Govs break fundraising record, raise $16,766,017 in 2021-22

When it comes to fundraising in college athletics… some years get the job done, some are good –and maybe even great – years, and then there are years like the one we just had at Austin Peay State University.

Now you’re surely wondering what I mean by “and then there are years like the one we just had” and I am here to tell you that we shattered the Austin Peay athletics department record by raising $16,766,017 during the 2021-22 fiscal year.

Here’s some context. The department-record $16,766,017 is nearly seven and a half times more than the $2,240,541 Austin Peay raised during the 202021 fiscal year and is just over six times more than the previous department record of $2,789,340.43, which was raised during the 2014-15 fiscal year.

“First off, I want to thank everyone that gave to Austin Peay athletics during this record-breaking year,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison. “These generous gifts have positively impacted every single student-athlete at Austin Peay and helped us continue to level up as an athletic department. I also want to thank the athletic and advancement staffs that made this possible. Their hard work and dedication have helped to immensely improve the student-athlete experience at Austin Peay!”

Aside from the hard work of many people on the Governors’ staff, this kind of uber-successful year wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of a number of people who give to better the studentathlete experience at Austin Peay, so let’s check the donation stats:

• 521 donors gave 1,087 annual gifts ($1,000 or less), raising $181,443.

• Another 54 donors gave 97 major gifts ($1,001 or more), raising $16,425,928.

• 183 gifts were made during Govs Give, raising $158,646.

• There were 22 five-figure gifts, four six-figure gifts, and one eight-figure gift.

“The University’s record-breaking fundraising year would not have been possible without gifts to APSU athletics,” Austin Peay Vice President for Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy Kris Phillips said.

“We are excited that the department reached this milestone in giving. We can always depend on our Governors fans, friends, and alumni to help us reach new levels of achievement each year. Because of their involvement, the future is bright for our sports teams and our entire campus community.”

Now to the good stuff… where did the money go?

The biggest, and probably most obvious improvement, to Austin Peay athletics in the past year is the brand-new football turf on the Maynard Family Field at Fortera Stadium. The new turf features a nearly 40-yard-long State of Tennessee logo with a Governors logo tucked inside.

On the surface, those are the only upgrades you’ll notice at Fortera Stadium, but if you’re an Austin Peay student-athlete, then that’s just not the case. Upgrades to the training room and nutrition room inside Fortera Stadium will help all 320 Austin Peay student-athletes stay healthy and properly fueled, giving them the best opportunity to accomplish all their goals in their particular sport.

Then there’s the new football locker room. Brandnew lockers and more efficient use of the space gives the Governors football team the best chance to compete in the inaugural season of ASUN Conference football and for many years to come.

Right outside of Fortera Stadium, a new video board can be found in the Jenkins Family Fieldhouse. The sizable LED board gives student-athletes and their coaches another space where they can utilize topof-the-line technology while improving their craft on the practice field.

Just a stone’s throw away from the Jenkins Family Fieldhouse, you can find renovations being done to the inside of the baseball program’s Jamie “Cat” Walker Indoor Facility. The building has been gutted with the nets and original turf removed and a new layer of black paint – which will create a better backdrop for hitters and pitchers – applied from floor to ceiling. With new nets set to be installed, the facility will help bring Austin Peay baseball into a new era as the program looks to return to its championship pedigree.

Another improvement that can be found in the Winfield Dunn Center is the renovated softball coaches’ offices. After the softball team moved into its brand-new locker room in the Downey Building just across the street from Cathi Maynard Park, the coaching staff was next to get a revamped workspace.

The list of the upgrades and improvements Austin Peay has been able to make thanks to this banner fundraising year goes on and on from new branding across the entire Joe and Cathi Maynard Athletic Complex, to new basketball stanchions in the Dunn Center, new concrete pads for bleachers at the Govs Beach Volleyball Complex, resurfaced courts at the Governors Tennis Courts, and a refreshed scoreboard at Morgan Bros. Soccer Field.

Aside from facility upgrades, the record-breaking $16,766,017 helped power a number of new student- athlete development initiatives. In the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era of college athletics, Austin Peay has capitalized on its partnership with Teamworks and INFLCR to create the Stacheville Exchange. The Stacheville Exchange provides student-athletes with a free and easy-to-use forum where they can interact with businesses, donors, alumni, and collectives to pursue, construct, and fulfill NIL opportunities.

Austin Peay also used funds raised during the 202122 year to send three student-athletes – Yamia Johnson, Drae McCray, and Olivia Prock – to The NIL Summit, hosted by the Student-Athlete NIL (SANIL) and sponsored by NIL platform INFLCR, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The firstever summit gave student-athletes from across the nation a platform to converge on as a community of influencers and change agents, to share ideas, and collaborate alongside the transformative brands and organizations shaping the future of college sports.

Aside from its NIL benefits, Austin Peay’s continued partnership with INFLCR gives the athletics department an efficient and modern way to connect with student-athletes and share media that will allow them to build their own brand while simultaneously enhancing the Austin Peay brand.

All of this and more would be impossible without the generosity of everyone who gave to Austin Peay athletics during the 2021-22 year. As we move forward into a new year, we are going to continue to level up. Records are meant to be broken, and we’ll have time for that, but now there is just one thing left to say… thank you and it sure is a great day to be a Gov.

Governors’ student-athletes set fall-semester record with 3.362 grade-point average

Austin Peay State University’s varsity student-athletes set a fall semester record with a 3.362 grade-point average.

It is the 11th consecutive semester the APSU athletics department has posted a 3.0 GPA or better and the 14th time in department history. All 15 APSU varsity programs recorded at least a 3.0 GPA for the sixth consecutive semester. In addition, the Governors cheer and dance teams posted a 3.0 GPA or better.

Austin Peay’s baseball and women’s basketball teams set program records during the semester. The Govs’ baseball team posted a 3.523 GPA, while the women’s basketball program finished with a 3.567 GPA, each surpassing a 3.50 GPA for the first time. The Austin Peay men’s golf team set a fall semester record with a 3.714 GPA.

“I continue to be incredibly impressed by the hard work and success of our Governors in the classroom,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison. “The achievements of our student-athletes would not be possible without the support of Katie Ethridge (associate director of athletics, student-athlete success), her staff, as well as the emphasis our coaches put on their athletes academic performance. Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff prove they live the ‘Total Gov Concept’ in all aspects of their Austin Peay experience.”