BREAKING: Steve Young Makes Monumental Return to BYU with $15 Million Donation and ESPN Partnership Deal
Provo, Utah – ESPN REPORT (June 27, 2025) — In a move that’s shaking the foundations of college football, legendary BYU quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Steve Young has made a historic $15 million donation toward the expansion and modernization of Brigham Young University’s athletic training facilities. Even more astonishing is the confirmation that Young will officially return to BYU in a newly created executive advisory role—marking his first formal involvement with the program in over three decades.
The multi-faceted announcement, which is expected to be made official at a press conference on campus later this week, was first confirmed by ESPN insiders Friday morning. According to sources close to the program, Young’s role will involve strategic mentorship, alumni engagement, and national media collaboration, with a special ESPN-BYU segment already in the works for this fall.
“BYU shaped who I became on and off the field,” Young said in a statement to ESPN. “This is about giving back to the program that launched my career, and helping young athletes write their own legacies.”
The donation will spearhead a dramatic overhaul of the existing training complex, which will be renamed the Steve Young Performance and Leadership Center. Features will include state-of-the-art recovery rooms, AI-integrated film analysis labs, and a new Hall of Champions celebrating Cougar football legends.
Young, who led BYU to a 1983 Holiday Bowl victory and was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, has also agreed to host a monthly leadership roundtable for student-athletes, drawing on his storied NFL and business experience.
“This is more than a donation—it’s a renaissance,” said BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe. “Steve’s passion for this program is unmatched, and his return comes at a time when BYU is preparing to take its place among college football’s elite.”
With rumors of ESPN’s GameDay making a visit to Provo this season and a Young-led feature documentary reportedly in development, the Cougar faithful are bracing for what could be the most exciting era in BYU football since the national title run of 1984.
Stay tuned—the legend has returned, and the game is about to change.
