09/01/2026
A new athletics complex will bear the name of noted alumna and philanthropist Dr. Dawn S. Chaney following her transformational $10 million gift to the project.
The approximately $30 million facility is expected to break ground in 2027. With this latest investment, Chaney now ranks among the top five donors in Texas Woman’s history, continuing a remarkable legacy of philanthropy that includes two endowed scholarships in kinesiology, the Chaney West Commons in the university’s recently opened Health Sciences Center, and founding support for the Texas Woman’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
A three-time Texas Woman’s alumna, Chaney earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in kinesiology before launching a distinguished career in higher education and later building a successful real estate enterprise. Her gift will create the cornerstone of a new era for Pioneer athletics while supporting the university’s ongoing growth and expansion.
Chancellor Carine Feyten said the new complex represents a major investment in university athletics and in the university’s broader mission of preparing women to lead.
“Athletics are vital to the collegiate experience —from cultivating leadership and resilience to elevating institutional visibility and community pride,” Feyten said. “As a former student-athlete, Dr. Chaney can attest to this herself, and her extraordinary generosity sets an example we hope others will follow.”
The announcement comes during a period of robust growth for Pioneer Athletics. Over the past six years, Texas Woman’s has expanded from five varsity sports to nine and more than doubled its student-athlete population, and its athletic teams have amassed five conference championships, three regional championships, and five national championships. Additionally, TWU athletics has received three consecutive conference Academic Excellence Awards and the 2025 NCAA DII President’s Award for Academic Excellence.
While the positive momentum has elevated TWU’s athletic profile, it has also strained the capacity of the university’s existing athletics facilities. Student-athletes currently share Pioneer Hall with academic kinesiology programs, creating scheduling conflicts, overcrowded training areas and limited practice opportunities. Growing roster sizes have placed increasing demand on locker rooms, weight-training facilities and sports medicine space, while limiting opportunities to expand summer camps, youth programming and community engagement initiatives, which are sources of revenue and mission outreach for the university.
To meet current needs and support future growth, the university is planning a 30,000 to 35,000-square-foot athletics complex purpose-built to maximize efficiency, enhance functionality and address the operational needs of a rapidly growing athletics program. Designed to support student-athletes in the classroom, in competition and in their overall well-being, planned features include:
-Auxiliary practice gym
-Locker rooms for five teams
-Expanded weight room accommodating up to 40 athletes simultaneously
-Sports medicine clinic staffed by certified athletic trainers
-Student-athlete lounge and study hall
-Indoor batting cages
-Dedicated homes for wrestling and stunt
-Coaches’ offices and team meeting spaces
Chaney said her decision to support the athletics complex reflects both her lifelong commitment to Texas Woman’s and her belief in the limitless potential of women.
“Texas Woman’s University has always been a place where students are empowered to achieve more than they imagined possible,” Chaney said. “I am excited to support this new athletics complex because it will provide student-athletes with the resources, facilities and opportunities they deserve to excel in competition, in the classroom and in life.
“TWU’s commitment to empowering women and preparing future leaders is inspiring,” she continued. “Strong women make a difference. Powerful women make change. This athletics facility is more than a building; it is an investment in the confidence, leadership and determination that will carry these women far beyond the playing field.”
