Alum's $15M Gift Powers New UMD Golf Performance Center, Sports Management Program

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland announced today a $15 million gift to support a new campus golf performance center and expansion of the sports management program in the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

In recognition of the gift from sports marketing trailblazer Stephen M. Schanwald '77, the university will name the golf facility in his honor, and the business school will name a wing of Van Munching Hall the Stephen M. Schanwald Gateway for Smith.

This gift, along with Schanwald’s $18 million gift in 2024 in support of Maryland Athletics and the Schanwald Sports Management Program, totals a minimum commitment of $33 million toward Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless. The $2.5 billion fundraising initiative aims to expand access to UMD’s world-class education, accelerate groundbreaking research and unite a global community to Do Good.

“Steve Schanwald’s background gives him a unique perspective on how sports connect us to each other and to institutions,” said UMD President Darryll J. Pines. “His generous gift promises to benefit everything we do at the University of Maryland, from advancing incisive scholarship to building a community of proud and committed Terp students, faculty, staff and alumni.”

Schanwald, a former executive vice president of business operations with the Chicago Bulls, rose to sports marketing acclaim in the 1980s and 1990s by dressing up home Bulls games with entertainment, promotions and new community relations programs leading to record-breaking sellouts. During a demanding career he found that golf eased his stress. Since retiring in 2015 after 28 years with the Bulls, he plays at least four times a week.

With his latest gift, he intends to lift the profile of the university’s golf teams.

“The golf performance center will allow us to recruit even greater players, help them reach their full potential and compete for Big Ten and national championships,” Schanwald said.

UMD officials aim to finalize the design of the estimated 5,000-square-foot facility next year. It will include indoor and outdoor hitting bays, a dynamic putting lab and sensors and high-speed cameras that spit out metrics like club speed, angle and force at contact. Other technological tools like Doppler radar will track the ball’s distance and spin rate.

Jim Smith, Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics, said that Schanwald continues to demonstrate what it means to invest in the future of Maryland Athletics.

"This extraordinary gift will transform the experience for our men's and women's golf student-athletes by providing a world-class training environment while strengthening our ability to recruit, develop and compete at the highest level,” Smith said. “Steve's vision and generosity will have a lasting impact on our golf programs and on generations of Terps to come."

Smith School Dean Prabhudev Konana expressed gratitude for Schanwald’s continued investments in the sports management program, a multidisciplinary initiative designed to prepare students for global leadership roles. The endowment will allow the program to develop a minor and major, hire more faculty and staff and strengthen its national reputation.

Schanwald plays an active role in the program's curriculum, organizing guest lectures by key sports influencers and helping set up trips to the NFL, NBA and MLB headquarters in New York.

“His transformative involvement extends beyond his generous gift,” said Konana. “He offers his time and extensive industry knowledge to ensure students in the program are prepared to become leaders and innovators in the business of sports."