Rockne Heritage Fund
Since Knute Rockne was at the helm, the Fighting Irish have evolved to become one of the top all-around collegiate sports programs in the nation. It is the challenge of sustaining that success—and particularly, finding the means to fund those undertakings—that faces the University today.
Simply put, we want it all. We want Notre Dame Athletics to continue to be a source of revenue for the University, but we also want to be the home of the model intercollegiate athletics program, the best in every way. We want to be the unsurpassed leader in academic performance and fiscal responsibility. We want to do it the right way, the Notre Dame way, which demands the highest level of integrity on and off the field.
Most of all, we want to continue offering our student-athletes a transforming educational experience, one that combines intellectual rigor, athletic excellence, and an emphasis on spirituality and moral values. And we want to extend this opportunity based exclusively on a young person’s talent and desire, not on his or her financial resources.
Give a Gift. Leave a Legacy.
To that end, the Rockne Heritage Fund was created in 2002 to galvanize alumni, parents, and friends of Notre Dame to fund expendable grants-in-aid (i.e., athletic scholarships) for student-athletes.
There is no minimum donation required to join the Rockne Heritage Fund. Every donor will receive an invitation to attend a Rockne Heritage Fund tailgate event prior to the annual Blue-Gold football game each spring. High-profile speakers highlight this popular event.
Donors who contribute $1,500 or more to the Rockne Heritage Fund in a calendar year qualify for membership in the Director’s Circle.
And, of course, all contributions to the Rockne Heritage Fund are credited toward eligibility in the football ticket lottery.
Every gift to the Rockne Heritage Fund will count toward Reunion Giving participation goals.
Every gift matters. Make yours today.
Please indicate that you wish to direct your gift to the Rockne Heritage Fund in the “comments” section of the online gift form.
Questions? Please contact:
www.und.com/rockneheritagefund
Winners On and Off the Field
You know Notre Dame student-athletes are winners on the field. But take a closer look at their off-the-field activities, and you might begin to wonder how these exemplary young people accomplish so much.
Take senior Meghan Murphy. An attack on the women’s varsity lacrosse team, Meghan has maintained a 3.70 GPA with a double major in anthropology and preprofessional studies, earning her a spot on the Third Team Academic All-American. Her service work is equally impressive, with stints at the YWCA Women’s Shelter, South Bend Center for the Homeless, and St. Joseph’s and Memorial Hospitals pediatric units, among others.
She’s not alone. All told, our student-athletes logged close to 2,300 hours of community service last year and earned 14 Academic All-Americans—all the while advancing to the national level in 24 out of 26 varsity sports.
Meghan is quick to share credit: “The support network here is phenomenal and those around you—teammates, coaches, administrators, alumni—are active contributors to your success. We always need a reminder how lucky we are to be athletes at Notre Dame.”
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Year-end Giving and the Football Lottery
Video: Milo Dodson ‘08