By Katie Schultz
At the heart of every athletics department are, of course, the student athletes. They are young, talented and driven individuals doing their best to achieve both academic and physical greatness. Yet, athletes wouldn’t be anywhere without the support of their fans. The fans are the backbone to any sports team. They help build the excitement and tension at all the right moments. The fans of the Mesa State College athletics department are no exception to this, and thanks to programs like the Maverick Club, members can help support both the varsity sports and individual student athletes in achieving their goals.
The Maverick Club was started 30 years ago as a booster club for the athletics department by fans to help support varsity sports at the college.
“It allowed fans to show support in an organized way,” said Rick Adleman Executive Director of the Maverick Club.
The whole program is primarily based on varying degrees of membership. The level of membership is determined by the amount an individual donates to the program. The first level of membership is the Maroon & White for those individuals who donate $100. The next level is Stampede at a $250 donation, then the Maverick at $500, then the MBlock at $1,000 and then the final level of membership is the Founder at a $5,000 donation.
The money raised through the membership program helps fund both scholarships for individual student athletes as well as varsity sports and the athletics department as a whole. Within the department some money goes to the general athletic department fund, while another portion goes to other programs like the Championship Fund. This specific fund is designed for those varsity teams that make it to a regional or national conference. When it comes to scholarships for individual athletes, a new successful program is the Fifth Year Scholarship. This scholarship was created to help those student athletes who have an additional year of schooling left.
“It’s a way for us to thank them,” said Butch Miller, Athletics Department Director.
The amount of money raised within a given year is dependent on the number of individuals who sign up to become a member.
As the program brochure puts it, “The Maverick Club represents Mesa State Athletics’ number one fans.”
Within this membership program, those individuals who do sign up also get treated like Maverick sports royalty. They receive a variety of perks, depending on their membership level, ranging from Maverick decal to season ticket discounts to game day recognition.
“It get’s them closer to the action,” Miller said.
In addition to the membership program, the Maverick Club also hosts a variety of different fundraising events for different scholarships within the athletics department. Their biggest event is the Golf Scramble held in the spring and this year they are trying a new event in May called the Beer Tasting Festival.
“(The Maverick Club) helps achieve goals. It is the primer source of outside funding. It builds financial support,” Adleman said.
Overall the Maverick Club helps the entire department in a variety of ways. As Miller puts it “(The Maverick Club) is important because it ties the community with sports.” Making it a win-win situation for everyone.