FORT MYERS, Fla. – In recognition of a tremendously generous donation of $1 million from Jim and Donna Sublett, the FGCU Department of Athletics officially held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 11, to dedicate the Sublett Family Strength and Conditioning Center.
 
The facility marks the most recently completed component of the Phase II enhancements to Alico Arena which previously included the additions of the Schreiner Family Sports Medicine Center, the Hartley Academic Resource Center, the upgraded Beale Athletics Offices, and a state-of-the-art film room for coaches and teams.
 
The Sublett Family Strength and Conditioning Center, located on the west side of Alico Arena, features an enhanced fitness complex that accommodate more than 100 student-athletes at a time. The center spans 8,760 square feet and includes office space covering another 860 square feet. It is packed with 28,500 pounds of weights and utilizes iPads loaded with special software to display and record student-athlete workouts. It also features an indoor turf for speed training as well as an assortment of elliptical stations, free weights, and other stations to maximize athletic performance.
 
"What an exciting day for all of us here; really a heartwarming occasion for our Athletic Department to celebrate not only a tremendous facility, one that is so important for us functionally and from a recruiting standpoint, but more importantly to say thank you to Jim and Donna who have been such staunch supporters of FGCU Athletics for so long," said Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh. "Their support of our student-athletes has truly made lifelong impact and we are so very grateful for all they have done."
 
During her remarks to the attending family, friends, coaches and student-athletes, Sublett remarked how she and her late husband Jim have viewed their success as a means to help others throughout their lives.
 
"I've been really blessed to have a great life. I had great parents who were great role models. I picked a great partner for 41 years. We were blessed enough to have two very successful businesses which put us in a position to give back and we enjoyed doing that," said Sublett. "Jim and I considered it an honor and a privilege to be able to help FGCU with this endeavor. We think it is a place where student-athletes can fine-tune their body, the teams can all stay together, and they can really cheer each other on in achieving their goals."
 
Also on hand were FGCU President Dr. Michael V. Martin and women's basketball coach Karl Smesko who talked about the importance of the facility project coming to fruition.
 
"Above and beyond the value of this wonderful facility from a daily standpoint, is the special message it sends to our student-athletes – that donors who do what the Sublett's have illustrates that winners bet on winners. That message is not just that you have this wonderful facility, but that your supporters who know success, like Jim and Donna, have a deep conviction that you are going to be successful."
 
Speaking on behalf of the coaching staff, Smesko echoed the impact the Sublett's have made on FGCU Athletics and how the facility has become a point of pride when recruiting feature student-athletes.
 
"I've been tasked with the impossible. I have to adequately express our gratitude to the Sublett family for 20 years of generosity to our programs, to our athletic department, and to our University," said Smesko in his remarks. "Jim and Donna have been supporters of our athletics program from the very beginning and they have always been deeply invested in our student-athletes as people."
 
While certainly beneficial to the current group of student-athletes, the facility will play a significant role in future success for all Eagle programs.
 
"Thanks to the Sublett's generosity, our strength and conditioning center is now a point of pride. Every FGCU student-athlete and sport program will greatly benefit from this generosity for years to come. The coaches thank Donna, Jim, and the entire Sublett family. We value your generosity and friendship and we thank you very much."
 
Senior Cortney VanLiew, a member of the indoor and beach volleyball programs as well as the president of the Eagles Council, remarked how the facility will help FGCU continue to build championship caliber programs and student-athletes.
 
"Through the generosity of the Sublett family, we now not only have a stunning space, but also phenomenal equipment that will help us maximize our capabilities," said VanLiew. "We have been provided the tools and resources we need to compete at the highest levels. Overall, this enhanced facility fosters a healthy, competitive environment for each team, which will lead to our continued conference, regional and national athletic successes."
 
The Sublett connection to FGCU goes back even further to the basketball programs' founding games in TECO Arena (now Hertz Arena) in 2002-03, before Alico was completed. Over the years the couple – who have had combined professional success in education, electronics and home construction with roles in Black & Decker, McGraw-Edison, Toastmaster and First Home Builders – have funded several scholarships for men's and women's basketball and women's tennis.
 
Furthermore, since 2012, the department has bestowed the Jim and Donna Sublett Award annually upon distinguished contributors that have continually fostered goodwill for and helped enhance the image of FGCU men's basketball and the student-athletes who comprise the program.
 
For those wishing to join the Sublett Family in making an impact on the FGCU Department of Athletics, please contact Assoc. AD for Advancement Graham Diemer (gdiemer@fgcu.edu). In addition to long-range gift options, the department is also currently holding The Sustaining Flight Fundraiser and Virtual Auction to generate funds which will offset revenue loss and other financial impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
 For complete coverage of FGCU athletics, follow the Eagles on Twitter (@FGCUEagles), Instagram (@FGCUAthletics) and Facebook (@FGCUAthletics) and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign-up to have news on FGCU athletics and all 15 sport programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
 
SUSTAINING FLIGHT 
To help offset the financial impact of COVID-19, FGCU Athletics has launched the Sustaining Flight Fundraiser and Auction. The fundraising campaign will help mitigate operational revenue loss and the additional expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19 protocols. All funds raised during the campaign will go to support areas that directly impact student-athletes.
 
In lieu of hosting the annual Night at the Nest gala this year, one of FGCU's most successful fundraising events, the department will be hosting a virtual, online auction from Monday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 4. Fans and supporters will be able to bid on exclusive memorabilia, trip packages, unique event experiences and more. For more information, visit www.fgcuathletics.com/sustainingflight. 

E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
 
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 82 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 38 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women's basketball (No. 24, 2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate (APR) in their sport and have had the highest percentage of teams so honored from these two groups over each of the past three years. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.46 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall and 2020 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--