Nov. 22, 2004
ORLANDO - Tony and Sonja Nicholson, longtime supporters of academics and athletics at UCF, will donate $2 million for the construction of a field house to be named in their honor.
The indoor practice facility will feature a regulation-sized FieldTurf field that will be used primarily by the UCF football team and also by other Golden Knights squads. One of many projects the university and the UCF Athletics Association are undertaking to improve sports facilities on campus, the field house will allow teams to practice during inclement weather.
Centex Rooney Construction Co. Inc. began building the $4.3 million field house in August, and the facility should be ready to open in the spring.
UCF will honor the Nicholsons at halftime of the Kent State football game at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23, at the Florida Citrus Bowl. The UCF Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote Nov. 30 to name the facility the Anthony and Sonja Nicholson Field House, pending the Florida Legislature's approval.
"The entire UCF community, especially our student-athletes and communication students, continues to benefit from the generous support of Tony and Sonja Nicholson," UCF President John Hitt said. "The field house will allow our athletes to practice in all types of weather and should give our teams a competitive advantage."
Tony Nicholson owns several companies in Central Florida and has developed about 3,000 homes and 10,000 lots in the region since 1995. He is an owner of the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators. An entrepreneur since 1962, he moved in 1967 to Central Florida, where he has founded a magazine, a radio station and a company that produced concerts and videos.
Tony Nicholson is a member of the boards of directors of the UCF Athletics Association Inc. and the UCF Foundation Inc. Sonja Nicholson is a past member of the Golden Knights Club Board of Directors.
"Every business enterprise has a moral obligation to contribute a part of its gains to the betterment of the community it serves," Tony Nicholson said. "The University of Central Florida is one of the Central Florida community's most significant institutions, and the service UCF renders to this community affects every single family that lives here. We are delighted to be able to contribute to UCF in a meaningful way. It is a way to thank our own customers, and we look forward to more contributions in the future."
The Nicholsons made a $2 million commitment in 1996 to help fund the Nicholson School of Communication, which is named in their honor. The couple are longtime annual contributors to UCF athletics and consistently rank as Diamond Knights, the highest level for annual giving.
A donation from the couple helped to pay the university's entry fee into the Mid-American Conference for football in 2002. The Nicholsons also made a $100,000 commitment in 1999 toward the Wayne Densch Sports Center. A football practice field is named in their honor.
"Our goal is to have one of the best collegiate athletics programs in the country," said Athletic Director Steve Orsini. "We have excellent leadership at this university, we have hired excellent coaches and we are joining a nationally competitive conference for all of our sports. The Nicholsons' gift will help us achieve our goal of developing top-notch athletics facilities for our players."
In addition to the Nicholsons' gift, UCF is using a $1 million commitment made last year by former football player Harry deAntonio to help pay for the field house. The remainder of the cost also will be paid with private funds.