At a March 21 dedication ceremony, the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation (OMAF) recognized Debbie and Andy Prefontaine for their recent $750,000 gift by naming the track and field stadium in their family’s honor.
“My wife, Debbie, and I had two reasons for deciding on the naming opportunity: The first is that we love Ole Miss and are passionate about Ole Miss athletics. Our gift also allows us to continue to pay it forward in the form of athletic scholarships. The second reason is to honor my cousin and Olympian, Steve Prefontaine — better known as Pre,” said Andy Prefontaine, a resident of Naples, Florida, who remains close with Pre’s sister.
An avid follower of collegiate sports, Prefontaine became a Rebel fan when his son, Kevin, attended Ole Miss in the mid-1990s; he graduated in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
A few years ago, the couple considered making a gift that would have named the Rebel basketball arena but decided to wait for other opportunities. When Quinn Kavanagh, assistant athletic director of development, offered a naming opportunity for the track and field stadium, it seemed to be a perfect fit because of the family’s passion for running.
“We are extremely grateful for Debbie and Andy’s generous gift that punctuates their passion for Ole Miss athletics and their desire to see our student-athletes succeed in both sports and life,” Kavanagh said. “And we feel very fortunate to have the Prefontaine name grace our stadium. That’s a huge honor for Ole Miss and for our student-athletes.”
While Andy Prefontaine is a self-proclaimed “average marathoner with no accolades,” his cousin is long revered among runners.
The late Steve Prefontaine was a world-class runner at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay, Oregon, and later broke records at the University of Oregon. At 19, Sports Illustrated featured the athlete on its cover and recognized him as America’s distance prodigy. At 21, he competed in the 1972 Olympics and was expected to win gold in 1976, before his untimely death at age 24.
Now, the Prefontaines hope Ole Miss track and field athletes will look to the Olympian’s running prowess for inspiration and encouragement when they compete at Prefontaine Stadium.
“Pre realized that there will always be someone faster, stronger and more athletic, and there are only certain things you can control in life — one being what’s in your heart and the other is your will. Pre had the heart of a lion and the will of a raging bull! That’s a winning combination,” the donor told the audience.
“So, as you athletes walk onto this track, think of Pre’s most famous and inspiring quote: “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift,” he continued. “That quote applies to athletics as well as life.”
Andy Prefontaine built bridges to pay his way through college. Now he’s CEO of Family Leisure — a multistate retailer of swimming pools, outdoor furnishings and recreation equipment. In 2019, he made a planned gift to the university to establish the Andy and Deborah Prefontaine Scholarship Endowment.
“I know financial assistance is important these days with rising tuition costs,” said Prefontaine, who made a similar gift to his alma mater, Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky. “Students need scholarship money. Sometimes just a few thousand dollars is the deciding factor on whether a student can attend college or not.
“I came from a very humble background: first-generation American parents who were textile workers,” he continued. “I grew up with very little. So, I know life can be trying, challenging. I know what that’s like. I’ve just been very fortunate, and God blessed my work. I feel like I have an obligation to pay it forward.”
As a student at Morehead State, he was a member of the ROTC program’s first commissioned graduating class and served as the last president of the Aquila Club before the social organization became the national fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha. After graduating, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served six years as a reserve engineer officer.
Along the way, he met Debbie at a country music venue in Cincinnati, Ohio, her hometown and the city that launched his retail career. The couple has three children and eight grandchildren.
For information on making a gift to Ole Miss Athletics, contact Quinn Kavanagh, assistant athletic director of development, at kavanagh@givetoathletics.com or 309-634-1649.
By Bill Dabney/UM Foundation