University of Richmond alums Paul and Anne-Marie Queally have donated $10 million to support Spider Athletics. This lead gift will help build a new facility dedicated to men’s and women’s lacrosse.

Construction planning will begin soon for this donor-funded project — envisioned to open in the summer of 2029, and to be located at the north end of Robins Stadium. The new, premier facility will include locker rooms, strength and conditioning space, meeting rooms, and offices to best support the teams.

“This latest gift builds on the Queallys’ unwavering commitment to advance competitive excellence in Spider Athletics,” said John P. Hardt, vice president and director of athletics. “The tremendous momentum of our lacrosse programs has captured the attention of the entire country, and this new facility, made possible thanks to Paul and Anne-Marie’s generosity, will serve to further strengthen both our nationally recognized men’s and women’s lacrosse programs.”

The Queallys, both 1986 graduates, previously led the creation of an endowment to help launch the Spider Men’s Lacrosse program and provided the lead gift for construction of the Queally Athletics Center, a state-of-the-art practice facility for Spider men’s and women’s basketball.

"The University has been an important part of our lives since we were students, and athletics has always reflected so much of what makes Richmond special — commitment, teamwork, perseverance, and pride,” said Paul Queally. “Anne-Marie and I are honored to support programs that help students excel both in competition and in the classroom."

In what can only be described as a banner year, men’s lacrosse completed an undefeated A-10 season, capturing the regular season title and winning the A-10 tournament. The team also reached No. 1 in the national rankings in April. It’s the first time a Spider sports program has ranked No. 1 in the nation since football in 2009 and the first time any Spider program has ranked No. 1 at the top level of collegiate competition.

The University welcomed 6,805 fans to a packed Robins Stadium on May 9, as the Spiders faced off against Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It was the Spiders’ first NCAA home game in program history, the highest attended Richmond lacrosse game ever, and the highest attended first-round game in NCAA Division 1 Lacrosse tournament history.

"I am deeply grateful to Paul and Anne-Marie Queally for their generosity and commitment to the future of Spider Lacrosse,” said Dan Chemotti, head coach for men’s lacrosse. “This facility will have a transformational impact on our program, providing our current and future student-athletes with a state-of-the-art space to train, compete, improve, and bond together as athletes and leaders. Just as our rise as a program has been a group effort, this project reflects the continued belief and investment of many people who care deeply about lacrosse at Richmond — our alums, families, fans, administration, and the broader Spider community.”

Women’s lacrosse also excelled capturing the A-10 regular season title — the program's first outright regular season title — with a perfect 9–0 conference record.

"This gift speaks to Richmond’s commitment to lacrosse and our constant pursuit of excellence,” said Anne Harrington, head coach for women’s lacrosse. “Thank you to President Hallock and John Hardt for their stewardship and belief in the power of the student-athlete experience and college sports and thank you to Paul and Anne-Marie Queally for their generosity and ongoing support of Richmond Lacrosse. As a home for our student-athletes, a tool for recruitment, and a place where we will celebrate many great moments, this facility and the Queallys’ philanthropy will have a generational impact on our program."

Among their generous contributions to the University and Spider Athletics, the Queallys also provided leadership support for the construction of the Queally Center for Admission and Career Services and for Queally Hall at the Robins School of Business.

“This is another extraordinary gift to the University from Anne-Marie and Paul Queally. They have contributed in so many ways to make Richmond an even better place,” said University of Richmond President Kevin F. Hallock. “Their gifts in support of athletics, academics, and student experiences, including Career Development, are remarkable. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Anne-Marie and Paul and are so grateful for their continued exceptional support of the University’s excellence.”