December 6 will mark a momentous occasion on the Texas Lutheran University campus in Seguin, when the culmination of years of planning and over a year of construction come to fruition in the brand-new Verne Lundquist Student Athletic Center—and the community is invited to join the celebration.
Named in honor of one of the university's most esteemed alumni, the nearly 10,000 square foot center, constructed by The Kohler Company, will be dedicated at 1:30 p.m. that day. The building will house a conditioning and weight room for student-athletes as well as locker rooms for the women’s soccer and softball teams and a visitor center featuring the sports memorabilia collection of beloved sportscaster Lundquist.
The event will include a welcome from TLU President Dr. Debbie Cottrell, a short litany by Campus Pastor Rev. Wes Cain, and remarks by TLU Athletic Director Bill Miller, senior student-athlete Jessica Robinson of the TLU Women’s Soccer team, and Lundquist himself.
“I love my alma mater,” Lundquist says. “When I was first informed that the new Student Athletic Center was going to be named in my honor, I was overwhelmed. It’s something that makes me immensely proud.”
Lundquist graduated Texas Lutheran in 1962 with a degree in sociology and went on to become one of the most celebrated sportscasters in history. Over the course of more than 50 years, he has worked for ABC Sports, CBS Sports, and Turner Sports, was the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys as well as lead play-by-play announcer for the SEC on CBS, and has commentated on everything from the Olympic games to the Masters Tournament, calling more than 20 different sports through the years, earning himself the nickname “The Golden Throat” in broadcasting circles. Lundquist is a member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, the Sun Bowl Hall of Fame, and is winner of the 2016 Sports Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He is also a recipient of TLU’s Distinguished Alumnus Award and an emeritus member of the TLU Board of Regents.
The dedication ceremony will be followed by an opportunity to tour the building. This event is free and open to all.