Texas State University in San Marcos is celebrating a transformational gift from a North Texas couple doing something good for their alma mater.

During halftime at last Saturday’s homecoming game, Mitchell and Pam Ward presented a check of $2 million to Texas State Athletics.

Mitchell Ward played football at Texas State and met his future wife, Pam, there.

The $2 million donation will support the new athletic academic center and will be named the Mitchell Ward and Pam Wills-Ward Athletic Academic Center in their honor.

“We are incredibly grateful to Mitchell and Pam Ward for their generosity,” said Texas State Director of Athletics Don Coryell in a news release. “Their commitment will have a lasting impact on the lives of our student-athletes and will be instrumental in furthering their academic success. Support like this not only enhances our facilities but also strengthens the foundation for the long-term success of Texas State Athletics.

The Wards own MW Logistics in Dallas and, through the MW Cares Foundation, have provided in-kind gifts and established endowed scholarships at Texas State.

Mitchell Ward humbly points out that he’s the first African-American alumnus to donate $2 million to the university. It’s a jab at friend Bo Trevillion, who Ward says was the first African-American businessman to donate that amount. Trevllion’s son played football at Texas State and tragically passed away in 2016.

Mitchell Ward’s generosity includes food drives in North Texas that go back to the pandemic in 2020.

Football took Ward out of Lockhart in East Texas, where he grew up. His first stop was in San Marcos, where he played for Texas State University, then to Dallas and the Texans, an arena football team.

Ward started his company in 2001, and after a few bumps along the way, he finally found the success he enjoys today.

“When people see you now, they see a much more polished version than what you were when you grew up. When you look at my pictures of a kid, no one’s betting on that kid. That’s where I started,” Ward told NBC 5 in 2020. “We all have a challenging background if you dig into it. We all came from somewhere, and we have to push our way out of there and move toward the next level.”