Feb. 9, 2010

Victory With Integrity: By the Numbers |

WACO, Texas - Thanks to the generosity of more than 6,000 loyal donors, Baylor's five-year, $90 million Victory With Integrity fundraising campaign raised over $95 million in support of the school's 18-sport intercollegiate athletics program, Baylor Director of Athletics Ian McCaw announced today. The campaign, which was approved on February 4, 2005, by Baylor's Board of Regents, officially closed last week.

"During the course of this campaign, we've had more than 6,000 people who have made contributions to Victory With Integrity," McCaw said. "And while the gifts went to buildings, scholarships, the Bear Foundation and various other designations, truly all the gifts were an investment in our 450 student-athletes.

"I want to thank each and every one of our donors from the bottom of my heart and especially those who made leadership gifts," said McCaw.

The Victory With Integrity Campaign Champions, who were recognized at halftime of the Jan. 23rd Baylor-UMass basketball game, included Jay and Jenny Allison; the Richard W. "Bootsie" George, Jr., Estate; Ted and Sue Getterman; Jim and Nell Hawkins; the late Alwin O. and Dorothy Highers; Mark and Paula Hurd; Bob and Janice Simpson; Julie and Jim Turner; Jack and Martha Whetsel; Richard and Karen Willis and XTO Energy, Inc.

Baylor, which topped its original $90 million campaign goal last fall, has utilized these gifts to provide $62 million in new facilities for its teams; with another $25.5 million being donated in annual giving through the Baylor Bear Foundation over the campaign's lifetime and $7.5 being provided to grow the athletics endowment.

Among the construction projects completed in the last five years were the Lt. Jack Whetsel Jr. Basketball Practice Facility and Willis Family Equestrian Center in 2006; the Harrington Recruiting Center in 2007; the Highers Athletics Complex and Simpson Athletic and Academic Center in 2008, along with renovations of the skyboxes at Floyd Casey Stadium; and the Jay and Jenny Allison Indoor Football Practice Facility and renovations to the Hurd Tennis Building in 2009.

"These outstanding facilities allow us to not only recruit the best and brightest student-athletes, but develop them into well-rounded student-athletes who can excel in their sport, in the classroom, and possess great character and leadership qualities," McCaw said.

Victory With Integrity's success has fueled Baylor's finest five-year athletic run ever, both academically and athletically.

More than 2,000 Baylor student-athletes have earned Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll status since the campaign began, and 92 percent of Baylor's student-athletes who complete their eligibility have left with degree in hand. All-told, 466 student-athletes received Baylor degrees during the campaign.

During the campaign, Baylor Athletics produced one NCAA team championship, 10 NCAA individual champions, 23 Big 12 Conference titles, 64 postseason entrants, 434 All-Big 12 selections and 143 All-Americans all while making an economic impact of more than $155 million to the greater Waco community.

"It has been the best five-year period in the history of Baylor Athletics," McCaw said. "This campaign has been a tremendous success and Baylor Athletics is in a new era as a result of it."