Gus Malzahn is trying to help his own cause.

The sixth-year Auburn coach and his wife Kristi have made a $2 million donation towards a long-discussed football-only complex at Auburn, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Auburn has discussed such a facility for years and it's been at the top of Malzahn's wish list for some time. Now with a seven-year, $49 million contract, Malzahn has put his money where his mouth is with the project..

During May's SEC Spring Meetings, Malzahn said he had "a few conversations" with athletic director Allen Greene about a new football facility and made it sound as though something was imminent, though the program is still very much in the early stages of fundraising.

Malzahn would prefer a new standalone facility like several SEC programs have built in recent years, but it's unclear whether Auburn would build a new one, most likely where Auburn's old track is currently, or renovate its current athletics complex, which was built in 1989.

In May 2015, Auburn's board of trustees were provided a document with a preliminary budget of $30 million in 2018 for such a project, but it has not yet to materialize.

The budget for such a complex might be considerably higher now. Clemson's football facility, which opened last year, cost $55 million.

James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.