When UC Santa Barbara broke ground recently on the Arnhold Tennis Center, it marked another milestone in the impressive growth and evolution of its athletics department. The past year alone has brought UCSB Intercollegiate Athletics to new heights not only in facilities improvements, but also in student success.
And much of it can be attributed, in part, to donors.
“Philanthropy plays a vital role in the success of our student athletes and the Athletic Department,” John McCutcheon, director of athletics, said. “Without the support of our donors, alums and community members, we would not be able to accomplish as much as we have. From student-athlete support to facility support, it all plays a major role in our collective success. The donations for student support and scholarships enable our student athletes to succeed on and off the field, and to succeed at UCSB academically. The facility support allows our department to have a greater presence on the West Coast and nationally.”
Featuring six new courts, two refurbished courts, a team building with locker rooms, a team lounge and storage space, and stands for more than 300 spectators, the tennis center — funded by alumnus and UCSB Foundation Trustee John Arnhold and his wife, Jody — will raise the profile of both the men’s and women’s teams. It is expected to be complete and ready for action by the 2021-22 season.
Another alumnus and his wife, Jeff and Judy Henley, were among contributors, with Mike Stewart and Jay and Marsha Glazer behind $3 million in recent enhancements to the Thunderdome Events Center, including new chair back seats and a renovated court. Those upgrades follow the additions of a new videoboard, a media room and renovated locker rooms. The improvements, for which $6 million altogether was raised, provide major benefits to the men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball programs, as well as to the many student activities, concerts and community events hosted in the facility.
“Donor support particularly in this turbulent time is extremely important to maintain the momentum that has been created over the past few years,” McCutcheon said. “As an example, the stability that is provided by the Stewart Family Fund for Basketball has been immeasurable, and we are extremely grateful to Mike Stewart, Jeff and Judy Henley, and Jay and Marsha Glazer for their vision and commitments.”
“All of these facilities will have a huge impact on our student athletes’ experience,” McCutcheon added of the improvements he described as game-changing. “With enhanced facilities, we will be able to recruit a high caliber of student athlete, have a high level of opponents competing at UC Santa Barbara and deliver an improved fan and community experience at our home events.”
That promise is already playing out for UCSB baseball, with the philanthropy-funded installation of lights at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. A consortium of donors, including the Gretler Foundation, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, and Julie and Paul Candau in 2018 gifted UCSB Athletics with $1.3 million for the project, enabling night games and greater scheduling flexibility, and making the program eligible to host bigger tournaments.
The Gretler Foundation has also supported several other areas of Intercollegiate Athletics, including improvements to the Thunderdome and construction of the Arnhold Tennis Center.
Several endowed scholarships were created in 2020, raising more than $500,000 in total to support student athletes in women’s swimming, men’s water polo and other programs. These funds are crucial to the mission of the department at large, according to McCutcheon.
Finishing atop the Big West in the Learfield IMG College Director’s Cup in 2020, UC Santa Barbara earned the distinction of being “the most athletically successful, non-football school in the country.”
But for UCSB Athletics, McCutcheon noted, performance in the classroom is as important as performance on the playing field. The 2019-20 academic year marked one of their best yet, ending in spring 2020 with a combined team grade point average of 3.46.
“Providing scholarship support to student athletes who need the aid addresses one of the primary main goals of UCSB Athletics,” he said, “helping student-athletes succeed academically and graduate from UC Santa Barbara.”