Maryland Athletics Gift Funds Golf Center and Sports Management Growth

PowerPage editorial concept of an unoccupied collegiate golf performance facility. It does not depict the exact planned Maryland building or an event.

A new Maryland Athletics gift is set to put $15 million toward both sports infrastructure and sports-business education in College Park. University alumnus and former Chicago Bulls executive Stephen M. Schanwald has committed the money, with the largest share planned for a new golf performance center on campus.

Part of the commitment will also expand the Stephen M. Schanwald Sports Management Program at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The golf center and a wing of Van Munching Hall are expected to carry Schanwald’s name, linking the athletic project to the academic program that prepares students for work across the sports industry.

The latest commitment follows Schanwald’s $18 million gift announced in 2024. That earlier package directed $10 million to Maryland Athletics and $8 million to establish and endow the sports management program, fund scholarships and increase hands-on learning opportunities.

For Maryland golf, a dedicated performance center can affect more than appearances. Indoor and outdoor training space, player development technology and year-round practice access are increasingly important in recruiting and competition. The university has not yet released a public construction timeline or detailed design package for the new facility.

The academic side may be just as consequential. Maryland’s sports management program brings together business, kinesiology, journalism and athletics, and its stated emphasis includes industry visits, networking and experiential work. Additional funding can widen that bridge between classroom instruction and the jobs that run teams, venues, media and partnerships. It can also strengthen the state’s pipeline into a growing professional field.

Follow more local news from Power 104.7. The new commitment was reported by Testudo Times; prior-gift context comes from University of Maryland Athletics.