Grizzly athletics receives $1 million donation

A Missoula-area foundation made a historical contribution to the UM Athletic Department late last week, and in return will have its name etched into Washington-Grizzly Stadium for years to come.

In an announcement that came Friday, the Feist Family Foundation agreed to donate $1 million to the University of Montana Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, which will be contributed over a ten-year period. UM will honor the gift by naming the current Eastside Expansion Project at Washington-Grizzly Stadium the Majestic Plaza. The Feist family owns Sheehan Majestic, a wholesale food chain in the Northwest region.

“It’s a great investment in Grizzly Athletics,” athletic director Jim O’Day said Monday, adding that the latest donation adds to a long line of financial support for UM sports. “There’s really a commitment to the athletic department. We’ve been very fortunate.”

The foundation’s gift is one of the largest ever donated to UM athletics, and is the second $1 million donation in the past seven years. In 2001, an anonymous donor gave $1 million to install artificial turf at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in honor of Great Falls attorney John Hoyt, who died earlier that year. In the mid-1980s, Dennis and Phyllis Washington donated $1 million toward the construction of Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

A statement released by the foundation regarding the donation emphasized helping in the advancement of student athlete welfare.

“This is a unique opportunity to assist UM Athletics as it moves forward. The department’s mission is to work closely with these young men and women and enhance their academic and athletic skills. These funds will directly benefit student-athlete welfare needs that are deemed to be most critical by the athletics administration. We believe it’s a good investment in a great product,” the statement said.

With completion of the stadium’s expansion project slated for August, Washington-Grizzly Stadium’s capacity will rise to 25,000. The Majestic Plaza will consist of a 1,500-person reserved seating section, along with 500 club-level seats. Half of the club seat members will have access to an indoor club called the Canyon Room, which will be located at the top of the boxes. The remaining 250 club seat members will have access to another club named Hellgate Terrace, which will surround the Canyon Room.

Along with the Washington-Grizzly Stadium expansion project, the UM Athletics is also formulating a three-level campaign to improve facilities for UM athletes. The campaign’s goal is to raise between $10 million and S20 million in order to begin phase one: construction of a new academic center for athletes. The facility would include computer labs and more office space. The current academic center is located in the basement of the Adams Center. The second phase of the campaign is to renovate the men’s locker rooms in the Adams Center, and the third is to construct a new indoor practice facility on UM’s South Campus. The new facility would accommodate indoor track and field, tennis and golf, as well as assist with the football and soccer programs.

“We have a real initiative to enhance our student athletes’ welfare,” O’Day said. “And a lot of that comes with enhancing our facilities, just places that will allow our student athletes to be more comfortable.”

O’Day said the goal is to begin construction on the first phase of the campaign within 16 to 24 months, and to complete all three facility upgrades within five years.