July 1, 2025, marked a monumental day in the history of college athletics in the United States.
With the approval of the
House vs NCAA settlement now final, July 1 marked the day that NCAA Division I athletic departments are able to increase scholarship funding for teams and participate in new forms of revenue sharing with student-athletes. We are excited about how these changes will strengthen our athletics program and help elevate Stephen F. Austin State University as an institution!
SFA has chosen to participate in this new model for four distinct reasons:
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Scholarship and headcount limits have been removed in favor of roster limits. This is a significant change, allowing for ALL STUDENTS ON A ROSTER to be eligible for at least a partial athletic scholarship;We will be able to use institutional and donor support to RECRUIT and RETAIN high-performing students who compete for SFA;We will be able to oversee SFA Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for our student-athletes. This means we can work COLLABORATIVELY to build brands, promote and market our teams and the University, and ultimately share in the revenue we are able to generate TOGETHER;We can CONSOLIDATE and manage all contributions for the athletics program through the University and provide tax benefits to our supporters for all gifts.[/ol]
Our commitment to sustained excellence in competition and in academics remains steadfast. We expect to compete for and win Southland Conference championships in every sport, and to do so with students who will graduate from SFA and remain lifelong supporters of this great institution. The new era that begins today will only strengthen our opportunities to achieve our goals!
Our past success has been largely dependent on the avid support provided by our fans and donors. It will be even more critical as we point to the future. Now more than ever, we need to be able to count on your support in two ways: purchasing tickets to attend games, and providing an annual financial gift to funds that directly support our mission: the
Purple Lights Fund and the newly created, sport-specific
Sawmill Funds. Donors to the
Purple Lights Fund provide unrestricted gifts that support all student-athletes, coaches and teams, specifically in the areas of scholarships, academic support, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, marketing, coaching salaries, travel and recruiting. These gifts are the difference in an average athletic program and a championship program. The annual
Purple Lights Fund campaign is now underway and you can pledge your support here:
Give to the Purple Lights FundThe
Sawmill Funds are made possible by the House vs. NCAA settlement. You now have the ability to directly support teams by helping coaches attract and retain the very best students to play for SFA. Gifts to these funds are directed to each sport and provide additional, allowable income to students above and beyond scholarships. This income will be in the form of increased scholarships, academic performance awards, monthly cost of living stipends, retention awards and direct compensation for marketing activities that promote SFA. Funds given to a sport's Sawmill Fund stay in the fund until disbursed to members of the team, at the direction of the head coach. An online giving platform for the Sawmill Funds will be available soon. In the interim, if you have an interest in supporting a team through its Sawmill Fund, please contact Scott Allen, Senior Associate AD for Development at (936) 468-3986 or email him at allends1@sfasu.edu.
Each of these funds offers a clear path for you to provide direct support to our students and coaches. The accounts are managed by the SFA Foundation, are tax-exempt and fully compliant with new NCAA guidelines. As part of the new structure, the Sawmill Collective's role will be evolving to support the new Sawmill Funds. Gifts that previously have been made to the Collective can now be made directly to SFA and the Sawmill Funds. I can't say thank you enough to Matt Rocco and the board of the Sawmill Collective who have been so instrumental in bringing SFA into the NIL space a few years ago. The Collective was able to bring our athletes together with many non-profits and young people in Nacogdoches. The impact has been significant! Although the role of the Collective will be modified going forward, the opportunities for local non-profits to connect with our teams will not! Further, I am excited to continue working with Matt and his team as the industry continues to evolve and grow.
In closing, I want to thank you for your unbridled support of our students and coaches. Whether your support comes in the form of time, treasure and/or talent, you are valuable to us and we greatly appreciate you. The people of SFA are truly what sets it apart and because of this, I know the future is bright and together we will embrace and champion this new era in college athletics!
Axe'Em Jacks!
Michael McBroom
Director of Athletics
