North Carolina real estate investor Dawn Chaney donated $10 million to Texas Woman’s University to build a new athletic complex, which the university announced Wednesday will be named after her.
The $30 million facility is expected to break ground in 2027, according to the university. The development comes as Texas Woman’s University has grown its sports program from five varsity sports to nine in the last six years and more than doubled its number of student athletes. The university has won more than a dozen regional and national championships in the process, along with academic excellence awards.
“TWU’s commitment to empowering women and preparing future leaders is inspiring,” Chaney said in a statement. “Strong women make a difference. Powerful women make change. This athletics facility is more than a building; it is an investment in the confidence, leadership and determination that will carry these women far beyond the playing field.”
Chaney is now among the top five donors to Texas Woman’s University. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree and doctorate from the university in kinesiology.
The new 30,000- to 35,000-square-foot athletics complex will include an auxiliary practice gym, locker rooms, a bigger weight room, a sports medicine clinic, a lounge and study hall, indoor batting cages, and spaces for wrestling, offices and meetings.
Currently, Texas Woman’s University houses its athletics program in the same building as academic kinesiology programs, leading to problems such as scheduling conflicts and overcrowded locker rooms, weight-training facilities and sports medicine space. The university also wants more opportunities for youth-related programming.
“In today’s collegiate athletics environment, facilities matter,” said Sandee Mott, the university’s executive director of athletics. “We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Chaney for this impactful gift.”
Texas Woman’s University is the largest woman-focused public university system in the country with campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston. It is known for its programs in nursing, healthcare, education and business.
Chaney founded North Carolina-focused real estate enterprise Chaney Properties in 1980. Before that, she worked in higher education. She established two endowed scholarships at Texas Woman’s University. Chaney West Commons in the university’s Health Sciences Center is also named after her.
