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Richard Smith: U of M ownership key ‘condition’ of $50M gift

By , Daily Memphian Updated: December 06, 2023 1:53 PM CT | Published: December 05, 2023 7:15 AM CT

Richard Smith said Tuesday that the family could pull its pledged $50 million gift if the Memphis City Council doesn’t transfer ownership of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium to the University of Memphis.

Related story:

Council member’s push for U of M foundation board seats could stall Liberty stadium deal

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Richard Smith University of Memphis Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Subscriber Only

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Samuel Hardiman

Samuel Hardiman

Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. He began his journalism career at the Tulsa World in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he covered business and, later, K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on Elon Musk’s xAI, regional energy needs and how Memphis and Shelby County government spend taxpayer dollars.


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