TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2025) –The University of South Florida today announced a $2.2 million gift, which will be split in half to benefit the university’s new on-campus stadium and a growing brewing arts program. The donation comes from Joey Redner, the founder of Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, and his wife, Jennifer.
“We deeply appreciate this generous gift from Joey and Jennifer Redner that will truly make a difference for many years to come,” USF President Rhea Law said. “Their support will help to enrich the University of South Florida experience for our students and grow the university’s impact in the community.”
The brewing arts program, taught as a 23-week online course on the St. Petersburg campus, provides participants with foundational knowledge and hands-on training for successful craft-brewing careers. This donation will enhance learning opportunities for students in the program.
The gift represents the latest step in a long-time business journey for Redner. A sixth-generation Floridian, he founded Cigar City Brewing in 2007 with two employees and a plan to eventually sell 5,000 barrels of beer annually. By 2015 — boosted by partnerships with beer distributors and grocery chains — the Cigar City product was flowing with 60,000 barrels per year and more than 50 employees.
The popularity of his product coincided with a microbrewery boom across Tampa Bay, and eventually Redner made the difficult choice to sell the booming business in 2016 to Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery.
Through their gift, the Redners will be supporting USF students hoping to learn the ropes of the burgeoning field.
The other portion of their gift, for the on-campus stadium, is based on their love of Bulls football, having followed the team since it was founded in 1997.
“It really boils down to my gratitude for the life I have been able to build in my hometown,” Joey Redner said. “USF's goals align with mine — to have a positive impact on the Tampa Bay area.”
The Redners’ gift marks the latest in a series of philanthropic contributions to the state-of-the-art facility that celebrated its official groundbreaking in November. It will open in 2027, a home to Bulls football, women’s lacrosse and many other events.
“We are deeply grateful to Joey and Jennifer Redner for their generosity and vision in support of USF and the Tampa Bay community as a whole,” said Jay Stroman, CEO of the USF Foundation. “I am inspired by their commitment to elevating these exciting initiatives at USF at a time of bold growth for the university.”
