As DePaul University prepares to enter the Big East conference of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) this fall, a $1 million gift from alumnus and life trustee Victor Cacciatore and his family will help fund a major renovation project that will substantially upgrade DePaul’s athletic field. The Cacciatore gift will form a substantial portion of the $3.5 million project targeting DePaul’s softball and soccer fields.

Cacciatore earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from DePaul in 1952 and 1955 respectively and joined DePaul’s board of trustees in 1973. Cacciatore has been a longtime supporter of the university’s development projects. He founded and chaired the Board of Director’s physical plant and property committee for 25 years. During his tenure, DePaul acquired the old Goldblatt building at the corner of State Street and Jackson Boulevard, which is now known as the DePaul Center, as well as the Blackstone Theatre, at Michigan Avenue and Balbo Drive, which is now known as the Merle Reskin Theatre. He also was instrumental in bringing the Goodman School of Drama under the auspices of DePaul’s Theatre School. His gift was inspired by his family’s long involvement with the university and its belief in DePaul’s Vincentian mission.

“I have a sister who graduated from DePaul’s law school at the age of 20 in 1941 and another who earned a liberal arts degree from DePaul,” said Cacciatore. “Seven of my children graduated from DePaul—four earned law degrees and one has a master’s degree from DePaul. In addition, two brother’s-in-law are DePaul Law graduates and became judges and three son’s-in-law have Master’s degrees from DePaul.

“This gift represents a significant respect for DePaul’s mission and an expression of gratitude to DePaul for all that DePaul gave to us. DePaul in a true sense, because of the extraordinary education we received, made everything possible. I hope it inspires other alumni to give likewise.”

The renovation project will offer DePaul student athletes on the men’s and women’s soccer and women’s softball teams the highest quality facilities as they make their debut in the Big East. Currently both the soccer and softball teams play on DePaul’s Wish Field, located between Belden Avenue and Fullerton Parkway. Improvements, which will be completed in two phases, will add five yards in length and width to the soccer field, making it 70 yards by 115 yards to meet NCAA standards.

Cacciatore Stadium will be the new home for the women’s softball program and the soccer field will remain Wish Field. During Phase I, which is set to begin this spring, the field’s natural grass will be replaced by more durable artificial turf. A removable “tray system” of turf designed to cover and protect the clay softball infield when the field is being used for men’s and women’s soccer games also will be installed. Other renovations include new seating for 800 spectators, a press box, new team benches and a scoreboard for the soccer field. The softball field also will be expanded 10 feet between home plate and the back stop for the softball field and improvements will be made to the bullpens, dugouts and batting cages. An official scorekeeper’s box also will be added.

Phase II of the project will include a complete renovation of the entire softball seating and press box area. The upgrades will give student athletes better facilities on which to compete and will open the door of opportunity for DePaul to host tournaments and championship games.

“This is an exciting time for DePaul athletics as the university moves into a conference where it can expect heightened competition from some of the best athletic teams in the country,” said Jean Lenti Ponsetto, DePaul athletic director. “This generous gift will help bring the university into compliance with NCAA standards. NCAA regulations had exempted the fields because they were built before 1995, however these renovations will allow us to host postseason play.”

DePaul is the largest Catholic university in America with an enrollment of 23,570. As the university continues to evolve in the national arena, major financial support from alumni like Cacciatore will help pave the way. “With his continued support of DePaul and education, Mr. Cacciatore is a living example of the spirit of DePaul,” said DePaul’s President, the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M. “Academic programs, facilities and now athletics have all been touched by this man’s leadership and generosity.”

In addition to men’s and women’s soccer and women’s softball, DePaul’s intercollegiate athletic teams include women’s basketball, cross country, tennis, track and volleyball, and men’s basketball, cross country, golf, tennis and track. During the 2003-04 athletic year, the softball team made it’s 10th NCAA tournament appearance in the past 11 years, and the women’s soccer team made the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.

DePaul’s athletes are similarly proud of their academic achievements. During the 2003-04 academic year, more than half of DePaul’s student athletes were named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll for maintaining cumulative GPA’s of 3.0 or greater, and 18 were awarded the Academic Medal of Honor for earning GPA’s above 3.75. The women’s tennis team had the highest GPA of all teams (208) in every sport in Conference USA.

Note to Editors: Jean Lenti Ponsetto can be reached at 312/325-7503. To arrange an interview with Victor Cacciatore or to receive a copy of an artist’s rendering of the proposed project, contact Valerie Phillips, DePaul media relations, at 312/362-5039 or vphillip@depaul.edu.