The University of Central Florida received the largest donation gift ever from an alumnus.

Ken Dixon, a real estate developer from Kissimmee, pledged a $5,000,100 donation be received by UCF over the next ten years, Knight News learned, where the gift will be discussed during a Board of Trustees meeting on Friday.

“They’re going to spend the money as they (see) fit. I don’t like to direct it,” said Dixon, a 1975 graduate in accounting, to the Orlando Sentinel.

“This is money I’m giving to the athletic department to do the things they need to do to hopefully make it a Top 25 program one of these days.”

According to a Board of Trustees agenda, the gift will “help fund certain priorities of University of Central Florida, including building themed walkways connecting the training and competition facilities in the athletics village, constructing four recognition monument signs, and providing working capital to help fund other existing athletics priorities, as determined by the Vice President and Director of Athletics.”

The We Rise and Conquer Initiative by UCF Athletics will benefit from this donation – the gift amounts to 20% of its set goal.

The goals of the UCF Athletics under the campaign:

  • Become a perennial Top 25 college athletics program
  • Empower our student-athletes to earn a degree and attain exceptional personal and professional lives
  • Support UCF in achieving its goals through impactful, positive exposure
  • Energize all of Knight Nation, including alumni, students and the entire Orlando community
  • An introduction of new premium seating options for the 2017 Knights Football season.

New facilities across all sports fall under the umbrella for the money raised.

“World-class facilities have never been more important to attract recruits and win championships. We are seeking more than $25 million in charitable gift commitments from alumni and friends to construct and renovate facilities where our student-athletes live, study, train and compete,” the campaign says.

This isn’t the first time Dixon has made a large donation to the university. The UCF school of accounting holds Dixon’s name after a 2004 donation amounting to $2.5 million to academics was made. The donation was eligible for state matching funds at the time, reaching a ceiling of $5 million.

With the most recent donation, UCF will provide Dixon with naming rights to an “athletics village,” pending trustee approval.

The mentioned village will span 95 acres over CFE Arena, Bright House Networks Stadium, and other nearby facilities.

“The Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village is defined as the current 95 acres or any successor site on which intercollegiate home game athletics are played, including the current CFE Arena, Bright House Networks Football Stadium, John Euliano Park for baseball (pending Board of Trustees approval), Nicholson Field House, Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership, softball, soccer, and track facilities, and associated practice fields and plazas,” a memo for the Board of Trustees’ upcoming Friday meeting said.

Photo courtesy of Chris Cummings