Grand Gesture

On April 17 the University of Illinois at Chicago will open Curtis Granderson Stadium, a new baseball facility funded by a $5 million donation from the Mets' outfielder, the largest known one-time donation by an athlete to his alma mater. Besides serving as a home to the UIC Flames, for whom Granderson played from 2000 to '02, the field will host inner-city youth league games as well as events run by Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities initiative and Urban Youth Academy Programs. Granderson is not the only athlete to dig deep on behalf of his former school.

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Curtis Granderson	UIC	$5 million
Carmelo Anthony	Syracuse	$3 million
Dwayne Johnson	Miami	$3 million
Ndamukong Suh	Nebraska	$2.6 million
Steve Smith	Michigan State	$2.5 million
Drew Brees	Purdue	$2 million
Charles Woodson	Michigan	$2 million
LeBron James	St. Vincent-St. Mary	$1 million
Eli Manning	Ole Miss	$1 million
Peyton Manning	Tennessee	$1 million

THEY SAID IT

"I just tried to hit it as hard and as far as I could."

Austin Anderson

Ole Miss third baseman after he hit a walk-off homer against Auburn—while the Tigers were attempting to intentionally walk him.

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COURTESY OF POPULOUS (STADIUM)

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JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES (GRANDERSON)

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JOSHUA MCCOY/OLE MISS ATHLETICS (ANDERSON)