Kroger Donates $3M to University of Louisville Indoor Baseball Facility

The Kroger Louisville Division announced this week that it is donating $3 million toward the construction of an indoor baseball practice facility at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. The facility will be built onto the campus’ Jim Patterson Stadium.

The gift will come in yearly $300,000 installments over 10 years. The university is still seeking funds for the facility, which will cost an estimated $12 million. It has not yet established a timetable for construction, but design plans indicate a 28,000–35,000-square-foot facility featuring an indoor artificial turf surface, a pitching lab, and sufficient space for an entire infield.

“Kroger has made an amazing difference in the community, across campus, and by supporting our student athlete experience,” said Vince Tyra, University of Louisville Vice President/Director of Athletics. “We have a number of shared values that led us to today’s announcement of Kroger’s lead gift toward an indoor performance facility for our baseball team.”

“We are proud to announce our gift of $3 million to be donated toward the construction of the new indoor baseball practice facility here at Jim Patterson Stadium,” said Ann Reed, Division President of Kroger Louisville. “This new facility will help ensure the best recruits and talent come right here to Louisville.”

Other Kroger donations to University of Louisville athletics include sponsorship of the Governor’s Cup trophy (awarded to the winner of the yearly Kentucky-Louisville football game) and $10,000 in scholarships annually since 1994.

“This is a great day for the Louisville baseball program,” said the university’s head baseball coach, Dan McDonnell. “Our program is all about excellence, a value that we share with Kroger. Excellence in the classroom, on the diamond, and in this great community. We want to express our gratitude to Ann Reed and the Kroger family for their commitment to Louisville baseball and our continued pursuit of excellence.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • El Paso District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, recently announced that construction has begun on a 119,000-square-foot elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects, Carl Daniel Architects, and LDCM Solutions on the new Davenport Elementary School, which has an expected completion date of 2027.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • Upcoming University of Alabama Performing Arts Center Hits Construction Milestone

    The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.