Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weekly digest of recent developments in development.
Bemidji State University alumni Trent and Beth (Buckingham) Baalke have been named honorary captains for Saturday's Homecoming football game in recognition of a recent scholarship pledge of $1 million, which brings BSU's football program to full funding. By enabling Beaver Football to offer the maximum number of scholarships allowed by the NCAA, the Baalkes' gift "opens unprecedented doors for current and future student-athletes," according to Bemidji State's Tuesday announcement.
Utah State University's athletics department has announced an anonymous $500,000 investment from a Salt Lake City executive and Aggie alum to support the continued growth of the athletics department as a member of the new Pac-12 Conference. The contribution also unlocked Tartan Investors Circle recognition, which is extended to Blue A Society members whose five-year commitments total $500,000 or more. According to Utah State's Sept. 18 announcement, the newly formed Blue A Society recognizes supporters who invest at the highest level and provides special access to meetings with coaches and administrators, along with other benefits.
University of North Carolina Athletics and The Rams Club announced Monday that former men's soccer team captain Matt Laycock and Leila Khoury have made a $250,000 gift to the Carolina men's soccer operating endowment. With this gift, Laycock hopes to inspire fellow alumni, friends and men's soccer supporters to join him in his philanthropy, according to the announcement, which added, "Each of Carolina's 28 sports has its own operating endowment and "friends" account. The annual yield from an operating endowment is made available to each head coach to help meet specific needs that are not covered in the regular operating budget. Donations to 'friends' accounts provide an immediate increase to coaches' operating budgets with present-day funds to use at their discretion. Laycock is encouraging fans and supporters to support the program through one of these avenues."
DePaul University women's volleyball set an Illinois state indoor volleyball attendance record Sept. 4 when it hosted perennial power Nebraska before 8,786 fans at Wintrust Arena. Prior to the match, DePaul alum Scott Steffens, a student manager the last time the two teams faced off more than four decades ago, surprised head coach Marie Zidek and the 2026 team with a $50,000 gift in support of the volleyball program's operations and student-athlete experience, according to the athletics department's Sept. 11 announcement.
Total amount of these gifts:
$1,800,000
Running total for 2026:
$653,228,347
Total amount tracked by AB Today in 2025:
$1,671,578,500
