the long-outdated Memorial Gym, although the men do play two games at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor this season.
In addition, there will be improvements to Mahaney Diamond and the Mahaney Clubhouse, the repositioning of the installment of new visiting sideline bleachers at Alfond Stadium along with upgraded football operation areas and the replacement of the Mahaney Dome with a connector to Memorial Gymnasium.
The recently announced New Balance Track and Field and Soccer complex and a supplementary multi-purpose turf area will be within the construction timeline.
