Zach Osterman

zach.osterman@indystar.com

BLOOMINGTON – IU’s forthcoming Excellence Academy will, at least in part, feature the Irsay name.

Indiana University on Wednesday announced a major gift “from the Irsay Family in support of the IU Athletics Excellence Academy being constructed in the south end zone of Memorial Stadium.” In recognition of that gift, a space within the south end zone facility — currently under construction — will be named the Irsay Family Wellness Clinic.

The gift was announced in a news release, which credited Kalen Jackson, Jim Irsay’s daughter and an IU Varsity Club board member, specifically.

“We are deeply grateful for the incredible generosity of Kalen Jackson and her family, whose major gift to the Excellence Academy will establish the Irsay Family Wellness Center,” IU athletic director Fred Glass said in the release. “The gift will touch the lives of countless students who participate in intercollegiate athletics for generations to come. The clinic will provide the workspace and technology to ensure that our students are well in mind, body and spirit. We cannot thank Kalen and the Irsay family enough for their commitment to the health and well-being of our students.”

The release does not specify the size of the gift.

Jackson, vice chair/owner of the Indianapolis Colts, is a 2010 IU graduate. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sports management and marketing, and is active in several Colts and NFL-wide initiatives. She also serves on the board of United Way of Central Indiana.

"I am so proud to say that I went to IU. It’s wonderful to be accessible to my university and feel like I’m able to help, since they were instrumental in shaping who I am both personally and professionally,” Jackson said in the release. “They’re continually looking at how to make things better for the student-athlete as a whole, and the Excellence Academy is a perfect example of that. I’m thankful that my dad (Jim Irsay) believes in my passion for IU and that he knows how important IU is to me, because I obviously couldn’t do it without his support.”

According to the release, “the Irsay Family Wellness Clinic will aid in the physical and mental well-being of the nearly 650 students that participate in 24 varsity sports at Indiana. It will house exam rooms, X-ray machines, procedure rooms, physician offices, sports psychologist offices, a nutrition office and a consultation room.”

It falls under the larger umbrella of the Excellence Academy, one of Glass’ longest-held visions as athletic director. The new facility space created by enclosing Memorial Stadium’s south end zone will house not just that medical facility, but other wellness facilities, including space for training and academic support. The IU football locker room also is expected to be renovated following south end zone construction, thanks to extra space freed up by the enclosure.

An official groundbreaking ceremony for the Excellence Academy is set for later this month.

Second gift announced Wednesday

IU athletics also announced a second gift Wednesday related to the Excellence Academy, in a separate news release.

"IU Athletics extends our deepest thanks to Dena Rae Hancock and Rob Caito for their extraordinary generous gift to establish the Hancock Hiltunen Caito Center for Leadership and Life Skills,” Glass said in that release. “Their generosity will help prepare every IU student who participates in intercollegiate athletics for life after graduation.”

According to the release, the center "will offer multipurpose space and offices dedicated to leadership development, service learning and career development for students who participate in collegiate athletics at IU."

The size of the second gift also was not disclosed in the release.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.