Tony and Sonja Nicholson, Orlando area residents and longtime supporters of UCF academics and athletics, announced a $2 million donation Friday that will help the University of Central Florida's Nicholson School of Communication reach national prominence.

The Nicholsons' gift, which will be matched with state dollars, will be invested in an endowment, and the annual proceeds will help the Nicholson School of Communication hire professors, buy equipment or fill other needs. About 2,000 students attend the school.

"I can't think of anything better to leave as a legacy," Tony Nicholson said during a ceremony at the school attended by faculty members; Mary Alice Shaver, director of the Nicholson School of Communication; and Kathryn Seidel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Nine years ago, the Nicholsons pledged to donate $2 million to the school through a life insurance policy in their names. The pledge prompted UCF to name the school in their honor.

Tony Nicholson, who founded a magazine and a radio station after he moved to Central Florida in 1967, said he decided to make the donation earlier than expected because he wanted to help the school and its students now. He said he also was concerned that the state may scale back its matching grants program.

"I realized there's no need to wait until we die," he said. "It's time to take care of this now."

Seidel thanked the Nicholsons for their donation, and Shaver told the Nicholsons that "this shows a great deal of confidence in us. We appreciate it, and we won't let you down."

The Nicholsons' announcement came just two months after the couple pledged to give $2 million to help build a new field house that will allow UCF sports teams to practice during inclement weather. The field house should open in the spring.

Tony Nicholson is a member of the boards of directors of the UCF Athletics Association Inc. and the UCF Foundation Inc. Sonja Nicholson is a past member of the Golden Knights Club Board of Directors for athletics. The couple are longtime annual contributors to UCF athletics and consistently rank as Diamond Knights, the highest level for annual giving.

The good news for the Nicholson School follows a recent announcement that the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund has selected UCF to be a training site for students who will then complete 10-week, paid summer editing internships at daily newspapers. The Center for Editing Excellence will be led by faculty members Rick Kenney and Rick Brunson.