Temple athletics receives the largest gift in its history
The donation will act as an endowment for the Owls' athletic director position, just the ninth of its kind in Division I athletics. Temple also announced its spring football practice schedule.
Tuesday was a busy morning for Temple athletics, which announced the largest donation in the history of the department.
The gift, which is believed to have been a multimillion-dollar offering, will lead to the endowment of the athletic director position, according to the university. Donated by Temple graduates Debbie and Stanley Lefkowitz, the gift creates the second nonfaculty position at the school backed by an endowment and makes Temple the 15th FBS program to endow its athletic director position, according to a university release.
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“There is no overstating the significance of this gift, and we are incredibly thankful to the Lefkowitzes for their continued faith in both Temple and our athletics program,” said Temple athletic director Arthur Johnson, who becomes the first to oversee the endowment. “An endowed athletic director position is very rare within the NCAA, and Temple can now count itself among the schools that carry that unique distinction. This speaks volumes with regard to the transformative nature of this gift.”
The Lefkowitzes have been fervent supporters of Temple for more than a decade. As members of the school’s leadership council and on the board of its College of Science and Technology, the Lefkowitzes established a pair of endowments within the department, an undergraduate research award, and a fellowship program for graduate students.
“From their unwavering support for students and academic research to their invaluable contributions to athletics and medicine, the Lefkowitzes’ impact will be felt across the Temple community for generations to come,” said Temple president Richard Englert. “Our student-athletes work incredibly hard both in the classroom and in their respective sports, and this unprecedented gift to Temple athletics will further set them on the path to success.”
How this will factor into Temple attracting student-athletes in the age of name, image, and likeness deals remains to be seen, but the university release noted that “gifts like this play a key role in ensuring that Temple and its student-athletes stay on the path to success.”
Temple added that the endowment stands to enhance the athletes’ experience by “providing resources that, at the discretion of the … [athletic director], support the success of Temple’s student-athletes.”
Owls reveal spring football slate
The Owls will kick off their spring schedule on March 12, gearing up for the annual Cherry and White game at Edberg-Olson Hall on April 13.
Temple announced it will hold its annual pro day on March 25 at the school’s STAR Complex. The Owls are looking to rebound from a 3-9 campaign along with several player departures, including quarterback E.J. Warner, who transferred in-conference to Rice during the offseason.
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The Owls will open the season against Oklahoma on Aug. 31 before beginning their home campaign against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 14.