Giving Opportunities

Leadership Giving

Championing our student-athletes through transformational, philanthropic investments.

Major gifts provide the necessary resources to make a leadership impact on our department's top priorities. Within Pitt Athletics, a major gift is considered any gift of $100,000 or more, payable over up to five years.

Athletics Facility Projects

Facilities provide Pitt student-athletes and coaches with the resources they need to compete at a championship level, both within the ACC and nationally. Facilities are also a key component in our effort to recruit and retain the best and brightest student-athletes and coaches.

These facility projects have available naming recognition opportunities. For more information please contact Pat Bostick at pbostick@athletics.pitt.edu.

Men's & Women's Basketball/Petersen Events Center Renovation

With head coaches Jeff Capel and Lance White at the helm to lead Pitt Basketball back to national prominence, an investment is necessary in our facilities. With functionality and efficiency in mind, we set out to create an extraordinary atmosphere for student-athletes, coaches and fans alike as we compete within the nation's premier basketball conference. New recruiting spaces, coaches' conference rooms, a shared team video room, and nutrition station will complement the redesigned locker rooms, coaches' office suites, and team lounge. Minor upgrades to the athletic training and sports performance areas will also be included within the scope of these necessary renovations.

Petersen Sports Complex – Third Floor Addition

This third floor addition to the Petersen Sports Complex will directly impact and enhance the coaches' offices and student-athlete spaces for men's and women's soccer, baseball, softball, and lacrosse. Creating coaches' offices and a progressive learning environment close to their respective practice and competition facilities was a priority. This addition will directly improve the student-athlete experience for five athletic programs.

Endowed Scholarships

Gifts to endow scholarships provide lasting financial stability and help open doors to initiatives that are essential to providing additional opportunities for Pitt student-athletes to learn, grow, and compete—and to strive toward even greater success.

The need for endowed funds is great and increases each year as tuition escalates. Each year, the Department of Athletics pays for tuition, room, board, books and academic fees for over 475 student-athletes. For the 2019-20 academic year, this cost will exceed $16 million, representing almost 20% of the total departmental budget. Private annual donations and existing endowment income will cover approximately $9 million of that cost, leaving a gap of close to $7 million. The establishment of new endowed scholarship funds will help us close that gap and ensure Pitt's ability to provide scholarship support for current and future Panthers.

2019 Scholarship Expenses

In-State: $38,524
Out-of-State: $52,552

FULL ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP

(Tuition and fees, Room, Board, Meals and Nutrition, Books and Supplies, Cost of Attendance)

Endowed Coaching & Administrative Positions

Competition is intense to hire and retain coaches who can develop individual athletes and programs to their full potential and compete for championships at the very highest level of intercollegiate athletics. Similarly, having the best executive level leaders in the industry here at Pitt provides us a competitive advantage in an ever-changing landscape of college athletics. In this competition, the endowment of a head coaching or senior administrative position creates stability of funding for that position and plays a significant role in the department's ability to attract and retain the best coaches and administrators in the country. The income from this endowment helps defray the salary and other related expenses of the head coach or senior leader.

Endowment Facts

  • Pitt Athletics annually funds nearly $16 million in student-athlete scholarships
  • An investment of $900,000 provides support for a full in-state scholarship
  • An investment of $1,250,000 provides support for a full out-of-state scholarship
  • Endowed scholarships may be established with a minimum gift or pledge of $150,000
  • Gifts or pledges in support of the general athletic scholarship fund are encouraged at all levels

Endowment Benefits

  • Opportunity to name the fund in honor or memory of an individual or family and be recognized in perpetuity
  • Matched with a student-athlete recipient, in accordance with the criteria of the fund (may be shared if partial scholarship)
  • Invitation to annual event recognizing donors and student-athlete recipients
  • Access to tickets, parking, and special event invitation based upon annual gift towards endowment
  • Exclusive engagement opportunities with student-athletes and coaches