Impact
Our Priorities
Impacting the Student-Athlete Experience
Pitt Athletics' primary goal is to provide the best and most comprehensive student-athlete experience in the nation. Each of our priorities are strategically aligned to create a world-class experience for more than 750 student-athletes representing 19 sport programs, spirit squads and the Pitt band.
Our current funding priorities include Facilities, Scholarship Support, and Student-Athlete Enrichment initiatives via our Championship Funds. These priorities represent the areas of both greatest need and greatest impact for Pitt Athletics. Your support of these initiatives is vital to our ability to deliver on our promise of providing our student-athletes with the resources necessary to be champions in competition and in life.
Facilities
For our 750+ Pitt student-athletes, state-of-the-art training and competition facilities play a crucial role. Currently lagging behind our ACC and national peers, our facilities require a major philanthropic investment. Confident that we have some of the finest student-athletes, coaches, and administrators in the country, addressing our gap in the facilities area is necessary for us to achieve comprehensive excellence. Each and every capital gift changes the trajectory and future of Pitt Athletics and allows us to meet the evolving needs of our student-athletes and coaches.
While the student-athlete experience is our foremost concern, a commitment to enhancing our facilities has the ability to directly unify and contribute to the well-being of the entire campus community. It will also immediately enhance our ability to recruit and raise our visibility nationally with prospective student-athletes.
Victory Heights will transform Pitt Athletics. We invite you to be a part of that transformation. Victory Heights gifts are tax-deductible.
Scholarship Support
Providing an opportunity for a young man or young woman to earn a Pitt degree is one of the most powerful gifts you can make to Pitt Athletics. While gift commitments to establish an endowed athletic scholarship begin at a minimum of $150K, donations at every level help support student-athlete scholarships. Individuals wishing to support scholarships should allocate donations to the Student-Athlete Success Fund, providing athletic, academic and personal development opportunities to our student-athletes and enabling them to succeed while pursuing one of the finest educations in the world. These gifts are tax-deductible but cannot be applied to your premium seating and parking requirements for season tickets.
Athletics Director's Fund
Dedicated supporters of Pitt Athletics are often interested in providing financial support to Director of Athletics, Heather Lyke, and her enthusiastic vision of comprehensive excellence. Gifts to the AD's Fund are utilized at the discretion of the Director of Athletics for priorities and most pressing needs that holistically impact the department. Investments toward the Athletic Director's Fund have directly supported key initiatives in academics, sports medicine, leadership development, equipment and technology, post-season competition, international tours, student-athlete advisory committee, facility planning, and game day enhancements. These gifts are tax-deductible.
Championship Funds
Perhaps the most important component of the student-athlete experience here at Pitt is preparing them for life beyond graduation. As student-athletes grow and develop during their time on campus, it is essential they are not only well-equipped to represent their respective teams as student leaders, but also prepared to transition successfully into the next phase of their lives when their intercollegiate career is completed.
The Sport-Specific Championship Funds directly impact the specific team(s) that mean the most to you. Gifts to these funds directly support each team's specific, immediate needs to allow them to continue their pursuit of comprehensive excellence. Support of the Championship Funds afford our head coaches the opportunity to fund the specific initiatives tied to their vision for their program. These gifts are tax-deductible but cannot be applied to your premium seating and parking requirements for season tickets.
Bridging the Gap
Among our ACC Peers
Pitt has the second highest number of living alumni, yet ranks last amongst ACC peers in athletics fundraising dollars.
Total Number of Living Alumni
2018 ACC Athletics Fundraising Dollars Raised Comparison
*University of Notre Dame fundraising dollars were not provided for this report
2018 ACC Athletics Fundraising Participation Summary
Pitt Athletics Scholarship Fund Gap
Due to annual increases in tuition, and the addition of the full cost of attendance legislation, scholarship costs have risen by nearly 71% over the past decade. An increase in Panther Club support narrowed the funding gap in 2019, but there is still a $7 million shortfall to fully fund scholarships for our 19 varsity sports. With those costs continuing to rise, it is imperative that Panther Club support continue to grow.
Student-Athlete Annual Expense Chart
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $18,628 | $32,656 |
| Fees | $1,090 | $1,090 |
| Room | $8,500 | $8,500 |
| Board | $5,984 | $5,984 |
| Books | $800 | $800 |
| NCAA COA | $3,522 | $3,522 |
| Total | $38,524 | $52,552 |
*University of Pittsburgh Cost of Attendance for a student-athlete enrolled in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
"The support of our dedicated and passionate Panther Club members is invaluable to our student-athletes as they continue to strive for excellence in the classroom, on the court and in the Pittsburgh community. Thanks to your support, our student-athletes have the opportunity to make the most of their college experience at the University of Pittsburgh. There is no substitute for the lessons learned, friendships forged and relationships built as a college student. Our Panther Club members play a significant role in helping provide a top-notch student-athlete experience here at Pitt."
— Jeff Capel, Head Coach Men's Basketball
Donor Stories
