MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Athletics and Athletics Director Gene Taylor have announced a new annual fundraising effort, Fighting Ever Fighting, to position K-State Athletics in this new era of college athletics and enhance the world-class student-athlete experience through philanthropic giving via the Ahearn Fund, K-State's National Fund for Student-Athlete Excellence.
The recent court settlement in the House vs. NCAA class action lawsuit, which allows athletics departments to share revenues with student-athletes for use of their name, image, and likeness, signals a transformative era in college athletics. Beyond revenue sharing, the settlement will also provide new scholarship opportunities, as well as changes to roster limits.
This historic settlement will have a monumental impact on college athletics, leveling the NIL playing field by creating a new structure with a uniform spending cap across all Power 4 institutions.
“At K-State, we are committed to fully funding our opportunity to share revenues with our student-athletes across all of our sports,” Taylor said. “We will never take for granted what we have at K-State: a loyal fanbase, world-class facilities, and unwavering donor support that is the envy of other schools. Change is never easy, and we know this is a monumental shift in college athletics. I truly believe that K-State will rise through this and prove to be a leader in the national landscape. We have witnessed championship moments, created lasting memories, and we will continue to do so by providing championship-level support that aligns with our championship-level expectations.”
With schools across the country facing new challenges to find a creative and diligent approach for new revenue streams, the Fighting Ever Fighting campaign will focus on the continued philanthropic support from Ahearn Fund members.
"Fighting Ever Fighting is much more than just the new world of revenue sharing. It goes far beyond that,” Taylor added. “The core mission of what we do has not changed. We want to provide the best collegiate experience, in competition and in the classroom, for our student-athletes when they come to K-State. We want to put them in a position to compete for championships. Fighting Ever Fighting is also about the new opportunities we are providing our student-athletes through additional scholarships; the importance of the economic impact K-State Athletics provides to the city, region and state and the role athletics plays in higher education when it comes to publicity and potential increases in enrollment. Whether donors are long-time supporters, or first-time givers, it takes a collective effort and your support to our Ahearn Excellence fund is more important than ever."