August 26, 2022 - The Northern Kentucky University Department of Athletics announces a gift from the estate of Joyce “Brenda” Hoskins (née Scudamore) that includes naming rights for the field at NKU Soccer Stadium. The field will now be called Scudamore Field. An official dedication ceremony for the naming will take place on Sunday, Aug. 28 during the women’s game at 7 p.m.
This gift will honor Hoskins’ regional ties and charitable spirit while acknowledging the long-term career and impact that Hoskins’ nephew, Richard Scudamore, has had as a soccer executive. This contribution will support facility upgrades and other enhancements surrounding the Norse men’s and women’s soccer teams.
“We are grateful for Richard Scudamore and the Scudamore Family’s extraordinary generosity and support of our student-athletes,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Christina Roybal. “This gift honoring Brenda Hoskins will directly impact the men’s and women’s soccer programs allowing for continued excellence and success both on and off the field.”
Hoskins, who was born in England, immigrated to the United States in the 1940s and lived in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Walnut Hills for more than 50 years. She was a successful businesswoman who tackled a male-dominated business world and built her own company, Answering Exchange. Family was also always important to Hoskins, and she remained close with her family in England, particularly her twin brother Ron and his sons, Richard, Kim and Gerald.
“Our family is deeply honored to remember our dear Brenda by supporting the mission and values of the NKU men’s and women’s soccer teams,” Richard Scudamore said. “We hope this gift will have a lasting impact on the student-athletes that play and practice on Scudamore Field for many years to come.”
Richard Scudamore spent more than 20 years as a soccer executive in his native England, beginning with the Football League in 1997. He then transitioned to the Premier League in 1999 as CEO. Under his guidance, the Premier League expanded its media rights globally and is now among the world’s most-watched competitions. Scudamore’s connection to Dan Groneck, who is chair of the NKU Haile College of Business Advisory Board, led him to honor his aunt’s legacy in the region at Northern Kentucky University.
Northern Kentucky’s soccer programs have a storied history of success. The men’s soccer team won the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship, while the women’s team was the 2000 NCAA Division II National Runner-Up. Women’s soccer became NKU’s first team to make an NCAA Division I postseason tournament appearance after winning the 2016 Horizon League Tournament Championship. Both programs were the 2020 Horizon League regular-season champions and league tournament runner-up finishers.
Fans can see Scudamore Field prominently displayed on the front façade of NKU Soccer Stadium and in two corners on the turf. It is also memorialized on a plaque located in the breezeway.
To learn more about NKU Athletics, click here.
About NKU: Founded in 1968, NKU is an entrepreneurial state university of over 16,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus nestled between Highland Heights, Kentucky and bustling downtown Cincinnati. We are a regionally engaged university committed to empowering our students to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. While we are one of the fastest-growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students' names. For more information, visit nku.edu.
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