The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought about circumstances and challenges never seen before in small college athletics, including right here at Daemen College. Budgetary constraints have been felt across the board, and external revenue streams that directly support our 17 varsity programs have been significantly reduced. New health and safety protocols, including COVID-19 testing as mandated by the NCAA, presents a huge unbudgeted expense that has the potential to exceed $100,000 if we're able to return our teams to competition after January 1, 2021. The pending economic pressure threatens to halt the positive momentum that's been made throughout our history, including the last five years as Western New York's Premier Division II Team.
Despite the unprecedented nature of the challenges, our goal has remained the same - to provide the best student-athlete experience we possibly can. To that end, our coaches and staff have been hard at work to reimagine what their seasons will look like in a COVID-19 world. It's evident that the generosity of alumni, family and friends of our program can help us achieve our goal. The Game On Campaign asks donors to participate in a “virtual sellout” of Lumsden Gymnasium by contributing to the Daemen Wildcats Gotta Play Fund.
The Daemen Wildcats Gotta Play Fund is critical to our ability to provide a first-class student-athlete experience. Featuring various donation levels, 100% of raised funds will go towards closing the funding gap that COVID-19 has forced upon us. Your donation will make an impact for all 17 varsity programs by helping the Division of Athletics cover expanding costs related to:
- COVID-19 testing required by the NCAA
- Student-athlete health and welfare
- Departmental operating expenses
Please consider participating in the Game On Campaign today. Our student-athletes have worked so hard for the opportunity to compete, and together we can overcome these great obstacles. Donations to this campaign are 100% tax deductible, and can be made online using the Wildcat Athletics Association giving platform.
