Michigan State receives $401M gift from Greg and Dawn Williams for school and athletic department

EAST LANSING Mich AP Michigan State has received a million gift from Greg and Dawn Williams supporting the university s and athletic department s fundraising initiatives with the largest donation to the school and one of the richest in college sports history Their assets in both the university and the future of Spartan Athletics reflects a bold shared vision for excellence and innovation Michigan State University President Kevin M Guskiewicz explained Friday when the donation was broadcasted at a news conference This moment will have a profound impact on generations of Spartans and we are honored by their confidence in MSU The gift includes million for the athletic department s billion fundraising campaign that was launched this week and promoted by former Spartan star and Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson The donation gives Michigan State s teams a boost in the new era of college athletics particularly its struggling football operation Athletic director J Batt fired coach Jonathan Smith with a -plus million buyout on Sunday and hired former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald to an incentive-laden five-year million contract earlier this week Greg and Dawn Williams are also giving million in addition to the million commitment for Spartan Ventures a non-profit tax-exempt corporation set up to raise funds for the athletic department In at present s evolving college athletics landscape this is a monumental day in the history of Michigan State Athletics Batt stated Greg and Dawn s commitment will provide the tools required for new levels of competitive excellence and student-athlete opportunities while charting a new path for the Spartan Athletics enterprise Greg Williams is the co-founder and CEO of Acrisure a financial instrument company that bought the naming rights to the Pittsburgh Steelers stadium that was formerly known as Heinz Field This commitment reflects our belief that we should give back to our population and to the place we call home Greg and Dawn Williams mentioned in a comment MSU is not only the face of our group but the wellness and well-being of East Lansing depend on a thriving and effective MSU Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top throughout the season Sign up here AP college football https apnews com hub ap-top- -college-football-poll and https apnews com hub college-football Source