The University of Southern Mississippi received a substantial gift from The First, A National Banking Association, this morning in a joint press conference. The gift was $150,000 towards the construction of the school’s athletic academic center. The two also partnered to assist Golden Eagle student-athletes with a financial literacy program
Hoppy Cole, President, and CEO of The First, A National Banking Association, presented Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain the check.
“We are a community-developed institution. So, it is important for us to support the communities that we operate in - particularly Hattiesburg - which is our home. We were founded here in Hattiesburg some 24 years ago,” said Cole, “Southern Miss is a major economic driver in our market. It is important for us to give back and important for us to see Southern Miss do well. We are excited to partner with Southern Miss to make this facility a reality. It is a competitive tool and it is important for us to see Southern Miss remain competitive, both athletically and academically. We are also excited to honor Jeff Bower who meant so much to not only the athletics of this university but the community as a whole. He is still a large part of the community. We are pleased to help emphasize the legacy and all of the things he means to us.”
When completed, the Bower Academic Center - named after former Southern Miss football coach Jeff Bower - will be 18,000 square feet, up from the 3,500 square feet in its current location from the West Side of M.M. Roberts Stadium. It also provides office staff for the athletics’ academic staff, private study and tutoring rooms, a computer lab, a large open quiet study space, a multipurpose classroom and a conference room for meetings, job interviews, and recruiting visits.
Southern Miss student-athletes also will have access to the University’s Writing Center, Speaking Center and Math Zone, which are also located within Cook Library.
“It is a big investment. We are very thankful for the bank and their commitment to what we are trying to do. What I think it means for us is that it is a great sign of our partnership. What we are trying to do is invest in our student-athletes,” said McClain.
“It takes people in the community and people who are supporters of what we do who help make that happen. We are very, very thankful for what they’ve done, and this will go a long way. Our objective for our student-athletes is trying to help them be prepared for life. It isn’t just about wins and losses. It is not even just about GPAs and graduation, it is about being prepared for what comes after that, and this is a big piece of that puzzle. Not just the Academic Center, but also financial literacy. Programs we want to put in place with the partnership of the bank to help educate them on how to budget, how to invest their money, and how to spend wisely. I think all of those things are important to the development of our student-athletes, so we are thankful to continue to move the needle in that regard.”
The current Academic Center that over 400 student-athletes have to spend time in at the moment is roughly 3,500 square feet. The Bower Academic Center will be over five times that size at 18,500 square feet, giving student-athletes much more room to accommodate their needs.
“Our Academic Center that we use now is very confined. We have about 3,500 square feet and we have been using that for some time. We are talking 400 student-athletes, so it does get cramped and crowded. This space will allow us to spread out and function in a way that will benefit them at the highest level,” said McClain.
The Bower Athletic Center is set to be completed this summer, with a projected opening in July.
