Rohrman Field at Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium debuts in 2020 The $15 million gift is the largest donation given to the school's athletic department

Mike Carmin | Journal & Courier

WEST LAFAYETTE – The whole process began several months ago but it was a meeting in October, homecoming weekend to be precise, is when nearly every member of Bob Rohrman’s family met with Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski and his group.

Bob Rohrman, whose car dealership empire began in Lafayette more than 50 years ago, was there. JR Rohrman, Bob’s son, was in attendance. Tim House, head of the John Purdue Club, was present, along with several prominent members from the university and the athletic department.

That 90-minute meeting two months ago helped bring us to Friday’s announcement – Rohrman Field at Ross-Ade Stadium will make its debut in 2020. The naming rights to the field – at a cost of $15 million and with no term limit, according to Bobinski - was approved by the Board of Trustees.

“Purdue Athletics is more than just a ball and games. It is a part of the social fabric of who we are as a family,” JR Rohrman said in a statement released by the school. “The entire family believes this gift to Purdue University is one of the best ways that we can give back to a community that has done so much for us.”

Bobinski said the Rohrman Family was “presented several options and this is ultimately the one that resonated with them.”

The $15 million gift – the largest donated to the Purdue Athletic Department – will help fund the Ross-Ade Stadium renovation project, which continues to move forward.

Bobinski said the total cost hasn’t been determined but the project will be privately funded since the athletic department isn’t able to take on additional debt service. He estimated last summer the cost might range from $100 to $120 million.

The Rohrman Family gift is the first one Purdue has announced. Others are expected to follow.

“It's a heavy lift from a fundraising perspective and having something significant like this happen early is really important,” Bobinski said. “This is really the first domino and a really significant one. It shows the way for others and I think expresses confidence in the plan that we have.”

The plan hasn’t been finalized. The next step is for Purdue to select a construction management firm and that decision is expected next week. Bobinski said the schematic design is done and the cost estimating phase is next, which should happen over the next couple of months.

“We have, I think, a great set of schematic design drawings with lots of different concepts,” Bobinski said. “Whether or not they all stay in the final project remains to be seen but I really like the thinking and the direction that the design has gone at this point. Populous (architectural design firm) has done a great job with it.”

Pieces of the project are already underway.

Purdue is currently demolishing the south end zone scoreboard and it will be replaced by a $10 million video board, which is four times bigger than the current one. The new video board will move closer to the field.

The Rohrman family owns and operates one of the largest automobile groups in the United States, with 30 franchise dealerships in Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. The business originated in Lafayette in 1963 when Bob Rohrman opened a used car lot. He later acquired a dealership that started the Bob Rohrman Auto Group.

A 1948 graduate of Lafayette Jeff, Rohrman donated $3.5 million toward the construction of the Rohrman Performing Arts Center, a wing for the school’s music programs, at his alma mater. Last year, Central Catholic named its eight new tennis courts the Rohrman Tennis Facility.

He was recently awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash, one of the state’s top honors for accomplishments and service.

Bobinski said the main point of contact through this process has been JR Rohrman. House and former John Purdue Club staff member, Chris Clopton, were also heavily involved in conversations to bring the family together in October.

“I think they had a wonderful day,” Bobinski said. “Bob was here, and he was locked into the meeting the whole time when we were presenting. We had a great exchange about things.”

Three to four weeks later, the family notified Purdue it was ready to make a gift.

“We’re thrilled with the outcome and I really do think it's a family whose success was built here in this community and the result of that great success is they’re in a position to be able to give back,” Bobinski said. "It’s a pretty cool Lafayette story.”

Mike Carmin covers Purdue sports for the Journal & Courier. Email mcarmin@gannett.com and follow on Twitter @carmin_jc