Mannings give $1M to Ole Miss

OXFORD — New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his wife, Abby, have given $1 million to a needs-based academic scholarship program at their alma mater.

Ole Miss Opportunity was created after a 6.5 percent tuition increase was approved this year at the University of Mississippi, to cover the gap between all of a student’s other scholarships and grants and the average cost of tuition, housing and a meal allowance.

“Academics was very important to me when I was here,” said Manning, who met his wife when they were both students in Oxford. “I studied and worked hard trying to make good grades.

Chancellor Dan Jones applauded the Mannings for continuing a family legacy of scholarships. Eli Manning’s parents, Olivia and Archie Manning, also attended Mississippi.

“The Manning family has built a strong legacy of support impacting Ole Miss for more than four decades,” Jones said. “This major commitment to our academic programs from a family strongly associated with our athletics programs will certainly inspire others to support our students and faculty.”