Chip and Joanna Gaines' company make largest donation ever to Baylor baseball program: 'Lifelong dream'
Quick Summary
- Chip and Joanna Gaines' company made the largest donation in history to Baylor University's baseball program.
- The donation, amount undisclosed, was described by Chip Gaines as 'a lifelong dream.'
- Baylor renamed its baseball field 'Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark' in appreciation for the gift.
The Waco, Texas-based lifestyle company founded by Christian reality TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines made the largest donation to the baseball program at Baylor University in its history, the school announced earlier this week.
The large gift, the amount of which was not disclosed, was given through Magnolia, the company they began in 2003, and Chip Gaines described it in a social media post as "a lifelong dream."
"It's an honor and a privilege.. really to be honest, a lifelong dream to partner with @BaylorBaseball!!" Chip wrote in a Monday Instagram video that showed him and his wife meeting with Baylor's baseball players, receiving jerseys with their names and unveiling the new ballpark's name. "We are incredibly proud to introduce @Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark!"
The donation from Chip, who graduated from Baylor in 1998, and Joanna, who graduated in 2001, will go to "support the athletic program's anticipated capital projects," the school said in a press release.
To mark appreciation for the donation, the historically Baptist research university renamed the baseball field on its Waco campus the "Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark."
Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone expressed gratitude for the support the Gaineses have given their alma mater over the years.
"The consistent presence and generosity of Chip and Joanna through their time and resources have been invaluable to Baylor University over these past 12 years," she said in a statement, describing the Gaines family as "dedicated alumni [who] continue to invest in their alma mater and this city we call home."
In a statement shared by the university, the couple said, "Baylor has always been more than a university to us."
"It's a place that shaped who we are and continues to shape leaders who care deeply about people. Baseball, in particular, has played a meaningful role in our family for generations," they continued. "It's where lessons are passed down, relationships are built, and memories are made — on and off the field."
They added that they hope their investment "helps carry that sense of tradition, belonging and opportunity forward — for Baylor Baseball, for all of Baylor Athletics and for everyone who calls themselves a Baylor Bear."
Chip Gaines originally intended to play baseball for Baylor University when he was in college, but his plans fell through when his recruiting coach retired, according to People.
"[Baseball] got me in the front door at Baylor. As God would have it, I was not destined to be the next great baseball player, but I was destined to enjoy Baylor University and the dear friends that I met there," Chip told Baylor Magazine in 2015.
Baylor made headlines last summer when the school returned a $643,401 grant from a left-leaning nonprofit intended to study LGBTQ+ inclusion in churches and "to foster inclusion and belonging in the church." Following backlash, Livingstone announced the university was voluntarily rescinding their acceptance of the grant.
The Gaines also faced scrutiny last year when their new television series, "Back to the Frontier," featured a same-sex couple, which they defended against criticism at the time as consistent with the Christian commandment to "love one another."
Chip Gaines reacted to the negative reactions to his new show featuring a same-sex couple on July 13 2025, in an X post.
"Talk, ask [questions], listen.. maybe even learn. Too much to ask of modern American Christian culture. Judge 1st, understand later/never. It's a sad [Sunday] when 'non believers' have never been confronted with hate or vitriol until they are introduced to a modern American Christian," he wrote.
