The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537777
❱ LESTER FAMILY DONATES $6 MILLION FOR U-M FOOTBALL FACILITY Michigan athletics announced June 26 that longtime benefactors Matthew and Nicole Lester have donated $6 million to the foot- ball program in support of capital costs tied to maintaining the newly renovated Schembechler Hall, specifically the players' lounge. The Lesters wanted to recognize the 2023 College Football Playoff national championship team and are doing so by naming the players' lounge area "The Team 144 Players Lounge established by the Matthew and Nicole Lester Family." The barbershop inside the lounge will also be renamed "Mike's Barbershop," after two-time captain Mike Sainristil. The Lesters have a strong history of supporting Michigan athletics, endowing the defensive coordinator position in 2017, in addition to contributions to the Stephen M. Ross Facilities Project. "Our gift honors the 2023 national championship team, Team 144," Matt Lester said in a statement. "To me, Team 144 personified selflessness and brotherhood beyond any measure, and I believe these traits were integral to the undefeated success they achieved on the field. Once the meetings, film sessions, workouts and practices at Schembechler Hall are over, I hope that the players' lounge will provide a space for future teams to relax and for the players to develop the connection and camaraderie necessary to win championships. "We are extremely pleased to build a first-class barbershop in Schembechler Hall. There is nothing more relaxing than a shave and a haircut, and there was no one on Team 144 who was more clean-shaven, stylish or well-groomed than the two-time captain Mike Sainristil. I know the young men who play football for the University of Michigan will value the convenience and the service of a barbershop, and it is a way to honor Mike Sainristil's legacy of leadership, commitment and care that he delivered every day as a Michigan Wolverine, both on and off the field." — Anthony Broome PHOTOS COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY