Tito’s Handmade Vodka is chipping in $20 million to improve the athletic facilities of the University of Texas.
“This is such a life-changing commitment and investment in the success of our athletics programs and all of our student-athletes,” Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte told KXAN.
The Austin-based distillery has ties to UT that go beyond location. Its founder, Bert “Tito” Beveridge graduated from Texas with degrees in geology and geophysics, the report on KXAN said.
The money will go toward the construction of new facilities and to the development of the student-athletes, Conte said in the report, adding that such gifts “allow us to continue to provide the absolute best for our student-athletes.”
Plans call for new offerings near the Moody Center for men’s and women’s basketball, rowing and football. Those projects are slated to be completed this summer, the report said.
Improvements in what UT offers will allow the university to court top-notch athletes and staff for the university’s myriad teams, and the university told KXAN that Tito’s gift will “enhance the experience of hundreds of Longhorn student-athletes.”