RENO — The University of Nevada athletics department announced today the “We Are Nevada” campaign, the first major initiative of the Wolf Pack Athletic Association, which was recently formed to provide a more seamless experience for Wolf Pack donors, fans and alumni and to grow support for our more than 400 student-athletes.
The We Are Nevada campaign is a crowdfunding initiative designed to generate funds for Wolf Pack sports programs and the Pack Excellence Fund facing significant budget challenges due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July, Wolf Pack athletics director Doug Knuth noted that Nevada’s budget deficit will likely be more than $10 million for the 2020-21 academic year, despite numerous budget and staffing reductions that have been implemented.
The campaign will run through Dec. 31, 2020.
“These are certainly challenging times, however, all challenges present opportunity,” said athletics director Doug Knuth. “Now, more than ever, we need all those who care about Wolf Pack athletics and our student-athletes to show their support. Through the We Are Nevada campaign we can weather this storm and come out the other side stronger than ever.”
With an overall goal of $1,730,000, We Are Nevada will impact the entire athletics department.
The total goal largely represents the target amount Wolf Pack sports programs are tasked with generating each year as part of their overall operating budget.
With a start date of Nov. 25 for men’s and women’s basketball and steps being taken to return to competition for all other sports, the importance of reaching those goals, along with support to our Pack Excellence Fund is critical.
The Pack Excellence Fund supports scholarships, nutrition, and vital student-athlete support areas of academics, sports medicine, and strength & conditioning.
A significant part of the overall budget shortfall will be due to the projected loss of more than $8 million in ticket revenue.
While we are not able to gather in person as a community right now, we hope that many in our Wolf Pack family might consider making contributions of their usual ticket payments.
Gifts to We Are Nevada will have a direct impact on the lives and experience of our student-athletes.
The Wolf Pack Athletic Association is the fundraising arm of Nevada Athletics. This donor centric model is all encompassing for Wolf Pack supporters, empowering donors to choose how to make an impact, whether it be through unrestricted giving, sports specific giving, capital projects, endowments, planned giving and ticket purchases. The Wolf Pack Athletic Association was created to provide resources in support of our 16 varsity programs and over 400 student-athletes.
“Our goal for the Wolf Pack Athletic Association is to provide a seamless and positive experience for our donors, fans and alumni,” said Craig Fink, senior associate athletics director for development. “In my first year with the Wolf Pack, I have clearly felt the strong ‘Passion for the Pack’ in Northern Nevada. We believe that the Wolf Pack Athletic Association will allow us to build a strong organization that will help grow that passion for years to come.”
More information on the Wolf Pack Athletic Association will be coming soon. All donations to the We Are Nevada campaign are considered a 100% charitable contribution. For more information on the campaign, contact Drake Sacenti at 775-682-6974 or email WolfPack@unr.edu.
