TCU
TCU’s new 20,000-square-foot football facility, scheduled open in July, has a name.
The Harrison Family Football Performance Center is being named in honor of Mike and Brenda Harrison of Midland, according to a press release.
"We are proud to support the health and wellness of our TCU student-athletes," Mike and Brenda Harrison said. "This capital project will empower them to excel at the highest levels of competition within the Big 12 Conference and beyond. The cutting-edge facilities ensure that TCU Athletics remains a leader in collegiate sports on a national scale."
The new facility will include a dedicated space and a new weight room for the football program, technology centers, conference rooms and a branded track. The Harrison Family Football Performance Center will connect the Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility and the Morris Practice Fields.
"The new Performance Center will be a game-changer for our athletic programs,” said Victor J. Boschini Jr., TCU chancellor. “The Harrisons have been longtime supporters of TCU. Just take a walk across campus and you will see what I mean!"
The Harrisons’ ties to TCU date to 1932, when Mike’s father, Dr. W.O. Harrison graduated with the first of three degrees. Mike is Class of 1964. Nine other relatives, including two of his and Brenda’s four children, Michael Harrison Jr. and Christina Pittman — Classes of 1991 and ’94 — are also Horned Frogs graduates.
The Harrisons are the owners of Anderson Ranches in Midland. Brenda Harrison is a former speech pathologist who worked in the Pecos school district before retiring. She is now an active volunteer in the Pecos area.
In 2019, the Harrisons made a $10 million gift to establish The Brenda and Mike Harrison Endowed Scholarship Program. The endowed scholarship fund provides permanent need- and merit-based financial aid to students from middle-income families.
In recognition of the Harrisons’ generosity to TCU, the school also named its new administration building “The Harrison” in 2020.
"We very much appreciate Mike and Brenda Harrison for their continued investment in TCU and our student-athletes," said Jeremiah Donati, TCU athletic director. "The Harrison family has a multi-generation legacy with TCU, and it is especially humbling to now have their name so prominently associated with our athletics program. The Harrison Family Football Performance Center will be a world-class facility having a major impact in the recruitment and retainment of future and current Horned Frogs. Thanks to the Harrisons, TCU is positioned well as an industry leader in its commitment to the student-athlete experience and well-being from a physical and mental standpoint."
Earlier this year, TCU also broke ground on the Simpson Family Restoration and Wellness Center in recognition of the legacy gift made by the Bob R. Simpson family. The 10,000-square-foot facility is scheduled for completion in July. The center will make TCU the only school in the nation and just the third facility in the U.S. with a dedicated Snow Room.
The Snow Room, which can hold eight-to-10 users, features sub-freezing temperatures with actual purple flurries to assist in the post-practice and workout recovery process.
The facility will also feature artistic elements to pay tribute to legendary TCU football coach Dutch Meyer, who led the Horned Frogs to national championships in 1935 and 1938.
Construction on the Harrison Family Football Performance Center project began in January 2024 and is part of TCU's Campus Master Plan, designed to propel the university into its next phase of strategic growth.
"This tremendous gift from the Harrisons helps propel TCU Athletics even further, setting up our student-athletes for continued success on the national stage," TCU President Daniel Pullin said. "We are committed to providing our student-athletes with the highest levels of support and facilities, and this generous gift to the performance center will help us do just that."