Draper Gives $1M for Football Turf
A $1 million challenge gift from Trustee Emeritus Ranney E. Draper ’60 has helped fund the new synthetic turf on Merritt Field, where Pomona-Pitzer football kicked off their season on September 7 with a 28-12 win against Carleton College.
Merritt’s $2.2 million transformation from grass to turf comes at a watershed moment for a program that has gone from a team with a single win to one competing in back-to-back Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship games and winning the title in 2022.
Former team captain Draper has Pomona roots reaching back to his football-playing father Ranney C. Draper ’25 and uncle Edwin Draper ’25. It’s also where his father and mother, Virginia ’26, fell in love. Their legacy now spans the Draper Walk and Plaza, the Draper Center for Community Partnerships and the Center for Athletics, Recreation and Wellness.
Maintaining Merritt’s grass has been challenging amidst a California climate fluctuating from severe droughts to excessive rains. Until now the team only used Merritt for games, sharing practice time with other teams at the South Athletics Complex; artificial turf lets them use it year-round. Merritt will also be a hub for practices and games for the women’s lacrosse team, as well as intramural programs and P.E. classes.
“It truly matches our philosophy of health, wellness and fitness,” says football coach John Walsh. “This field [will] make an impact on a lot of people both in and out of football.”
Visit Stories of Impact at Pomona to read the full stories online.