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Michigan announces $6 million gift to football program via Lester Family

Anthony Broomeby: Anthony Broome06/26/25anthonytbroome
Michigan locker room
Michigan Wolverines football's new locker rooms ahead of 2024 season. (Photo courtesy Michigan football)

The Michigan Wolverines athletic department announced June 26 that Matthew and Nicole Lester have donated $6 million to the football program to support the costs tied to maintaining the newly renovated Schembechler Hall, specifically the players’ lounge.

The Lesters wanted to recognize the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship team and are doing so by naming the players’ lounge area “The Team 144 Players Lounge established by the Matthew and Nicole Lester Family. The barbershop inside the lounge will also be renamed “Mike’s Barbershop,” after two-time captain Mike Sainristil.

The Lesters have a strong history of supporting Michigan Athletics, endowing the defensive coordinator position in 2017, in addition to contributions to the Stephen M. Ross Facilities Project, according to the U-M release.

“Our gift honors the 2023 national championship team, Team 144,” Matt Lester said in the release. “To me, Team 144 personified selflessness and brotherhood beyond any measure, and I believe these traits were integral to the undefeated success they achieved on the field. Once the meetings, film sessions, workouts and practices at Schembechler Hall are over, it is my hope that the players lounge will provide a space for future teams to relax and for the players to develop the connection and camaraderie necessary to win championships.

“We are extremely pleased to build a first-class barbershop in Schembechler Hall. There is nothing more relaxing than a shave and a haircut, and there was no one on Team 144 who was more clean-shaven, stylish or well-groomed than the two-time captain Mike Sainristil. I know the young men who play football for the University of Michigan will value the convenience and the service of a barbershop, and it is a way to honor Mike Sainristil’s legacy of leadership, commitment and care that he delivered every day as a Michigan Wolverine, both on and off the field.”

Sainristil, a two-time captain at Michigan, spent the 2024 season with the Washington Commanders after being selected in the secound round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

“The Lester Family holds a special place in the hearts of myself and many of my teammates,” said Sainristil, an All-American and captain of the 2023 national championship team. “I’m deeply humbled and honored that the Lesters valued my efforts and daily dedication to the team as well as my sense of style enough to name the barbershop in the locker room after me. During my time at Michigan, I forged a close bond with Matt and his family, and his mentorship in business and life exemplifies what makes our university truly exceptional. I am incredibly fortunate to call Matt a friend.”

Matt Lester, through real estate property management and development company Princeton Management, offers a summer internship for U-M football players. He is also one of the founding members of Champions Circle, the NIL collective partnered directly through the athletic department. Lester has also been involved with supporting the School for Environment and Sustainability, LS&A, the Museum of Art, the University Musical Society and the medical school. He earned his bachelor’s degree from U-M’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts in 1987.

Michigan football’s new locker room opened in the Summer of 2024 and features more locker space with a reclining chair for each player. The common areas include lounging areas, pool tables, a golf simulator, bowling lanes and the barber shop. The project was estimated to cost $14 million at the time it was approved by the Board of Regents.

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