On Saturday, one of Stetson University's football practice fields at the Athletic Training Center became Watson Field.

The naming ceremony was held in recognition of the significant support and dedication the Watson family has shown to Stetson athletics and the football program since it was re-established in 2012. The ceremony was held in the Athletic Training Center on Minnesota Avenue on the Stetson University historic DeLand campus.
 
During the ceremony, remarks were shared by William A. Watson, Jr., Chairman of the Board and founder of Watson Realty Corp., Stetson University President Wendy B. Libby, Ph.D., Athletics Director Jeff Altier and Head Football Coach Roger Hughes, Ph.D. The ceremony was followed by a scrimmage football game on Watson Field.
 
"It is an honor and privilege to support Stetson University's Athletic Program," William A. Watson, Jr., said. "Stetson University has had a significant influence on the success of the Watson Family.  My four years at Stetson University was a turning point in the development of my goals and objectives. I am grateful to the many outstanding individuals who contributed to my growth at Stetson University. I am also excited that Stetson University has chosen to name their practice field in my honor."
 
Returning to football in 2012 was part of an athletics expansion by the university which also included the introduction of women's lacrosse and beach volleyball.  The expansion initiative significantly influenced the University's growth goals set by Stetson leadership.

"Through their generous support, William Watson, Jr. and William Watson III have recognized the role athletics play in enhancing the student experience and moving the university forward, and we are honored to play on a field bearing the family name," Altier said.

Hughes said the contributions of the Watson family are crucial to the continued growth and improvement of the Hatters football program.

"We practice in the morning and the field is always wet and we tear it up," Hughes said. "It makes a lot of sense because of the wear and tear from all of the outdoor sports to have a field turf practice field. We approached Mr. Bill Watson, Jr., who has been very supportive of the football program, and he agreed to cover part of the field turf field. For that, we are proud to dedicate the field to him. It is a very big deal."

William A. "Bill" Watson Jr. graduated from Stetson in 1959 with a BSB in Business Administration with a major in Real Estate and Insurance. He was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity, the Rifle Team and was a commission Infantry Officer through ROTC. His wife Janelle Willcox Watson, graduated the same year with a degree in elementary education and was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Their son, William A. "Bill" Watson III received his B.B.A. in finance from Stetson in 1996 and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. They also have two granddaughters who attended Stetson: one who graduated in 2016 and the other is currently a junior.
 
Bill Watson Jr. received Stetson's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1981 and was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma business honorary society as a Stetson Chapter honoree in April 2015. He was President of the Florida REALTORS® in 1981, and was Chairman of Leading Real Estate Companies in the World in 2012 and 2013.
 
 
About Stetson University
Founded in 1883, Stetson University is the oldest private university in Central Florida, providing a transforming education in the liberal arts tradition. Stetson stresses academic excellence and community-engaged learning, and consistently earns high marks in national rankings. Stetson encourages its students to go beyond success to significance in their lives, the lives of others and their communities. Stay connected with Stetson on social media.

About Stetson University Athletics 
Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.

About Watson Realty Corp.
Watson Realty Corp. has been a trusted name in real estate since 1965. Watson Realty is a full-service real estate company with over 1,400 sales associates and 48 sales offices throughout North and Central Florida, as well as South Georgia. Watson Realty Corp. also has offices including Watson Mortgage Corp., Watson Title Services, Inc., Watson Title Services of N. FL., Inc., Watson Commercial Realty, Inc., Watson School of Real Estate, Watson Referral Realty, Inc., Watson Property Management, Watson Maintenance Services and Watson Relocation Services. For more information about Watson Realty Corp., please visit www.WatsonRealtyCorp.com.