VESTAL, N.Y. – Former men's tennis student-athlete Michael Lane '89 extended his support of Binghamton University and the Athletics Department with a substantial gift presented at a ceremony on October 5 at the Events Center.

The gift from Michael and his wife, Lisa, a Class of 1989 and 1991 Binghamton alumna, will be used for upgrades to the 12-court outdoor complex as well as new technological and equipment advances for the men's tennis program, among other uses.

The Bearcats Tennis Complex will be renamed the "Lane Tennis Center."     

"The generous contribution of Michael and Lisa Lane will be a great boost to our Athletics Department and the Binghamton Fund for Athletics, which provides resources for all of our student-athletes," University President Harvey Stenger said. "I am incredibly grateful to the Lane family, and am excited to see what our newly minted 'Lane Tennis Center' has in store for us."

"On behalf of our student-athletes and coaches, we appreciate the continued generous support that Lisa and Michael have shown for our men's tennis program," Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott said. 


A four-year standout on tennis teams that captured back-to-back State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) titles and won at a 78 percent clip during his tenure, Lane credits his tennis experience for steadying and lifting him during a difficult transition.

"When I was a student-athlete at Binghamton, it was my first time away from home without supervision," he said. "It was exciting but a confusing and lonely time. The one constant was tennis. I had something familiar to lean on when needed. I want that for others. My gift is a small part that will hopefully be matched by others so we keep Binghamton tennis alive and well for the future."

After earning his bachelor's degree in political science in 1989, Lane went on to achieve success in the financial services industry. He has spent 30 years developing and leading the distribution of investment and insurance solutions. Lane currently is the head of Blackrock's U.S. Wealth Advisory iShares. He has published three books as well as a range of articles on financial planning and advisory practices.

Lisa earned two degrees from Binghamton - a bachelor's degree in 1989 and her master's degree in public administration and policy in 1991.

Among his numerous service engagements, Lane has served on the Binghamton University Foundation Board of Directors, has been a guest lecturer in the School of Management, a networking panelist on campus and a key contributor to a 2006 tennis scholarship initiative.

Michael and Lisa live in Austin and have three children: Kendall (23), Brooks (19) and Christian (15).  
 
More from Michael Lane here