The 2024-25 academic year saw unprecedented success for Penn State Athletics, including national championships in wrestling and women’s volleyball and final four runs in football, men’s hockey and men’s lacrosse. Women’s soccer also reached the national quarterfinals, while men’s volleyball and women’s hockey earned conference championships.
After an impressive year of athletic achievements, Penn State announced information about its fundraising, which totaled a program record $164.9 million in gifts received through the Nittany Lion Club.
“The support from nearly 20,000 donors this year marks a significant milestone for Penn State Athletics. Raising nearly $165 million, the most in our history, demonstrates the strong belief in our mission and the direction of our programs,” athletics director Pat Kraft said in the release. “This level of investment will have a lasting impact, enhancing the student-athlete experience, advancing key facility projects and positioning us to compete for championships across the board. It’s a transformational moment for our department and our future.”
According to the university, funds benefit student-athlete facilities, including ongoing renovations like the Beaver Stadium enhancements, as well as paying for scholarships. Four of the five largest gifts in school history were earmarked for the football stadium renovations, which are slated for completion ahead of the 2027 season.
The Nittany Lion Club received 100 gifts of $10,000 or more and 13 gifts of $1 million or more. One of those gifts includes $50 million from the Werzyn family and West Shore Home, the largest donation in Penn State history, which came with naming rights for the field at Beaver Stadium. During the team’s annual Blue-White game, the West Shore Home Field logo was visible on the grass.
Additional known gifts include $25 million from the Misitano family and PAM Health — the second largest donation in program history, $5 million from Frank and Jennifer Marzano (in exchange for naming rights of the Marzano Club suites on the West sideline), $5 million from the Schuyler family and $5 million from PlayFly Sports, all being put toward Beaver Stadium.
In addition to the larger gifts, Penn State announced 67% growth in the “All-American” donation tier, which requires a $20,000 annual gift, and a 47% increase in the “Lion’s Pride” donor tier, which requires a minimum donation of $10,000 annually.
The release also noted 22.8% of former student-athletes made donations to the university during the academic year.
The influx of support puts Penn State among the nation’s leaders when it comes to fundraising. Fundraising information from most universities is not publicly available, but for reference, Oklahoma announced a program-record $113 million this year, while Texas reported $133 million for the 2024 fiscal year (October 2023-September 2024).
