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Topic:  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?

Topic:  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
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Carnac
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/24/2025 9:38:14 AM 
Just wondering if the mystery donor has any influence on who might be our next coach.
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/24/2025 12:11:11 PM 
Carnac wrote:
Just wondering if the mystery donor has any influence on who might be our next coach.


This thought has occurred to me as well. In fact, I’ve wondered if he or she might have had some influence on the way the university has handled this whole scandal. No inside information on that aspect of the situation, I’m just engaging in idle speculation.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

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cbarber357
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/24/2025 12:16:51 PM 
At this point “the BIG announcement” seems about as real as the Loch Ness monster.
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BillyTheCat
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/24/2025 2:28:43 PM 
cbarber357 wrote:
At this point “the BIG announcement” seems about as real as the Loch Ness monster.


Don’t ever question SBH and his inside source. It’s coming!
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SBH
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/24/2025 9:01:27 PM 
A football alum gave a large gift to help fund Peden enhancements and NIL. He apparently doesn't want any publicity.
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/24/2025 11:41:36 PM 
SBH wrote:
A football alum gave a large gift to help fund Peden enhancements and NIL. He apparently doesn't want any publicity.


Any idea how large? To use a current cliche phrase that university fundraisers love, was it enough to be "transformative"?

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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colobobcat66
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/25/2025 9:16:51 AM 
SBH wrote:
A football alum gave a large gift to help fund Peden enhancements and NIL. He apparently doesn't want any publicity.


Okay, he doesn’t have to get any, but why wouldn’t the university announce the anonymous gift and what it’s going to do? That part absolutely makes no sense.
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cbarber357
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/25/2025 9:17:22 AM 
OhioCatFan wrote:
SBH wrote:
A football alum gave a large gift to help fund Peden enhancements and NIL. He apparently doesn't want any publicity.


Any idea how large? To use a current cliche phrase that university fundraisers love, was it enough to be "transformative"?


If it’s a football alum that made their money playing football, this has to be an exceedingly small list of possible players.

- Zastudil
- Basham
- Carrie
- Nathan Rourke
- Mitchell
- Ouellette

Missing anyone?
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/25/2025 1:37:39 PM 
cbarber357 wrote:
OhioCatFan wrote:
SBH wrote:
A football alum gave a large gift to help fund Peden enhancements and NIL. He apparently doesn't want any publicity.


Any idea how large? To use a current cliche phrase that university fundraisers love, was it enough to be "transformative"?


If it’s a football alum that made their money playing football, this has to be an exceedingly small list of possible players.

- Zastudil
- Basham
- Carrie
- Nathan Rourke
- Mitchell
- Ouellette

Missing anyone?


Of that group I'd go with Carrie. He has been involved in the Athens community in several ways since his graduation. He's a very loyal alumnus. Though he could make a significant donation, probably not a transformative one, unless he's invested very wisely, which is, of course, possible.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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SBH
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/25/2025 1:46:11 PM 
You're all cold
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/25/2025 2:07:24 PM 
Tom Widdoes? Getting warmer?

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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SBH
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/25/2025 3:15:32 PM 
Negative.
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colobobcat66
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/25/2025 3:16:49 PM 
SBH wrote:
You're all cold


Just wondering what you consider large? 10 million, 20 million, 200 million
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/25/2025 5:27:45 PM 
colobobcat66 wrote:
SBH wrote:
You're all cold


Just wondering what you consider large? 10 million, 20 million, 200 million


That's what I was getting at with my question about whether or not it was a transformative gift. It appears it's an older football alumnus, but younger than Tom Widdoes, who graduated circa 1963. SBH is keeping us guessing. It's an interesting parlor game. Sort like a game of 20 questions.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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bobcatsquared
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/25/2025 8:40:57 PM 
SBH wrote:
You're all cold


Were the two of you on campus at the same time?
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Alan Swank
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/26/2025 10:53:27 AM 
One of these three perhaps - a fellow in Fairfield County, one in Franklin County or one in Texas.
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Carnac
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/26/2025 11:37:46 AM 
My guess is it’s someone with a record of service to the University. Col. Frank Underwood (Blair’s dad) has served on the OHIO Foundation Board and is a Medal of Merit recipient.
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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/28/2025 12:12:23 AM 

SBH wrote:
A football alum gave a large gift to help fund Peden enhancements and NIL. He apparently doesn't want any publicity. 

You are putting this in the past tense. This implies that the donation has been made. Assuming that this is the case, if the university doesn't make an announcement fairly soon, I may issue an FOIA request.  They may try to redact the donor's name, but they can't keep the amount secret as per State ex rel. Toledo Blade Co. v. University of Toledo Foundation (1992). This decision by the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the University of Toledo Foundation qualifies as a "public office" under Ohio law.  This classification is based on its role as a major fundraising entity for the University of Toledo, which receives public funding.  They may actually have trouble redacting the name of the donor, as the court further ruled that the names of donors to the Foundation are considered "public records."  Best, they release the amount of the donaton and its purpose now, to stop snoopy people like me getting the name of the donor.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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BillyTheCat
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/28/2025 1:50:30 PM 
OhioCatFan wrote:
SBH wrote:
A football alum gave a large gift to help fund Peden enhancements and NIL. He apparently doesn't want any publicity.

You are putting this in the past tense. This implies that the donation has been made. Assuming that this is the case, if the university doesn't make an announcement fairly soon, I may issue an FOIA request. They may try to redact the donor's name, but they can't keep the amount secret as per State ex rel. Toledo Blade Co. v. University of Toledo Foundation (1992). This decision by the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the University of Toledo Foundation qualifies as a "public office" under Ohio law. This classification is based on its role as a major fundraising entity for the University of Toledo, which receives public funding. They may actually have trouble redacting the name of the donor, as the court further ruled that the names of donors to the Foundation are considered "public records." Best, they release the amount of the donaton and its purpose now, to stop snoopy people like me getting the name of the donor.


Go get’em Bernstein! Uncover the truth!
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Athens
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/28/2025 2:48:32 PM 
colobobcat66 wrote:
SBH wrote:
You're all cold


Just wondering what you consider large? 10 million, 20 million, 200 million


20 billion. Anything without a "B" doesn't move mountains.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740

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OhioCatFan
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 12/28/2025 3:27:17 PM 
TWT wrote:
colobobcat66 wrote:
SBH wrote:
You're all cold


Just wondering what you consider large? 10 million, 20 million, 200 million


20 billion. Anything without a "B" doesn't move mountains.


Oh, I don't know, I think a lot of folks on here would be happy with a mere $550 million, matching the recent record-smashing gift WMU received, with a paltry $50 million going to athletics.

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

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FlyerCat1517
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 4/7/2026 10:27:44 AM 
Long time follower, first time poster. I finally have some information on this gift.

Here are the details! Based on the board rules I'm not sure I can say the name but an Ohio QB in the early 1980's made the gift.

The rumors on this started nearly a year ago. But the agreement on the gift was made by former AD Julie Cromer and the donor. She got this gift secured before she departed for LSU and began conversations with others to begin the process of rolling this into a larger donation.

The gift is in the range of $2 million to the football program for various uses.

The athletic department has been holding off on announcing this because they are trying to wait to announce this until they can get more commitments to make a larger announcement. They were initially aiming for $20 million, but given how long this has been going on, my source says it's doubtful they get anywhere close to that. Nonetheless, they are using this gift as the foundation for the Stand Up For Ohio Football campaign, which some of you may have started to hear about from the OBC.

This was months of little conversations with my friend in the department who doesn't work directly in development, but adjacent to it.
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M.D.W.S.T
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 4/7/2026 2:59:06 PM 
FlyerCat1517 wrote:
Long time follower, first time poster. I finally have some information on this gift.

Here are the details! Based on the board rules I'm not sure I can say the name but an Ohio QB in the early 1980's made the gift.

The rumors on this started nearly a year ago. But the agreement on the gift was made by former AD Julie Cromer and the donor. She got this gift secured before she departed for LSU and began conversations with others to begin the process of rolling this into a larger donation.

The gift is in the range of $2 million to the football program for various uses.

The athletic department has been holding off on announcing this because they are trying to wait to announce this until they can get more commitments to make a larger announcement. They were initially aiming for $20 million, but given how long this has been going on, my source says it's doubtful they get anywhere close to that. Nonetheless, they are using this gift as the foundation for the Stand Up For Ohio Football campaign, which some of you may have started to hear about from the OBC.

This was months of little conversations with my friend in the department who doesn't work directly in development, but adjacent to it.


If he doesn't want the notoriety, then I won't out him here, but you can pretty quickly get to a name. One of the OU Foundation's trustees. Played QB in the early 80's. Fairly high on some All-Time lists. Works in private equity.

If they announce, I hope he attaches his name. I'd like to thank him. Deserves some kudos from bobcat nation.

*edit* feel free to delete if I'm out of line

Last Edited: 4/7/2026 3:08:58 PM by M.D.W.S.T
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cbarber357
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 4/7/2026 3:13:22 PM 
FlyerCat1517 wrote:
Long time follower, first time poster. I finally have some information on this gift.

Here are the details! Based on the board rules I'm not sure I can say the name but an Ohio QB in the early 1980's made the gift.

The rumors on this started nearly a year ago. But the agreement on the gift was made by former AD Julie Cromer and the donor. She got this gift secured before she departed for LSU and began conversations with others to begin the process of rolling this into a larger donation.

The gift is in the range of $2 million to the football program for various uses.

The athletic department has been holding off on announcing this because they are trying to wait to announce this until they can get more commitments to make a larger announcement. They were initially aiming for $20 million, but given how long this has been going on, my source says it's doubtful they get anywhere close to that. Nonetheless, they are using this gift as the foundation for the Stand Up For Ohio Football campaign, which some of you may have started to hear about from the OBC.

This was months of little conversations with my friend in the department who doesn't work directly in development, but adjacent to it.


So if the $20 million number isn’t attainable, is there still a higher level they are trying to reach before announcing?

Definitely not an insignificant amount of money. Would love to hear how it is going to be used - stadium, NIL, facilities, etc.
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Athens
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  Message Not Read  RE: The BIG annoucement -- when, what, where?
   Posted: 4/8/2026 9:47:03 PM 
Quote:

Our Three Priorities

1. Facilities Renovations, Upgrades & Enhancements
This priority focuses on modernizing Peden Stadium to strengthen revenue generation and elevate the game‑day experience while preserving the venue’s historic legacy and honoring the rich tradition of Ohio Football.

2. Player Recruitment & Development
This priority aims to attract and retain top student‑athletes by investing in NIL and revenue‑sharing opportunities, expanding recruiting resources, and supporting coaches through endowed positions to sustain championship‑level competitiveness.

3. Player Health, Wellness & Support
This priority centers on holistic student‑athlete growth by enhancing nutrition, leadership, and mentorship programs, while creating recognition systems that motivate excellence and prepare players for success beyond their time at Ohio.

https://www.givecampus.com/schools/OhioUniversity/events/...


Found this on the web about the campaign priorities for Stand Up for Ohio Football. If 20 million is the long end goal for everything the AD wants to do I don't think we can expect any thing ornate like a press tower on the student side with luxury boxes. It could be enough to re-do the endzone with victory hill to add seats and concessions. Bump out the back of the student side with new bathrooms and concessons. Some the recent improvments like the Goal Line Patio and increased Championship Club seating I bet are counted toward the modernization effort.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Fiami @ Peden with 25,086 fans
2023 10-7 near shutout of Iowa State @ Solich Field
2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740

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