MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The home of Memphis Tiger Baseball will be known as FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field after a transformational $1.5 million gift in support of renovations at the facility was made by Memphis businessman, philanthropist and lifelong baseball enthusiast Avron Fogelman.
“Being a supporter of the University of Memphis for over 50 years, and since my life has been so intertwined with baseball from playing in the little leagues in Memphis to owning a World Series Championship team, I want to see the UofM baseball program enjoy great success, just as its basketball and football teams have," said Fogelman.
“Avron has been a dedicated friend of the University,” said UofM President M. David Rudd. “His philanthropic leadership extends from athletics to academics, to include special gifts like the historic ‘We Shall Overcome’ speech that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered in Chicago on July 5, 1965, as well as endowing with his late brother, Robert Fogelman, the Fogelman College of Business and Economics and the Avron Fogelman Professional Development Center. I am confident this most recent investment will transform Tiger Baseball and inspire others to invest in the UofM, as well.”
As part of the renovations, the playing surface at FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field will be a brand-new, state-of-the-art artificial turf, which is a valuable enhancement in player development and allows the Tigers to better compete on the field. Additionally, the gift will help fund a new videoboard, new and improved seating, new fan netting and a beautiful brick wall along the entire exterior of the park, which are directed for the fans to enjoy the gameday experience while attending a Tiger baseball game.
Fogelman’s name is synonymous with baseball, both in Memphis and throughout the upper echelons of the game. He was the owner of the Memphis Chicks in the Class AA Southern League from 1978-88, bringing professional baseball to The Bluff City, and the team became one of Minor League Baseball’s most successful franchises under Fogelman’s watch.
“Mr. Fogelman’s generosity will significantly help position our baseball program for success by directly impacting the experience of both our student-athletes and our fans,” University of Memphis Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Laird Veatch said.
“I’m so thankful for Mr. Fogelman’s incredible gift to our baseball program," Tigers head coach Daron Schoenrock said. "It will have a tremendous impact on our current and future student-athletes’ development. This new surface and videoboard have been wishes, and with his help they will become a reality.”
Additional upgrades and improvements to FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field will be announced at a later date and are a part of a larger strategic master plan for the Park Avenue Campus athletic facilities that will be announced this fall.
