SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Santa Clara University Department of Athletics is coming off a record-breaking fundraising year.

Santa Clara Athletics received a record-breaking $34.6 million in donations from 3,444 gifts during the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2019. The total is comprised of $28.4 million raised for the Stephen C. and Patricia A. Schott Athletic Excellence Center, and the remaining $6.2 million raised for scholarships and operations.

"We are continually energized by the generosity and loyalty of proud Broncos near and far who give back to support SCU Athletics and 2018-19 was no exception," Director of Athletics Renee Baumgartner said.

It marked the third year in a row that Bronco Athletics enjoyed an increase in fundraising revenue.

During 2016-17, $3.8 million was raised (all for scholarships and operations) and the following year that total increased to $5.9 million ($2.8 million for capital; $3.1 million for operation and scholarships).

"We are thrilled at the ability to provide a first-class experience to our student-athletes because of the extraordinary support of our alumni, staff and faithful donors," Baumgartner said. "The momentum that we are gaining is felt throughout Bronco Nation and the incredible generosity shown by our donors is a testament to that."

This successful fundraising effort in recent years can be attributed to several transformative gifts and initiatives throughout the year, including the following:

• Stephen C. and Patricia A. Schott Athletic Excellence Center – Made possible by lead funding of $15 million from Stephen C. '60 and Patricia A. Schott, and $10 million from Mary '84 and Mark Stevens, the Athletic Excellence Center (AEC) will provide dedicated space for Broncos student-athletes to train, practice, eat and study together while also opening up Dick Davey Court for campus events and for all students participating in club and intramural sports. The $38 million, 50,000-square-foot facility, which was announced in November 2018 and approved by the school's Board of Trustees in February, features the 4,200-square-foot Stevens Academic Center, the 9,000-square-foot Bronco Bench Foundation Sports Performance Center, an 8,000-square-foot sports medicine center, a nutrition station and two practice gymnasiums - Davey Court and Carroll Williams Court. With a targeted completion of the summer of 2020, the AEC triples the amount of space student-athletes currently have for practice, academics, training, nutrition and medical care.

• Day of Giving – The Broncos led all University departments with 1,955 total gifts and $483,720 raised during the University's sixth annual Day of Giving on March 7. That total will help to support each of our 20 NCAA Division I programs. The number of gifts was a record-breaking mark, an increase of 7.4 percent compared to 2018 (1,820). Total dollars ranked second most for Athletics ($853,743 in 2016) when there was one gift for $400,000.

• Bronco Athletic Fund – In just its second year of existence, the Bronco Athletic Fund (BAF) increased the Santa Clara Athletics record for number of unique donors to our 20 NCAA Division I programs, at almost 3,000 members. In addition, the BAF has provided teams with the resources necessary to compete at the highest level while providing other unique experiences such as the women's soccer exhibition trip to France in June where the team was able to see the FIFA Women's World Cup.

• Bronco Bench Foundation – The Bronco Bench Foundation (BBF) has been raising money for athletic scholarships since 1962 while hosting the annual Red & White Celebration for the past seven years. Additionally, the BBF has provided letter awards and championship rings for student-athletes in recent years, funded the newly renovated BBF Weight Room, and has grown its scholarship endowment to more than $30 million.

For more information on how you can make a difference in the lives of Santa Clara student-athletes and contribute to the Bronco Athletic Fund, Bronco Bench Foundation or Athletic Excellence Center, please contact one of the following:

• Peter Fields, Senior Associate Athletic Director | (408) 551-7040 / pfields@scu.edu
• Rusty Weekes, Executive Director, Bronco Bench Foundation | (408) 554-7846 / rweekes@scu.edu
• Robin Petrini, Senior Director of Development, Athletic Initiatives | (408) 554-5442 / rpetrini@scu.edu
• Cody Johnson, Assistant Athletic Director | (408) 554-4050 / cjjohnson@scu.edu

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