University of Oklahoma to Name New Student-Athlete Center for Toby Keith
Toby Keith performs onstage during the 2021 iHeartCountry Festival Presented By Capital One at The Frank Erwin Center on Oct. 30, 2021, in Austin, Texas. Photo by Rick Kern / Getty Images for iHeartMedia
A university athletic center will soon bear the name of the late Country Music Hall of Famer Toby Keith.
The country singer-songwriter, an Oklahoma native, was a longtime supporter and fan of University of Oklahoma athletics, and now his presence will continue to felt on the campus of the Norman, Okla., university. Following a “significant philanthropic commitment” to the University of Oklahoma’s baseball program, an upcoming student athlete training facility will be named the Toby Keith Family Performance Center. Construction on the new building will begin in coming months, and the center will be attached to the Kimrey Family Stadium, with completion expected in 2028.
“Naming this performance center in [Keith’s] honor is something that truly reflects his impact, and his legacy will continue to live on,” OU’s head baseball coach, Skip Johnson, said in a statement. “Toby changed so many lives, and this player development facility will further change the lives of future student athletes that step foot into the building.”
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“We’re proud to support Skip, this program and these student athletes, and to carry forward something Toby cared so deeply about,” added Keith’s widow, Tricia Covel, on behalf of the family. “I know he would have loved being a part of it. We’re honored to help shape this next chapter and excited to see what the future holds for Oklahoma baseball.”
The indoor performance center will offer student athletes top resources for player development, training, sports performance and related team activities. The project is also part of a $49 million renovation and expansion of the Kimrey Family Stadium, designed to elevate the experience for student athletes, coaches and fans.
Keith died in February 2024 following a battle with stomach cancer. During his career, the musician earned 20 No. 1s on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021, and earned the Academy of Country Music’s Merle Haggard Spirit Award in 2020, followed by the national medal of arts in 2021.
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