The University of South Florida has received a $2.2 million donation from Joey Redner, founder of Cigar City Brewing, and his wife, Jennifer. The gift will support the university’s on-campus stadium and its brewing arts program.
The donation will be evenly divided, with $1.1 million going toward the new stadium and the other half benefiting the brewing arts program, a 23-week online course offered on USF’s St. Petersburg campus that prepares participants for careers in craft brewing.
USF President Rhea Law expressed gratitude for the contribution, calling it an investment in students and the university’s broader mission.
Joey Redner, a sixth-generation Floridian, founded Cigar City Brewing in 2007. The company grew from a small operation producing 5,000 barrels annually to one distributing 60,000 barrels, by 2015. Redner sold the business in 2016, to Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery.
The brewing arts program will use the gift to enhance learning opportunities for students pursuing careers in the craft beer industry. The remaining funds will support the university’s on-campus stadium, which broke ground in November and is slated to open in 2027.
