BOILING SPRINGS –  In a special ceremony Tuesday afternoon, the Gardner-Webb University board of Trustees officially named the football center as the Frank and Flossie Bonner Athletics Complex.

The facility, which opened as part of extensive renovations to Ernest W. Spangler Stadium in 2004, houses the Gardner-Webb football locker room and offices as well as athletic training and strength and conditioning facilities for all Gardner-Webb athletics teams.

The designation recognizes the Bonners' support of the Gardner-Webb athletics program. Under Bonner's leadership, Gardner-Webb joined the Big South Conference as a full member for athletics in 2008-2009 and has seen several new facilities constructed over the past decade.

In addition, Bonner currently serves on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and in the past has served on the Committee on Academics for NCAA. He is also a past president of the Big South Conference – serving in that role for four years. 

Bonner will retire on January 31 after 13 years as president.

A few other highlights of his tenure include leading the University's largest-ever capital campaign raising $46 million, receiving gifts to name the Hunt School of Nursing and Godbold School of Business, starting new doctoral programs in education and nursing, launching a Physician Assistant Studies Program, building the Tucker Student Center, purchasing and renovating the former Crawley Hospital for the College of Health Sciences and adding a science lab annex facility.