Two recent large donations for sports infrastructure improvements at the University of New Hampshire help UNH “compete for championships, and broaden UNH athletics’ profile nationally,” according to Allison Rich, UNH director of athletics.
One donation comes from Anthony DiLorenzo, owner of the Key Auto Group. He gifted $4 million towards the renovation of the Whittemore Center, home to the men’s and women’s hockey programs, as well as the Hamel Recreation Center.
The other donation comes from Greg and Corinna Tucker, who made a $2 million gift to install lights at Tucker Field, their named future home of the men’s and women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse programs.
“The student-athlete experience is at the forefront of all we do as we strive to develop Wildcats for life,” said Rich. “Alumni and donor support and engagement are vital to helping us make the facility and infrastructure upgrades required to retain our outstanding student-athletes, compete for championships, and broaden UNH athletics’ profile nationally.”
UNH and The Whitt — as the Whittemore Center is called — hosted the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four hockey tournament in late March to very positive reviews on social media. With 4,378 as the official attendance for the final match-up between Ohio State and Wisconsin on March 24 (Ohio State won), it was the third highest-attended Women’s Ice Hockey National Championship in history and the most since 2006.
The Whitt and Hamel rec center will be jointly known as the Key Auto Group Complex.
DiLorenzo’s $4 million gift supplements $6 million in state funding included in the fiscal 2024–2025 state budget. The UNH Hockey Renovation Project has a goal of $16 million for improvements that include an upgraded arena that will feature larger, more functional and accessible multiuse locker rooms for both men’s and women’s hockey, an expanded strength and conditioning space, and new offices for coaches and administrative staff. The upgrade will also benefit other UNH teams using the facility including UNH Field Hockey and Paralympic athletes that compete in sled hockey on UNH’s Northeast Passage team.
The planned work is in addition to past work of nearly $14 million already invested by UNH over the last few years to update the ice surface, audio/visual technology, part of the HVAC systems and make other facilities improvements.
“UNH has one of the best hockey programs in the country,” said Gov. Chris Sununu on news of the DiLorenzo gift in August 2023. “Investments in this facility — by UNH, the state and generous private supporters like Anthony — will be critical to ensuring the university’s Division 1 teams are equipped with Division 1 facilities. This project is central to continue building the brand of the university, recruiting students and quality athletes and keeping the team a point of pride for us all for years to come.”
The men’s hockey team had one of its better seasons in 2023-24, having reached a season best national ranking of 15. It finished the season ranked 19. UNH had a 20-15-1 record this season, its best record in 11 years.
Head coach Mike Souza’s contract has been extended another three years. His contract terms weren’t announced, but, according to govsalaries.com, Souza in 2023 had an annual salary of $240,000. It was 197% higher than the average and 230% higher than the median salary in University of New Hampshire. By comparison, outgoing UNH President James Dean had an annual salary of $504,026, according to public records.
The soccer/lacrosse facility is named for the Tuckers for their past and current support of the project.
Greg Tucker is founder, vice-chairman and CEO of ProAmpac, a leading global flexible packaging company, and serves on the UNH Director of Athletics Advisory Board (DAAB) and Northeast Passage Futures Board. Corinna Tucker is a UNH professor emerita and an active member of the DAAB.
The Tuckers have established, and are involved in, multiple foundations and nonprofit organizations, including the Eleanor and Clarence Prevo Foundation, the Tucker Foundation and the ProAmpac Employee Assistance Fund.
UNH broke ground on the privately funded soccer/lacrosse facility in August 2018 on the strength of grants from the Eleanor and Clarence Prevo Fund, as well as individual donations from UNH alum.
The new facility will be built adjacent to Wildcat Stadium on the site of Lewis Field, and will be used by UNH athletic teams and the Oyster River Youth Association.
“Athletics is an invaluable tool for bringing people together and providing a positive outlet for so many students and young athletes. Sports help build community and elevate an institution, and we are so proud to play a role in enriching that process at UNH,” Greg Tucker said on the occasion of the donation for the lights.
In the last eight years, the UNH men’s soccer team has won four regular-season conference titles, four conference tournament titles, and has made NCAA tournament appearances.
As with public universities everywhere, the University of New Hampshire has sought to find a balance between the rising cost of athletics and the rising costs elsewhere on campus. UNH at Durham is part of the University System of New Hampshire that includes Plymouth State University, Keene State College and Granite State College.
Athletic programs more often than not get the lion’s share of alumni donations, according to several studies.
“Advocates of college athletics are quick to point out the nonfinancial benefits of college sports programs,” noted a 2012 American Institutes Research study entitled “Academic Spending vs. Athletic Spending: Who Wins?”
“Success in college athletics often improves name recognition and institutional prominence, and many believe that enrollments and donations increase as a result.”
Both Gov. Sununu and UNH Athletic Director Rich cited enhanced name recognition in their statements about recent private donations.
This while its operating budget is shrinking.
According to NH.gov, UNH’s total operating expenses for 2020 were $850.5 million. In 2021–2022, the UNH board approved a budget of $603.5 million. The operating budget for 2023 was $539.9 million.
In January 2024, UNH President James Dean Jr., who is retiring, announced what he called a budget “reset” with the layoff of 75 employees starting in March to reduce yearly expenses by $14 million. Dean said that employee compensation and benefits are the university’s biggest expense category.
Among those affected are the journalism program within the English Department. The school’s journalism major program is being eliminated, replaced by an interdisciplinary program within the department.
The number of incoming freshmen at UNH has declined over the last several years. In 2018, there were 3,127 first-year student enrollments. In 2023, there were 2,679.
The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) Board of Trustees voted once again to freeze tuition for in-state students at all system colleges for the 2024-2025 academic year, marking the sixth consecutive year without an increase. UNH’s in-state tuition is $15,520 per year.
Out-of-state tuition has increased from $30,520 in 2018 to $35,290.
UNH’s most recent publicly posted report on donations, the “2019-2020 Impact Report,” records $22 million in total donations. The top five areas of support were scholarships, athletics, Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and the College of Liberal Arts.
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