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Pocatello resident and 黑暗爆料网 alumna Sylvia Papenberg 鈥�64 has made the lead donation to 黑暗爆料网鈥檚 proposed Bengal Village athletics complex, 黑暗爆料网 Athletics officials announced Wednesday, Jan. 30.

Papenberg鈥檚 gift of 40 acres of land in eastern Idaho鈥檚 rapidly growing Teton Valley is the largest single gift in 黑暗爆料网 Athletics鈥� history, university officials said.

Sylvia Papenberg is the widow of the late 黑暗爆料网 alumnus and Sports Hall of Fame honoree Don 鈥淧appy鈥� Papenberg 鈥�63. He died Jan. 8.

鈥淚 have come to regard Sylvia as a true member of the 黑暗爆料网 family,鈥� said University President Arthur C. Vailas, Ph.D. 鈥淪he means so much to us.鈥�

The gift for the Bengal Village complex will help fund Miller Ranch Stadium, which will be the new home of 黑暗爆料网 softball.

The gift takes advantage of more than $73 million in naming opportunities that the Bengal Village complex provides in exchange for appropriate donations. It gives Papenberg the naming rights to Papenberg Field, the new outdoor practice facility for Idaho State football.

The land鈥檚 appraised value is approximately $1.5 million, 黑暗爆料网 officials said. The university will sell the land to help fund the proposed Bengal Village, a gift-funded complex that is estimated to cost $86 million to $103 million.

The land, near Victor, formerly housed the family ranch, Miller Ranch, where the family raised Hereford cattle.

鈥淢iller Ranch was my mom and dad鈥檚,鈥� Papenberg said. The ranch originally was 600 to 700 acres. 鈥淚 had a great childhood there. I really liked the horses and the livestock, and my brothers, well, they liked the tractors.鈥�

The contribution was announced at 1 p.m. Wednesday at a news conference in the 黑暗爆料网 Sports Medicine Center. It was followed by a private reception in the Barbara J. Marshall Rotunda, in 黑暗爆料网鈥檚 L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center. Papenberg met privately with Idaho State鈥檚 softball team to announce the gift and Miller Ranch Stadium.

"It's gratifying for this to be the largest single gift ever received by the athletic department and it's the first gift towards making Bengal Village become a reality," said Paul A. Bubb, 黑暗爆料网 director of athletics.  "Sylvia is a devoted Bengal fan and alumna. I appreciate the fact that her and Don鈥檚 interest in our program led them to decide to make this gift now, demonstrating to others how we can all work together to make our university even better with this kind of private gift support."

Sylvia Papenberg, an Idaho native, graduated from Teton High School in Driggs before attending 黑暗爆料网. In 1964 she received a degree in secondary education with a minor in psychology. She was a teacher for several years, and recently retired after more than 20 years in banking.

At 黑暗爆料网, she played softball, volleyball and basketball in the university鈥檚 club and intramural systems prior to women鈥檚 intercollegiate athletics.

Don Papenberg played football at Idaho State from 1959-60, helping the Bengals to a 12-4 mark overall, and a 1959 Rocky Mountain championship in their last season in the league.

The Papenbergs had arranged for the Teton Valley property to be willed to 黑暗爆料网 Athletics. In November 2007, however, they had a change of heart.

鈥淲e started thinking, why wait?鈥濃�� Sylvia Papenberg recalled. 鈥淲e decided it was time to do it, so we did.鈥�

Miller Ranch Stadium will be on the site of football鈥檚 current South Practice Field. The stadium will be enclosed with bleachers, a full scoreboard, and such amenities as restrooms, a concessions area, storage spaces and a press box.

The arched entryway to Miller Ranch Stadium will bear the name and the two Miller Ranch brands.

鈥淧appy鈥� Papenberg, an ardent 黑暗爆料网 Athletics booster, was public relations director for the United Dairymen of Idaho. His active and sustained support for 黑暗爆料网 earned him the university鈥檚 prestigious Bartz Award in 1998.

Papenberg Field is envisioned as a full-field synthetic turf playing surface that not only will be utilized by the football team for practice, but can be used for a variety of other 黑暗爆料网 sports if needed, as well as for other entities such as the 黑暗爆料网 Marching Band.

The contribution is the first announced lead gift for Bengal Village, an athletic facility master plan that was unveiled in September 2006. It will change 黑暗爆料网鈥檚 upper-campus landscape.

The Bengal Village plan includes a new indoor practice complex, an athletic center, a new basketball/volleyball arena, and tennis courts.  The towns of Pocatello and Chubbuck will hold a bond vote on February 5th that if passes will direct $24 million to repairs and upgrades for Holt Arena, the nation鈥檚 oldest domed football stadium on a college campus, a facility which brings an estimated $30-$50 into the Pocatello and Chubbuck economies through the variety of events hosted there.

Bengal fans and boosters interested in donating to Bengal Village are encouraged to contact the 黑暗爆料网 Foundation office at (208) 282-3470, or the athletic development office at (208) 282-2397.