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Syracuse University Director of Athletics John Wildhack and his wife Amy Wildhack have pledged $1 million to the university’s athletics program, SU announced Wednesday. 

The Wildhacks said they hope their donation will enhance the college athlete experience, pointing toward the need for an expanded academic support center and larger training rooms for football and Olympic sports. 

“We don’t need big offices or shiny structures,” John Wildhack said. “We need facilities that are functional, adaptable, technologically advanced, creative and impressive to our recruits and future coaches and trainers.” 

The university will eventually name a physical space on campus to recognize the Wildhacks’s donation, SU said. 

The university will eventually name a physical space on campus to recognize the Wildhacks’ donation, SU said. 

Wildhack has been director of athletics for SU since 2016, and the university recently extended his contract through 2025. He is an alumnus of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and worked at ESPN for more than 30 years, most recently as executive vice president for programming and production.

The Wildhacks have donated before to SU Athletics and Falk College, including a $200,000 pledge to the Orange Club Football Fund in 2018. They have also donated to the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center, the Falk College Complex General Renovation Fund and the Lampe Athletics Complex Building Fund.

Published on September 16, 2020 at 4:08 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3