On Giving Tuesday, Princeton Athletics turns its focus to the power of its donor community.
Tuesday marked the 12th annual Tiger Athletic Give Day (TAGD), an initiative intended to “support a wide range of needs and opportunities for each of the 38 varsity teams to help recruit and develop the finest scholar-athletes, and allow for a transformative and championship-level undergraduate experience.”
As has been the case in every previous iteration of the TAGD, Princeton Athletics broke the giving record by raising an outstanding $6.67 million from 6,195 donors.
“Athletics Give Day is remarkable each and every year,” Director of Athletics John Mack ’00 wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian. “I believe there is no better student-athlete experience in all of college athletics than the one at Princeton, and Tiger Athletics Give Day is a testament to the transformative experience that connects current student-athletes, alumni and friends.”
All varsity sports are split into brackets depending on the sizes of the programs, with the winners receiving additional funding as an incentive to encourage as much participation as possible.
Track, water polo, ice hockey, and volleyball won their respective brackets for the highest number of donors, earning an additional $10,000 in bonus funds from Princeton Varsity Club (PVC).
Football, basketball, wrestling, and golf topped the brackets for total dollars raised and collected the same $10,000 bonus. Teams placing second in either bracket earned $5,000.
These bonus funds are provided by the PVC Board of Directors, who over the last 12 years have allocated more than $2.3 million in bonus funds to teams.
“We remain incredibly grateful for the continued leadership of our Princeton Varsity Club Board of Directors, who generously provide the year-over-year bonus funds to help drive the competitive spirit on TAGD,” Mack wrote.
All sports either matched or beat their historical 11-year average while PVC obtained 23 new lifetime members at $5,000 each. There are now more than 450 PVC lifetime members who have together contributed nearly $2.2 million in support of PVC and its mission.
The best performance on TAGD came from football, which raised nearly $1.36 million. Despite having just 304 donors, football outearned the next highest program (lacrosse) by over $800,000.
“I am so appreciative of how our alumni and friends rallied together this year and to those who stepped up to provide challenge funds that encouraged others to support the program,” Head Coach Bob Surace ’90 wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “The Princeton Football Association is comprised of alumni whose time at Princeton was so meaningful and they continue to do all they can to help provide a similar experience to the next generation of Tigers.”
“TAGD puts us in the position to invest in key areas like performance and recovery, recruiting, career development and so many other areas that allow us to provide a transformative student-athlete experience,” Surace continued.
Other than football, both the wrestling and field hockey programs had overwhelmingly record breaking days. Wrestling raised over $406,000, beating their 11-year average by 269 percent.
The wrestling program is coached by Head Coach Joe Dubuque, a two-time NCAA champion entering his third season at the helm of Tiger wrestling.
“When our wrestlers are connecting with an alum on TAGD, it’s usually not the first time they are having a conversation,” Dubuque wrote. “The bond between our alumni and current team is ongoing, and we are so grateful for the support our alums show on TAGD — and throughout the entire year.”
“They provide critical funds that allow us to travel to take on top competition and invest in performance equipment and technology,” he continued.
Lastly, field hockey beat its 11-year average by 248 percent, coming off a historic season that included 14 straight wins and ended in the NCAA tournament final against Northwestern.
“We love a challenge, whether it is playing the best teams in the country or breaking our program records on TAGD,” Head Coach Carla Tagliente wrote.
“We are successful on the field because of the togetherness of our team, and we are successful on TAGD because that closeness only strengthens over the years and is felt by every alumna, student-athlete, coach and friend of Princeton Field Hockey.”
Hayk Yengibaryan is a head News editor, senior Sports writer, and education director for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Glendale, Calif. and typically covers breaking news and profiles. He can be reached at hy5161[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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