Couple announces $15M gift to university

TAMPA — Pam and Les Muma announced Saturday they plan to donate $15 million to the University of South Florida.

According to a press release, the gift will support areas of the university the Mumas already support: business, athletics and health. The couple — who have given more than $56 million to USF — made the surprise announcement during an event at Amalie Arena celebrating the "USF: Unstoppable" campaign raising $1 billion.

“Pam and I are extremely excited to make this new investment in the university,” says Les Muma, who graduated from USF in 1966 with a degree in business, in the release. “We're in the business of formatively shaping young people and preparing them for the future.”

Muma served as chairman of the Unstoppable campaign from 2006 to 2013.

The gift will provide $5 million to the Muma College of Business, $5 million toward the construction of the recently announced USF Football Center, $2 million to create the Pamela Muma Women's Health Center at USF Health, $1 million to USF men's basketball, $1 million to USF women's basketball and $1 million to the USF men's golf program.

“We are so thankful for all that Pam and Les have done for USF — their support has helped power the transformation of USF, and has made a tremendous difference for our talented students, phenomenal faculty and campus infrastructure,” says USF System President Judy Genshaft in the statement.

In 2014, the Mumas contributed the largest single gift in USF's history — more than $25 million — leading the university to rename its business school the Muma College of Business.