Aberdeen, S.D. – Northern State University Athletics announced today that the Wolves Club, the fundraising organization behind Wolves Athletics, has set a new record for annual giving to NSU Athletics.   

With $1.7 million in contributions received during the 2014-2015 fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, Wolves Club donors exceeded last year's annual giving record by over $150,000, and the 2015 total is over a $500,000 increase since 2012. The total dollars include gifts to the Wolves Club through annual named scholarships, endowed scholarship earnings, unrestricted athletic support, special events, Wolves Club memberships (season tickets), marketing/sponsorships, championship fund gifts, and other initiatives. 
 
"We are very fortunate to have one of the strongest donor and fan bases in all of NCAA Division II," said NSU Director of Athletics Josh Moon. Over 1700 donors and corporate partners contributed to the Wolves Club this past year.  "Our fans, friends and alums have continued to step up to help raise the bar for Wolves Athletics. A huge thank you goes out to all of our loyal donors who have helped provide opportunities for our student-athletes to achieve academic and athletic excellence"     
 
NSU reached new heights in the classroom and in competition in 2014-2015 

• NSU student-athletes completed the spring 2015 semester with the highest average GPA on record – 3.30. 
• Football had 34 student-athletes named to the NSIC All-Academic Team – the most of any school in the conference. 
• Athletically, NSU finished in 7^th place out of 16 institutions in the NSIC All-Sports Standings – up from 13^th place in 2012.
• Five NSU head coaches have been named NSIC Coach of the Year the past 2 years (Brent Aldridge, Dean Berry, Tom Dosch, Curt Fredrickson, and Kristi Villar). 
• Football finished the 2014 season 8-3, the best record since 1999.
• Women's basketball won their first-ever NSIC Tournament Championship and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.
• Men's basketball qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 5 seasons. 
• All-Americans were crowned in Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field, Cross Country and Wrestling. 
• Softball finished the 2015 season with a school record for wins (33).
• Both Men's and Women's basketball led NCAA Division II in attendance for the 8^th consecutive season. 

 "The unprecedented success of our student-athletes in the classroom and competition over the past few years is directly related to our growth in support," said Moon. "Every athletic scholarship provided to these student-athletes comes from the loyal support of the Wolves Club."
 
"I want to congratulate and recognize the efforts of all of our Wolves Club volunteers – many who work multiple special events throughout the year and work long hours to help support our student-athletes.  I would also like to recognize our athletics development team. There is a lot of work that goes into this each year and we are very fortunate to have an amazing development staff at NSU, including Todd Jordre (Foundation President/CEO), Jon Olson (Vice President of Development), Zach Flakus (Associate Director of Athletics) and Blake Day (Assistant Director of Athletics)."

Over 70 percent of NSU's 380 varsity student-athletes received an athletic scholarship last year, and every athletic scholarship is privately fundraised through the Wolves Club. NSU offered nearly $1.1 million dollars in athletic scholarships in 2014-2015, which put NSU below the average institutional athletic scholarship funding level in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Wolves Club funding is also used for sport program support and enhancements.     

"The cost to operate a successful athletic department and provide the scholarships necessary to compete in the toughest conference in NCAA Division II, continues to rise. The only way we will become more competitive is to increase support to Wolves Athletics. We have made large strides in some of our programs, but the reality is we simply need to provide more scholarship dollars in order to be more competitive across the board. Our goal continues to be to raise $2 million annually and have over 2,000 members in the Wolves Club," continued Moon.  In order to fully fund all NSIC sport programs, scholarship levels would need to rise to $1.9 million annually. 
 
Fans, friends and alums of NSU can help support NSU Athletics by giving in a variety of different ways. 

• Greatest Need: Your unrestricted support goes directly to what is needed most – scholarships and program enhancements.
• Named Athletic Scholarships ($1,500 and above/year): Impact the lives of Wolves student-athletes right now.
• Athletic Endowment ($25,000 minimum over five years): Invest in the future, start an endowment.
• Championship funds: Each sport program has its own fundraising account. Designate your gift directly to the sport of your choice! (CHAMPIONSHIP FUND PAGE)
• Purchase Wolves Season Tickets.
 
The Wolves Club Giving Guide is available HERE
 
To learn more about how you can make an impact in the lives of NSU student-athletes and the Wolves Club, contact us at: 605-626-2550, or e-mail: wolvesclub@northern.edu
 
About the NSU Wolves Club
 
The NSU Wolves Club is the largest annual fund-raising program for men's & women's intercollegiate athletics. Founded in 1978, the Wolves Club is a dedicated group of athletic fans who volunteer their time and talent to promote Northern Athletics. These boosters raise annual revenue for the athletic program through donations, concession sales, special events, sponsorships and the annual membership drive. Wolves Club Members play a vital role in the success of NSU's Athletic programs. The Wolves Club provides revenue for scholarships, recruiting, operating support and other program enhancements.