As we enter the last month of the year I would like to propose and start a movement regarding funding of Iowa State athletics. Jamie has been totally transparent through this entire pandemic on the status of where we are. By last count, it appears the deficit this sports year will be $35M and possibly more depending upon what ticket sales are allowed to happen in men’s and women’s basketball.
There will be many people that made Cyclone Club donations in 2020 that didn’t realize all the benefits that are given to them due to Covid-19 restrictions. And I believe that Pollard basically said earlier they could roll their donations into 2021. The problem with that is that you just don’t roll the expenses ( payrolls, scholarships, travel, facility expenses, etc. ) into 2021 and all is good. 2020 expenses are ongoing as will 2021 expenses. Somehow, someway, this deficit will need to be paid for.
I’m asking that ALL Cyclone Club donors consider their 2020 donation as a gift and NOT roll it into 2021, but also give the same amount as they did in 2020. Everyone has paid a price in this pandemic. If we hadn’t had one, the donors would’ve gone to games this fall and many go to basketball games this winter. Let’s just write it off mentally and not back off on the gifting. Continue to make your gifts as if nothing happened. The success our football program has had this year is a very valid reason to do this. Why most college athletic departments are suffering staggering losses and trying to figure out a way to continue, can you imagine the impact Iowa State fans could have on a national basis if we all made a sacrificial gift and underwrote a good portion of that deficit? Can you imagine the statement the fan base could make to Coach Campbell about what we’re willing to do to retain his talent?
I don’t have the technical aptitude to set up a more sophisticated system like a GOFUNDME page for Iowa State athletics, and if someone does I would give as much time and effort as it takes to make this happen. I’d have to believe we’d be the only one to do it in such a style that the country would look at us and ask how we did it.
Join the Cyclone Club at the highest level you can. If someone has the skill sets to create a venue to raise money from thousands of Cyclone fans I’d ask you reach out to me. People say it can’t be done. I think it can. If you took 60,000 football fans and assessed them a one time fee to bail out the deficit it would be under $600/person. Some are capable of far more than that. Others could only give a fraction of that, but collectively we could do it.
Can we somehow come together, using each other’s time and talents and resources and pull this off?
There will be many people that made Cyclone Club donations in 2020 that didn’t realize all the benefits that are given to them due to Covid-19 restrictions. And I believe that Pollard basically said earlier they could roll their donations into 2021. The problem with that is that you just don’t roll the expenses ( payrolls, scholarships, travel, facility expenses, etc. ) into 2021 and all is good. 2020 expenses are ongoing as will 2021 expenses. Somehow, someway, this deficit will need to be paid for.
I’m asking that ALL Cyclone Club donors consider their 2020 donation as a gift and NOT roll it into 2021, but also give the same amount as they did in 2020. Everyone has paid a price in this pandemic. If we hadn’t had one, the donors would’ve gone to games this fall and many go to basketball games this winter. Let’s just write it off mentally and not back off on the gifting. Continue to make your gifts as if nothing happened. The success our football program has had this year is a very valid reason to do this. Why most college athletic departments are suffering staggering losses and trying to figure out a way to continue, can you imagine the impact Iowa State fans could have on a national basis if we all made a sacrificial gift and underwrote a good portion of that deficit? Can you imagine the statement the fan base could make to Coach Campbell about what we’re willing to do to retain his talent?
I don’t have the technical aptitude to set up a more sophisticated system like a GOFUNDME page for Iowa State athletics, and if someone does I would give as much time and effort as it takes to make this happen. I’d have to believe we’d be the only one to do it in such a style that the country would look at us and ask how we did it.
Join the Cyclone Club at the highest level you can. If someone has the skill sets to create a venue to raise money from thousands of Cyclone fans I’d ask you reach out to me. People say it can’t be done. I think it can. If you took 60,000 football fans and assessed them a one time fee to bail out the deficit it would be under $600/person. Some are capable of far more than that. Others could only give a fraction of that, but collectively we could do it.
Can we somehow come together, using each other’s time and talents and resources and pull this off?
