Endowments

Athletic Endowments at Rice

An endowment is one of the most powerful ways to help Rice Athletics— this gift establishes an enduring legacy that will benefit Rice student-athletes in perpetuity. Endowment level gifts ranging from $100,000 to $5,000,000+ provide long term sustainability for our athletic programs by funding scholarships and providing additional operating support. Athletic endowments are invested within the overall university endowment managed by the Rice Management Company (RMC). Each year a percentage of the invested gift's annual return is released to Rice Athletics for spending, while the remainder, is reinvested to build on the principal. Endowment donors will receive a stewardship report annually detailing the performance of their fund. Endowment donors have the opportunity to name the fund in honor or memory of an individual or family.

Athletic endowments at Rice are divided into three critical areas of support – Scholarship, Coaching, and Programmatic.

Scholarships are the lifeblood of every intercollegiate athletics program and enable young men and women to pursue their academic and athletic passions. Endowed scholarships may be established with a minimum gift or pledge of $100,000. Once the $100,000 gift is made in full, Rice Athletics will annually assign a student-athlete recipient for the scholarship in accordance with the preferred criteria (sport, position, area of academic study, hometown, etc.) established by the donor.
A coach can be one of the most influential people in a student-athlete's experience on campus. Coaches at Rice are dedicated teachers and mentors who help student-athletes grow personally, academically, and athletically. Hiring and retaining coaches who can develop individual athletes and programs to their full potential is pivotal for the future success of Rice Athletics. The endowment of a coaching position provides sustainable resources for that position and plays a significant role in the department's ability to attract and retain the best coaches in the country. The income from this endowment helps fund the salary and other related expenses of the head coach for a particular sport.
The following coaching positions have been endowed through the generosity of our loyal supporters:
Jose Cruz Jr.
Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach
Mike Bloomgren
Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach
Lindsay Edmonds
Shelley Pennington Head Women's Basketball Coach
As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, Rice Athletics remains steadfast in our pursuit to provide the best possible experience for our student-athletes, campus community, and fans. Meanwhile, the costs of sustaining excellence continues to escalate as the investment for salaries and benefits, scholarships, recruiting, team travel and other expenses continue to grow. A programmatic endowment provides a long-term solution to keeping pace with these expenses. A programmatic endowment may be established with a minimum gift or pledge of $100,000 and designated for a specific sport program or initiative.
The following programs have been endowed through the generosity of our loyal supporters:
Rice Baseball Endowment
Allan Watkins Matthews Fund in Baseball
Bevan/Warren Fund in Track/Cross Country

For more information on establishing an athletic endowment, please contact Associate AD for Development, Ryan Hall at ryan.hall@rice.edu or (713) 348-6970.