Getty Image / Carmen Mandato
The Manning family name is synonymous with Ole Miss. The first family of quarterbacking has funded the Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center, which has recently opened.
The family’s affair with Ole Miss started all the way back in 1968, when Archie Manning was a first-year starting quarterback at Ole Miss. And, he may be the program’s all-time best player.
The patriarch of the Manning family twice finished inside the top four of the Heisman Trophy voting, finishing 4th in 1969 and 3rd in 1970, before being taken 2nd-overall by the lowly New Orleans Saints in the 1971 NFL Draft. He played for some terrible Saints teams, and is famous to this day for his escapability in the pocket.
But, he may be most-known for his offspring, especially sons Eli and Peyton. We all know who they are, no need in rehashing that, though it is important to note that Peyton famously decided to attend Tennessee over Ole Miss. Eldest brother Cooper couldn’t play college football due a spine condition, while Eli led the Rebels to a Cotton Bowl. Grandson Arch, the nation’s top recruit last year and son of Cooper, also did not elect to play at Ole Miss, instead choosing Texas.
But, the ties to the university are still strong for Arch Manning, and that’s why he and his wife gave the naming gift to Ole Miss’s new athletic performance center, the Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center.
And, it’s really cool. Recently, Ole Miss released drone footage going through the facility. Take a look.
There are a lot of great college football facilities, but this one, which cost around $45 million, looks as good as any.
The Rebels open their season September 2 against Mercer.