Younts gifts additional funds to name athletic performance center

Completion of athletic performance center expected fall 2020

Newberry College has announced that it will name its new athletic performance center, to occupy Setzler Field’s north end zone, in honor of upstate philanthropists Melvin and the late Dollie Younts.

The announcement comes after the Fountain Inn couple’s namesake foundation agreed to an additional $500,000 in matching gifts raised for Newberry’s stadium project. This additional gift allows for the naming rights on the project and now totals $1.5 million in total commitments from the Younts family.

“We are so grateful to Melvin and the Younts family for their generous support of Newberry College, our mission, and our vision for the future,” said President Maurice Scherrens. “We are proud to name our north end zone project in recognition of all that their support has meant to Newberry College.”

The Younts family is regarded as one of South Carolina’s leading supporters of higher education, having supported initiatives at numerous other private and public colleges and universities.

The college broke ground on the new facility in September, launching the first phase of additions and renovations to Setzler Field. The 6,750-square-foot center will include a 3,000-square-foot weight room, 2,000 square feet of athletic training space, a medical examination room, office space, a locker room for game officials and public restrooms. The stadium’s scoreboard will have a new home on the front of the athletic performance center.

Completion of the project is expected in time for the football and field hockey seasons this fall, and for men’s and women’s lacrosse in spring 2021. The second phase of the stadium project will include an athletic field house on Setzler Field’s east side.

About Newberry College

Newberry College is a private, residential, co-educational institution with a diverse student population. Founded in 1856 by the Lutheran Church, Newberry College continues to be ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report, capturing the No. 1 ranking in the region for Social Mobility, and appearing on the Best Value (No. 6), Best Colleges (No. 16) and Ethnic Diversity (unranked) lists. Offering baccalaureate degrees in 32 majors, online degree-completion programs and five dual-degree programs, the College’s foundation remains grounded in the liberal arts. In addition, the College offers 20 NCAA Division II sports, cheerleading, dance, and a recently launched esports program. Newberry College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation and the National Association of Schools of Music. For more information, go to www.newberry.edu.