Kent State Athletics Celebrates Record-breaking Fundraising Year, Raising More Than $3 Million
7/23/2025 5:13:00 PM | The Golden Flashes Club
KENT, Ohio – Kent State Athletics and The Golden Flashes Club (TGFC) had a banner year for fundraising during the 2024-25 fiscal year, with the highest cash-in fundraising total in history and third highest in commitments, as well as fully endowing the first program in department history.
"The support from alumni, donors and fans that we have seen this year is phenomenal. I am appreciative of those who helped make this a record-breaking year of giving to Kent State Athletics," said Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Randale L. Richmond. "This is important on many levels, as those additional dollars support our student-athletes through scholarships and programmatic enhancements, all crucial aspects of the recruitment and retention of our Golden Flashes. This increase in support provides momentum as we move into a new era of college athletics and primes us for even greater success on the playing field, in the classroom and in preparing leaders to represent Kent State on a national level."
Donors came through with the highest cash-in fundraising in department history at more than $3 million raised, surpassing the previous high of $2.2 million during the 2003-04 fiscal year. TGFC secured more than $3.5 million in new commitments, which is the highest total since 2017. The department also saw a significant increase in engagement, adding nearly 200 donors year-over-year for a total of 2,240.
In April, the department announced the full endowment of scholarships for the men's golf program, marking the first time an athletic program has reached this milestone. With the fundraising leadership of former head coach Herb Page, '74, M.A. '76, and his wife Paula Treckel, '73, the endowment goal, which was just over $3 million, was successfully met this year. The men's and women's golf programs were recently named after Page and Treckel for their years of dedication, vision and support.
Looking ahead, the department and TGFC team aim to build on this momentum while navigating the evolving collegiate athletics landscape. At the start of the 2025-26 fiscal year, the university, in partnership with the KSU Foundation, launched Excellence Funds for athletics. These sports-specific funds, which follow new NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) laws for NCAA student-athletes, are designed to help the Golden Flashes recruit and retain top talent by providing direct meaningful support. Contributions to these funds will count toward donors' giving levels and corresponding hospitality benefits and season seat eligibility.
Following the success of the golf program's endowment, the department will focus on fully endowing scholarships for additional programs, as well as endowing coaching positions. These endowments are important because they help provide a stable, long-term funding source for athletic programs outside of university operating budgets.
"As higher education continues to evolve at a rapid pace and budgets are uncertain, endowing positions and programs through philanthropy is the future of maintaining our successful teams and coaches," said Valoree Vargo, vice president of philanthropy and alumni engagement and CEO of the Kent State University Foundation. "When donors partner with us to endow our best coaches and the scholarships for our athletic programs, we can ensure a sustainable future for the athletic department and the university. We are grateful to Herb Page and Paula Treckel for setting us on this path."
If you would like to learn more about The Golden Flashes Club and how you can get involved, please visit www.KentStateSports.com/TGFC.
