Miami's Richt donating $1 million for indoor practice facility

Miami football coach Mark Richt has pledged $1 million of his own money toward construction of a proposed indoor practice facility, a source confirmed to ESPN.com.

Richt told boosters during a meeting in Chicago last week that he had pledged his own money, the Palm Beach Post first reported.

Miami, one of the few Power 5 schools without an indoor practice facility, has been trying to get the project off the ground for several years without much luck. But Richt's arrival in December has led to increased support and donations for the project, which will house an indoor practice facility in addition to the entire football operations center -- including coaches' offices and a new weight room.

Miami has yet to reveal renderings of the building, the final cost of the project or specific information about donations made toward it, but has plans to do so in the near future.

Richt, a Miami alum, discussed his involvement in trying to get the facility pushed through in April, saying, "Everybody's bought in, ready to get moving on it."

Also in April, athletic director Blake James spoke about the importance of having Richt so involved in the project.

"To hear Mark wants it and that it's important to Mark, that definitely makes it happen sooner rather than later because he's the one who lives in the trenches," James said. "He's the one who's out recruiting and doing all those things that all of us read about and some of us live indirectly. To know it's a priority for our head coach makes it a reality in a shorter time span."