NCAA Football has donated $50,000 to the City of Pasadena for a revitalization effort that includes new football and baseball fields and a state-of-the-art recreation center.

The new football field at Pasadena’s Robinson Park will be dedicated January 5, two days before the 2010 Bowl Championship Series final between Texas and Alabama.

NCAA Football − a coalition of the NCAA, the American Football Coaches Association, the Collegiate Commissioners Association, the Football Bowl Association, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the National Football Foundation − is making the donation on behalf of its Youth Initiative.

Robinson Park, part of a 1970s Northwest Pasadena redevelopment effort, was named for Jackie Robinson, who grew up just blocks away. The master redevelopment plan, which was approved in 2002, encompasses about 9.5 acres and will cost $19.5 million.

The donation is NCAA Football’s latest legacy gift awarded to the host city of the BCS National Championship game. Last year’s donation went to Miami’s Moore Park project, led by the Orange Bowl Committee. The New Orleans Recreation Department also has received support from the Youth Initiative.

“Once complete, the upgrades to Robinson Park will create a revived area for local residents to enjoy sports, build camaraderie and teach sportsmanship to young athletes,” said Bob Vecchione, chair of the NCAA Football Youth Initiatives Committee and deputy executive director of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. “We hope that some of NCAA Football’s future stars will find their passion for football at the new park.”