SJU to Name New Basketball Arena for Alumnus Michael J. Hagan '85
Campaign News 18 JUNE 2007
Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, home to Saint Joseph's University basketball since 1949, will be renamed for Michael J. Hagan '85 at the conclusion of a multi-year expansion and renovation project set to begin this fall. Hagan, chairman and chief executive officer of Horsham-based NutriSystem, Inc., and his wife Joyce are contributing $10 million as the lead benefactors for the most comprehensive enhancement of athletic facilities in Saint Joseph's history.
The overall project, which has already generated $15 million in cash and signed commitments toward a fundraising goal of $25 million, will proceed in three phases:
• PHASE ONE: Construction of a 20,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility adjacent to the existing Fieldhouse that will house the SJU men's and women's basketball programs. L.F. Driscoll has been retained as construction manager for the project, and the new basketball center is scheduled to open in late 2008.
• PHASE TWO: The relocation of five varsity sports and the student recreation/intramural program to the new James J. Maguire '58 Campus, currently the Merion campus of the Episcopal Academy. Saint Joseph's University expects to close on the acquisition of that property when Episcopal opens its new school in Newtown Square for the 2008-09 academic year. Phase II will also include an upgrade and renovation of the current sports complex, as well as the construction of a dedicated practice facility with permanent wood flooring.
• PHASE THREE: Expansion of the Fieldhouse to include a full-service concourse and an increase in capacity by at least 1,000 seats. It is expected that men's and women's basketball will play one season off-campus once the primary construction period is determined, and the renovated facility — to be known as the Michael J. Hagan Arena — would re-open in the subsequent academic year.
The Hagan gift is the third eight-figure donation announced by Saint Joseph's in the past two years. Previously, James J. Maguire '58 and Brian Duperreault '69 each contributed $10 million in support of the University's purchase of the Episcopal Academy property.
"We are truly blessed to have such outstanding philanthropic support," stated Saint Joseph's president Timothy R. Lannon, S.J. "Not only is it an affirmation of the mission of the University, but it speaks to the unmatched personal commitment of these extraordinary individuals.
"Mike Hagan is a success story and a singular example of the Jesuit tradition of giving back. His involvement as an alumnus, University Trustee, and now major benefactor is one of humility and selfless action. This gift allows Saint Joseph's to preserve an important part of its history while at the same time modernizing a facility of which all Hawks can be proud."
A resident of Newtown, Pa., Hagan received a B.S. in Accounting from Saint Joseph's and also played on the men's golf team. He was chairman of Malvern-based Verticalnet, Inc., before assuming control of NutriSystem in 2002. Forbes magazine named Hagan its 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year after NutriSystem earned the No. 1 ranking on the Forbes list of America's "200 Best Small Companies."
"There has always been a dream that one day there would be athletic facilities to match the level of passion we all share for this great University," said associate vice president and director of athletics Don DiJulia. "Today, thanks to the generous commitments of some very special alumni — Mike Hagan, in particular — that dream is about to be realized."