Nov. 4, 2024

by Kiley Mallard

Oscar and Miriam Horton are passionate about providing well-rounded educational experiences to students in the Tampa Bay community, including at the University of South Florida. Most recently, they made a generous gift to the on-campus stadium, which they feel will do just that.

As an expression of their excitement about the on-campus stadium, which will break ground on Friday, Nov. 8, and the experiences it will provide for USF and the Tampa Bay community, the Hortons made a significant financial investment in the project of $1 million through their foundation, The Horton Family Foundation.

“We deeply appreciate Oscar and Miriam’s investment in our new stadium, which demonstrates their confidence in the vital role the project will play in the University of South Florida’s future, including enhancing the on-campus experience for our students, faculty and staff, alumni and community members,” said USF President Rhea Law.  “We are incredibly grateful to the Horton family for their longstanding support of both USF and the Tampa Bay community.”

Together, Oscar and Miriam Horton built a thriving business, Horton Holdings LLC, which owns and oversees the operations of Sun State International, Sun State Real Estate and Investments Corp. Both are active in the community; Oscar is a former USF Foundation Board of Directors member and currently serves on the USF Board of Trustees, and is a board member of Tampa General Hospital, Community Foundation Tampa Bay and the Bank of Tampa.

For many years, the Hortons have focused their time and philanthropy on USF and Academy Prep in order to increase their impact on education. The Hortons shared that this gift to support USF’s on-campus stadium stems from their belief in the transformative power of university athletics.

“Athletics are the front door of the university,” said Oscar Horton. “Sports facilities and scholarships have a huge impact on student-athlete recruitment and the ability to build a strong athletics program. Miriam and I can’t wait to see all the many benefits this new on-campus stadium will bring to USF.”

The Hortons previously contributed to construction of the Porter Family Indoor Performance Facility and the Pam and Les Muma Basketball Center as well as USF Men’s Golf and the Bulls Club Annual Fund.

“I have had the honor of serving on the USF Board of Trustees with Oscar for almost four years now and have been consistently inspired by his and Miriam’s dedication to supporting the overall educational experience for students throughout our Tampa Bay community,” said Will Weatherford, USF Board of Trustees Chair. 

Set to open in 2027, the stadium will provide a unique, vibrant, shared campus experience that will contribute to the culture, spirit and connectedness of the university. The Horton family is excited to play a role in making this transformative facility a reality.

“I’m pleased that Oscar and Miriam chose to step forward with this important gift,” said USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman. “Their generosity plays a vital role in helping bring the on-campus stadium to fruition.”