UNLV receives $3M in donations for new football training facility

The gifts keep coming for UNLV’s new football facility.

Three major gift pledges worth a combined $3 million were added toward the construction of the Fertitta Football Complex, the university announced Thursday.

One of the gifts includes the Michael Gaughan Training Table after the longtime local hotel owner contributed $1.5 million. George Maloof Jr., a UNLV alumnus and former Sacramento Kings co-owner, gave $500,000 for a naming opportunity to be announced.

Also, a gift from the family trust of the late Geraldine K. Howard totaled $1 million and will lead to a naming opportunity in honor of her late son, Dennis Lee Howard.

“We’ve always said that this would take a community coming together, and I want to thank all of the local families who have joined the Fertittas in helping make this program-changing facility happen,” UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said in a statement. “We are working hard to finish raising funds for this project and look forward to making more announcements so we can get shovels in the ground.”

The future home of the Rebels is worth approximately $26 million, $17 million coming from donations, and is expected to break ground this spring. In September, the Fertitta family donated $10 million toward the state-of-the-art facility, the largest gift in the history of the university.

The two-level complex will be built on campus in the north end of the team’s practice area. The Fertitta Football Complex will include an academic center, locker rooms, offices, meeting rooms, strength and conditioning center, media room, training table and nutrition bar, athletic training center and players’ lounge.

“When I first took this job two years ago, I talked about the importance of people across the valley stepping up to help us, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way that has materialized,” UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. “We still have a ways to go to finish this thing out, but the vision and belief by those joining us on this journey has been tremendous to see.”

Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow @gmanzano24 on Twitter.