Kern donates five-million dollars to new DSU athletics facility

A Madison businessman has made a significant donation to Dakota State University’s new athletics facility.  Brian Kern has donated five-million dollars to Trojan athletics for the new facility.  Kern’s donation secures the necessary funding for the completion of the university’s football stadium, which will include the field named for former coach George Blankley.

Jeff Dittman, Director of Athletics at DSU, said supporting Trojan Athletics is nothing new for Kern.  He said that Kern helped the university develop its current weight room that benefits every DSU athlete.  Kern worked on the weight room project with DSU Head Football Coach Josh Anderson.

Another way that Kern has benefited DSU is through a scholarship.  Kern and his brother Dan established the Leslie Grayson Kern Memorial endowed scholarship, in memory of his wife Leslie Grayson Kern, who lost her battle to cervical cancer in September of 1997. The scholarship is awarded to student-athletes, with preference given to football players. 

This most recent donation from Kern will help fund the multi-phase athletics complex for Dakota State. DSU is currently seeking legislative approval to build Phase I, a new athletics events center. Kern’s donation will also continue to provide resources for scholarships annually and to the Leslie Grayson Kern Memorial endowed scholarship.

Kern said the new events center will bring more students to DSU, more commerce to town, and provide top-notch facilities that high school athletics can also use. The events center will include team locker rooms, coaches’ offices, training facilities and weight room, esports arena, indoor gathering space, biomechanics lab and classrooms, hospitality and concession spaces, media and VIP suites, Athletics Hall of Fame, and restrooms.

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