The WSU Athletic Department and the Cougar Athletic Fund are partnering to launch “The Next Chapter,” a new fundraising campaign to raise money for scholarships to support student-athletes.
“We are excited to move forward with amazing student-athletes, coaches, staff, fans and alumni as we write the next chapter of Washington State Athletics,” WSU Athletic Director Anne McCoy said in a press release.
The goal of The Next Chapter is to promote name, image and likeness contracts for student athletes, offer more scholarships to student athletes, build better athletic facilities and enhance the student athlete experience.
As WSU continues to collaborate with Oregon State University in their efforts to rebuild the Pac-12, a strong system of NIL funding will be essential to keep WSU relevant in athletics. In an era where college sports is increasingly dominated by those who can pay for the best coaches, players and facilities, Wazzu cannot afford to be left behind.
Adam Ganders, WSU senior associate athletic director, also spoke to the media about the efforts to modernize the school’s athletic funding programs.
“Modernizing our fundraising initiatives to adapt to this new era of college athletics is imperative for competitive success,” Ganders said in a media statement.
Fans will be able to give tax-deductible donations to The Next Chapter starting in July. In the future, with more fan support, WSU may be able to afford to keep fan-favorite players in Pullman.
After a year of heartbreak, with stars such as John Mateer, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Myles Rice and Taariq Al-Uqdah transferring away from Pullman, it is no surprise the athletic department is looking to upscale its fundraising efforts.
Among the new facilities in development are a new indoor golf facility, scheduled to be completed in 2025, and a new football locker room project scheduled for 2026, according to The Next Chapter’s website.
Donors have the option to donate to the collective fund or to give specifically to one or more of four categories. They can choose to give their donations to NIL funds, scholarship funds, facilities funds or experience funds, which go toward helping student-athletes have a better experience at WSU.
While the Next Chapter represents an exciting new era to WSU sports, it will take years of support and investment in the athletic department to truly build a strong foundation of funds.
Fortunately, WSU is no longer competing against financial powerhouses such as Oregon and Southern California. In the old PAC-12, WSU was always playing catch-up with larger, better-funded universities. In the new PAC-12, WSU has an opportunity to be the bigger fish, and the Next Chapter represents a chance to get a head start.
