UND Men’s golf program to be reinstated

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Brian Faison announced today that the men’s golf program has secured the necessary external funding in order to be reinstated for fiscal years 2017 (FY 17) and 2018 (FY 18). The athletics department had announced in April that it was discontinuing its men’s golf and baseball programs as part of the University’s overall budget restructuring process.

Earlier this summer, the men’s golf program was given a deadline of Aug. 30, 2016 to raise $70,823 in cash or pledges (signed/legally binding) in order to be reinstated for FY 17 and a June 1, 2017 deadline to raise $73,589 in cash or pledges (signed/legally binding) to continue for FY 18. Cash and pledges in excess of the funding goals were raised by the Fore UND Golf Campaign that was led by alumni, former letterwinners, and friends of the program. Those funds have been received by the UND Alumni Association & Foundation.

“I would like to thank the University of North Dakota, UND Athletics, the UND Alumni Association & Foundation, and the Fore UND Golf Campaign for helping the men’s golf program at UND,” said UND men’s golf coach Tim Swanson. “The student-athletes are looking forward to getting back on the golf course and competing for the UND Fighting Hawks.”

In spring 2016, the University went through a budget reduction process that resulted in a $21.5 million reshaping of the University's budget. As a result of that process, the elimination of UND’s baseball and men's golf programs was proposed and approved.

Then-interim President Ed Schafer indicated a willingness to consider plans for the possible reinstatement of baseball and men's golf based upon the ability to attract sustainable external funding. University officials met and worked with supporters and reviewed potential fundraising plans. It was ultimately determined that there was not a workable plan that would generate enough revenue to sustain the baseball program.

Men's golf, however, submitted a plan to President Schafer which he believed had the ability to attract the sustainable external funding necessary to reinstate the golf program if funding deadlines were met.

The plan also calls for an endowment that will be required to sustain men's golf for FY 19 and beyond. The University and the UND Alumni Association & Foundation will establish the long-term funding dollar amount for the endowment, which will need to be fully capitalized by June 1, 2018 for men's golf to continue.

“I want to congratulate the Fore UND Golf Campaign members for getting this fundraising done in such a short period of time,” said Faison. “The way the student-athletes and Coach Swanson have handled an incredibly difficult situation has been impressive.”

For more information about supporting the long-term funding of the UND men’s golf program, please contact the UND Foundation at 800.543.8764 or 701.777.2611, or visit www.undalumni.org/mensgolf.