The UConn athletic department announced it received one of the largest private gifts in the university’s history on Wednesday.

Denis and Britta Nayden, both UConn alumni, committed to donate $15 million toward establishing the Nayden Center for Academic Excellence within the Bailey Student-Athlete Success Center, which officially broke ground Wednesday afternoon.

The Nayden Center will serve as a “cornerstone of UConn’s commitment to student-athlete success,” according to a release. The $15 million gift will be dedicated to facility development, programming and providing diverse services and endowed scholarships which will “directly benefit student-athletes for years to come,” the university said.

The commitment will help fund the Student-Athlete Success Center – an 80,000 square foot renovation that expand the previous recreation center and parts of the Hugh S. Greer Field House, thanks to a large donation from alumnus Trisha Bailey in 2022.

“UConn provided us with the foundation for our success, and we believe deeply in the power of education to transform lives,” said Denis Nayden, a Stamford native who earned degrees from UConn in 1976 and 1977 before building his wealth in the asset management field. He met his wife, Britta Nayden, during their shared time in Storrs. “Britta and I are committed to ensuring that future generations of UConn student-athletes have access to exceptional academic resources and support systems that empower them to reach their highest potential both on and off the field.”

The 12,000 square foot Nayden Center will become the home for “holistic development, academic accomplishment and well-being for ever student-athlete at UConn,” while facilitating learning, testing, meeting, tutoring and all academic activities, the release said.

“The impact of this gift extends far beyond the physical building,” said Director of Athletics David Benedict. “The Nayden Center will transform how we support our student-athletes academically, setting new standards for excellence and enabling us to implement innovative approaches to student success that will benefit Huskies for decades to come.”

In addition to having the Nayden name on the academic center, the Division of Athletics will annually celebrate student-athletes who achieve a grade point average above 3.00 for the semester as “Nayden Scholars.”