What is the Torero Scholar-Athlete Fund?
The Torero Scholar-Athlete Fund serves as our official fundraising arm for the University of San Diego Intercollegiate Athletics. There are many ways to contribute to this fund including the athletics director's discretionary fund (the Most Critical Needs Fund), the specific sport of your choice, capital projects, and the Bernie Bickerstaff Diversity and Inclusion Fund.
What is the Most Critical Needs Fund?
Unrestricted gifts are designated by the athletics director to the Most Critical Needs Fund and allow us the flexibility to apply the funds where they're most needed. These current-use gifts assist with travel expenses, equipment or apparel needs, and scholar-athlete development initiatives. Unrestricted giving provides the essential elements needed to recruit and retain student-athletes who can be competitive both on the field as well as in the classroom.
What is Sport Specific Giving?
You have the opportunity to invest in the sport of your choice. Your gift will make a direct impact on that particular athletic program by way of sustaining and elevating their academic and competitive excellence. Each sport program has a uniquely braided donor club name in an effort to engage and recognize your support.
What are capital projects?
The USD athletics department has identified three current capital projects to transform the scholar-athlete experience through brick and mortar. Capital projects include the Skip and Cindy Hogan Tennis Center, The USD Golf Club House, and the USD Softball Facility. Each of these projects include philanthropic naming opportunities and each dollar raised will allow us to break ground and complete the construction.
What is the Bernie Bickerstaff Diversity and Inclusion Fund?
The Bernie Bickerstaff Diversity and Inclusion Fund was established in the Summer of 2020 and named in honor of USD's first Black head coach and Torero Legend. Any gift amount to this fund will contribute to programming and educational resources for our scholar-athletes. The fund will also support a broad spectrum of diversity initiatives in the athletic department that will enable us to better support our underrepresented scholar-athletes and to effect positive change in our community. We are called at USD to be the Changemakers who confront humanity's urgent challenges and this powerful new fundraising initiative will do just that. Click here for more information.
Where will the funds be used?
The Torero Scholar-Athlete Fund contributes to the overall educational experience offered to each of our 400+ scholar-athletes including, academic support, facilities, travel and recruiting budgets, and scholar-athlete welfare.