Excellence in Athletics

The athletic experience at the Air Force Academy is essential for the overall development of our cadets. Through intramurals, intercollegiate competition, and physical education programs, cadets are pushed to their physical limits to develop necessary leadership abilities.

Academy intercollegiate athletic programs have always been primarily funded through non-appropriated funds (i.e. ticket sales, advertising, gift shop receipts, etc.). To remain competitive, it is necessary for the AOG to expand on these sources of funding.

To enhance our important athletic programs, the Building Leaders of Character for the Nation campaign seeks to secure $10 million.

Athletic Leadership Endowment ($7 million)

Athletic Leadership Endowments are aimed at attracting and retaining the best role models to lead our cadets and athletes. Over 40 percent of athletic expenses are personnel costs-primarily funding for coaches in thirty premier sports. The 25 percent of cadets who participate in intercollegiate athletic programs spend more time with their coaches than any other leaders at the Academy, making it even more essential to have the right people in these critical positions.

The marketplace for attracting individuals who believe in and represent the values of the Academy both on and off the field is becoming increasingly competitive. Athletic Leadership Endowments will provide a consistent, predictable stream of resources that will allow the Academy to attract and retain elite coaches whose primary responsibility is developing character and integrity in the lives of cadets. In total, we seek to secure $6 million in endowments for this purpose.

The Athletic Director is charged with the overall physical development of cadets in the context of the Academy mission. Under the Athletic Director's guidance, cadets develop the physical skills necessary for officership. The Athletic Director Leadership Endowment ($1 million) allows the Athletic Director to fund unforeseen opportunities and programs that will benefit the entire cadet wing. This may include bringing in high-level speakers for the Athletic Leadership Lecture program; providing equipment and travel stipends for intramural and club teams, or helping our athletes' performance by enhancing the Human Performance Laboratory.

Intramural Endowment
($1 million)

Intramurals have always been an important part of the Academy experience. This athletic competition fosters initiative, self-confidence and the experience of being a part of something greater than oneself. Currently, cadets play on squadron teams in 15 sports. Some examples of those are soccer, tennis, boxing, water polo, team handball, rugby, basketball, cross country, volleyball, flag football, softball and racquetball.

In many of these sports, there are opportunities for cadets to compete against other colleges and universities.

Through private funding, cadets are able to travel to regional competitions. The intramural endowment will create a steady stream of revenue for programmatic costs such as athletic gear and travel. Our goal is to fund the intramural program in perpetuity by securing a $1 million endowment.

Field House Pavilion
($2 million)

The Academy seeks to secure $2 million to fund a 5,200 sq. ft. sports hospitality center to be built in the Cadet Field House - the Academy's most-used athletic facility. The facility creates an enclosed space for approximately 160 spectators, allowing simultaneous viewing of events in the basketball, ice hockey, and multi-purpose (indoor track and field area) arenas. The center will serve as a vehicle to promote the athletic department.

This sky box seating venue will enable the Academy to generate additional revenue in support of all athletic programs. The Athletic Department envisions hosting small conferences and creating an elite membership opportunity to raise additional funds for its programs. Almost the entire cadet wing will benefit from this additional revenue as funds will be dispersed among intercollegiate, intramurals, and club sports.