Pacific Football Legacy Project

Pacific Football Legacy Project

Amos Alonzo Stagg left an indelible impression upon the University of the Pacific that has endured for generations. His arrival in 1933 to coach the football program heralded a national profile for the small college, while his coaching, teaching and personal ethics molded young men who went on to distinguish themselves in their careers and communities. Over the decades, Stagg’s influence and legacy of fostering educational and character growth through football was embraced by the Pacific coaches and players who wore the Orange and Black, and through those learned lessons they brought great acclaim to the University. It is important that their stories be shared in perpetuity with alumni and future generations of Pacific Tigers.

PURPOSE: To celebrate and memorialize the positive impact that Pacific Football has had on the University, the community, nationally and, more directly on the thousands of students who participated on our teams and in student support positions.

Pacific Football directly contributed to the educational experience of thousands of student-athletes who played the sport at Pacific. The life lessons learned through influential coaches and high level competition helped these students lead more fulfilling lives, and helped them make huge contributions to their families, their communities and their country.

Pacific Football provided a rallying point for the University community where it could come together and share the joint experience of collective competition.

Pacific Football connected the University to the local community through events at Amos Alonzo Stagg Memorial Stadium, showcasing local athletes and through year around activities that supported the team and the University. For a half a century, the stadium was the largest public gathering place in Stockton, hosting 10-15 events a year.

Pacific Football was a major driver of diversity within the student body. Thousands of students of color and those of underserved backgrounds took advantage of football scholarships and not only personally benefited from a Pacific education but also contributed to a new prospective to the University community.

Pacific Football gave Pacific a positive and visible national profile. The team’s success combined with UOP Football alumni’s success at the professional level and in coaching gave, and continues to give, the University publicity. Examples include Eddie LeBaron ‘50, Eddie Macon ‘53, Tom Flores ’58, Dick Bass ’60 and Pete Carroll ‘73.

PROJECT ELEMENTS INCLUDE:

Stagg Memorial Plaza: The 9,000 sq. ft. plaza, located off of Larry Heller Drive across from the Alex G. Spanos Center, is envisioned as a gathering place for alumni and students who will learn of the storied history of Pacific Football through the stories and statues encircling the plaza. The plaza will also serve as a campus destination hosting several tailgates and gatherings annually associated with athletic and campus events.

Pacific Football Archival Collection: Work with alumni players and supporters to gather and submit photos, letters, programs, game films, etc. that will be sorted, cataloged and stored in the University archives and searchable via the library website. Included in this effort to preserve the rich Pacific Football history will be support to complete the documentary film “Stripes of the Tiger,” produced by former defensive back, Brad Lane ’83. Brad has completed 20 interviews with Tiger Football luminaries, and it is imperative to collect more oral histories to preserve the Pacific Football story for future generations.

A “Forever Football” endowed athletics scholarship to support a future Pacific student-athlete: The endowment will be a permanent fund at the University established with a portion of the contributions from the Legacy campaign that will be invested in perpetuity. Each year, a portion of the value of the fund will be distributed to support a worthy student-athlete. At Pacific, we also have an extraordinary matching fund opportunity called the Powell Match. Once an endowed scholarship fund reaches the $50,000 threshold, any additional donations will automatically qualify to be matched on a 1:1 ratio, doubling the amount of each gift.

Social Media: A broad outreach will be undertaken using various social media platforms to increase the external outreach and visibility of the Pacific Football Legacy Project. This effort will not only increase our ability to tell the Pacific Football story but it will also create new ways for us to interact with the University community and its alumni.

If you are interested in making a one-time gift to this project, click below. If you are interested in setting up a pledge, stock transfer, IRA rollover, etc., please contact Tim Dickson.

DONATE HERE

LEGACY PROJECT COMMITTEE

MISSON: To advise, facilitate, and enthusiastically promote the universities efforts to establish a lasting and visible legacy to promote the powerful and positive role football has played within the University community, in the City of Stockton and on the American Football landscape.

JOB DESCRIPTION: To engage in and support the tasks below:

• Actively promote the Pacific Football Legacy Project throughout the football and broader University of the Pacific alumni community.

• Assist the University on the best ways to acknowledge the multi-faceted ways Pacific Football has contributed to the quality of life of the athletes, coaches, fans and the more widely define local and campus communities.

• Make your best effort to attend Pacific Football Legacy events as scheduled, such as formal project announcements, groundbreaking, important committee meetings, fundraising events etc.

• Make a personal gift to the project. Our goal is to achieve 100% gift participation by the steering committee.

• Help raise money by generally promoting the project and its funding targets and soliciting others to consider giving or forwarding names of potential donors to university staff on the committee.

• Participate in planned monthly Zoom committee calls.

• Use your creativity and energy to explore impactful ways to support the mission of thePacific Football Legacy Project.

• Support for the Pacific Football celebration and Hall of Fame inductions on the campus of University of the Pacific, April 29-30, 2022.

It is hoped that the work of the committee can be completed by the Spring of 2022 coinciding with our rescheduled all Pacific Football Reunion.

Co-Chairs
Pete Carroll ’73, ’78
Ted Leland ’70, ’74
Cindy Spiro ’76, ’84
Members
Gary Bechtel ’74
Carlos Brown ’75
Chris Caddas
Lyn Caddas Matasci ’79
Al Cleveland ’77
Morrison England ’77, ’83
Mary Elizabeth Eberhardt ’76, ’80
Jim Escobedo ’79
Tom Flores ’59
Steve Goulart ’80
Steve Harden ’79
Willard Harrell ’76
Walt Harris ’68, ’69
Daryl Hobbs ’91
Hue Jackson ’87
Tafa Jefferson ’97
Carl Kammerer ’61
Greg Koperek ’90
Fran Lambetecchio Shields ’72
Wayne LeBaron
Dick McClure ’78
Victor Ornelas ’71
Brian Peets ’78
Ken Rohde ’79
Nick Sellers ’95
Gary Scott ’70
University Staff
Janet Lucas – Director of Athletics
Scott Biedermann ’05, ’20 – Vice President, Development and Alumni Relations
Tim Dickson ’98 – Executive Associate Athletic Director for Development

Endowments

A named endowment can be established with a minimum cash or estate/planned gift of $50,000 and designated to support a specific sport or purpose within the Athletic Department. You can also endow a head coaching position, the highest honor that can be bestowed by an athletics department.

40+

Scholarships

12

program funds

$400,000

Generated Annually

STUDENT-ATHLETE AND SPORTS MEDICINE CENTER

University of the Pacific is planning a new state-of-the-art complex featuring a sports medicine training and rehabilitation center that will focus on student-athlete health and wellness while supporting and growing Northern California’s only accredited athletic training degree program.

MORE INFORMATION