PULLMAN, Wash. — WSU raised more than $3.5 million this week following former head football coach Nick Rolovich’s departure.
The money will be used to fund the athletic program’s new indoor practice facility. Though weekly figures are not available, this is one of the best fundraising weeks in the history of the Cougar Athletic Fund. Last year, the WSU set a record with $30 million in donations. This week, they raised nearly 11% of that
According to WSU Athletic Director Pat Chun, there was one multi-million-dollar donation and then another handful of high dollar amounts.
“We’ve raised over $3.5 million this week, and with that, we’ve hit our target goal for IPF funding,” Chun said at the weekly coaches' luncheon on Friday in Pullman.
One of these substantial donations came from WSU alumnus Darren Alger and his wife, Jamie.
“This gift is my way to acknowledge the impact WSU has had on my life. I am forever grateful to the school, the Cougar community, and my lifelong friendships,” Darren Alger said.
Darren Alger graduated from WSU in 1993 and is now president and CEO of Unify Consulting.
“Jamie and I know the future of WSU Athletics is as bright as ever. Both current and future student-athletes deserve our support and we want to ensure they have the resources needed to accomplish all of their goals,” Alger said. “And the most important goal of them all, to beat the Huskies!”
“We are indebted to Darren and Jamie for their extraordinary generosity,” Chun said, via news release. “Their philanthropic support will establish a lasting legacy at WSU and will impact student-athletes for years to come. We are fortunate to have them in the Coug Family and we say ‘Thank You’ to the entire Alger family for providing the punctuation mark for fundraising of our Indoor Practice Facility.
Chun’s announcement did not mention anything regarding the timeline for the indoor practice facility.
