AUSTIN, Texas — University of Texas (UT) officials announced Monday that "Love, Tito’s," the philanthropic heart of Austin-based Tito’s Handmade Vodka, has invested $20 million for student-athletes across multiple sports and assisting with the construction of new practice facilities.
The $20 million investment will assist with the construction of new practice facilities for men's and women's basketball, rowing and football, according to the university.
"What a tremendous show of support and Longhorn pride from Tito Beveridge through the philanthropic generosity of Tito's," said UT Vice President and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte. "This is such a life-changing commitment and investment in the success of our athletics programs and all of our student-athletes. The resources to construct brand-new, state-of-the-art facilities and the development of so many world-class programs allow us to continue to provide the absolute best for our student-athletes, and truly demonstrates their commitment to excellence at The University of Texas."
The founder and master distiller of Tito's Handmade Vodka, Bert "Tito" Beveridge, received degrees in geology and geophysics from UT.
Beveridge has made numerous investments to the university, totaling $7 million to date, including funding for high-end equipment to further enable structural biology research at the College of Natural Sciences, as well as support for development of predictive models and strategies to control the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses, UT officials said.
"The education I received at UT changed the course of my life," said Beveridge. "When you study geology, you study all the sciences. It opened my eyes to what an incredible gift it is to be alive. I value this education to this day and am forever grateful to the university for enriching my life experience in so many ways. Giving back to student-athletes complements the support we provide to science research at UT. We hope this gift helps Longhorns excel both on and off the field throughout their lives, that they find something they love to do that they are good at, and that they share these passions and talents with their communities."
UT officials said that the men's and women's basketball and rowing practice facility will be located adjacent to the new Moody Center and is scheduled for completion in summer 2022.
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