TOUGH | TOGETHER

Sustaining Bison Basketball Success With Green and Gold Fund Support

GIVE TO THE GREEN AND GOLD FUND

“There is only one way, and that’s the Bison Way. We have always and must continue to head straight into the storm ... evolving and embracing change to stay ahead of our competition.”

- NDSU Men’s Basketball Coach Dave Richman

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has become a key factor in recruiting and retaining student-athletes and a necessary component to position NDSU as a destination school for top athletic talent. To remain competitive on a national level, we need your support.

Your gift to the Green and Gold Fund is a direct investment in student-athletes who fit the program’s culture, compete at a high level, and represent the Bison with pride.

We cannot do this alone. Now is the time to step forward and play an active role in the future success of NDSU Men’s Basketball.

THE GREEN AND GOLD FUND ADVANTAGE

The NDSU men’s basketball team is defined by a simple yet powerful identity: Tough | Together

Continuing this identity means attracting the right people and creating a student-athlete experience that inspires them to stay. Both are essential to sustaining the success of the NDSU men’s basketball program, and in today’s collegiate athletics landscape, NIL directly impacts recruitment and retention.

Recruitment

In addition to academic and athletic opportunities, student-athletes are increasingly considering other resources available to support their overall experience, as they choose which college or university to attend. Recruitment depends on NIL opportunities to establish NDSU as a program of choice.

Retention

The ability to provide additional support to student-athletes throughout their collegiate careers has become essential to building consistent programs. NIL plays a significant role in keeping key contributors on the team and maintaining roster stability for the program.

NDSU men’s basketball player Andy Stefonowicz standing center court during March Madness.

“NIL allows our team to be competitive in recruiting high-level basketball talent and, even more importantly, keeping that talent from transferring. Along with the culture and pride surrounding Bison Basketball, NIL dollars were a major part of my decision to return this season.”

- NDSU Men’s Basketball Player Andy Stefonowicz

NDSU MEN’S BASKETBALL GREEN AND GOLD FUND | $250,000

You can be a part of this exciting initiative.

The Green and Gold Fund serves as the structure through which the NDSU men’s basketball program receives NIL support. The fund has set a goal of $250,000 to provide the program with the resources needed to compete for high-level talent and retain student-athletes who contribute to the team’s achievements both on and off the court.

YOUR IMPACT

Each and every gift moves NDSU Men’s Basketball closer to its $250,000 goal, and your gift to create NIL opportunities will:

  • Strengthen recruiting efforts by positioning NDSU as a destination of choice for top student-athletes
  • Enhance retention and roster continuity by creating stability in an increasingly competitive NIL environment
  • Give the men’s basketball program the tools and resources needed to compete as NIL investment grows nationwide
The NDSU menn's basketball team celebrating their Summit League championship in 2026.

RECOGNIZING YOUR SUPPORT

In acknowledgement of your gift, you will receive Team Makers membership benefits at the appropriate level, including recognition and NDSU Athletics engagement opportunities. Gifts to the fund count toward your priority points, and you will receive one point for every $50 contribution. Additionally, donations to the NDSU Men’s Basketball Green and Gold Fund are processed through the NDSU Foundation and fully tax-deductible.

Learn more about the benefits of supporting Bison Basketball through the Green and Gold Fund.

FROM SUCCESS TO CONTINUED EXCELLENCE

The Bison’s historic 2025–26 run saw the team set a school record for wins in a season, finishing 27-7 and capturing both the Summit League Regular Season and Tournament championships.

You can help sustain this momentum.

Being Tough | Together extends beyond the court. It includes donors like you who step up to offer support when it matters most, and NIL is needed now more than ever to ensure NDSU Men’s Basketball can continue purusing excellence.

Make a gift to the Green and Gold Fund today, and you will play a direct role in providing the resources needed to attract and retain top talent and further develop a championship-caliber program.

Our directors of development are here to help you connect your Bison pride to immediate recruiting and retention needs. As you determine how you’d like to make your impact, please work with your director of development.

DERRICK LANG ’13

Justin Swanson ’06, ’07

GIVE TO THE GREEN AND GOLD FUND
NDSU Team Makers

Margaret and her husband, Hugh Veit ’79, established the Eleanor S. Fitzgerald Memorial Graduate Student Scholarship to support NDSU students earning advanced degrees in the Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences or the Department of Human Development and Family Science.

Core areas of home economics remain part of current NDSU degree programs such as accounting; apparel, retail merchandising, and design; education; family and consumer science; financial planning; human development and family science; interior design; and nutrition science.

Home economics programs opened doors, particularly for women, to earn college degrees and pursue careers in education, Extension, state and federal government, business and industry, health care, and more. NDAC listed domestic economy as one of its courses in its founding year, 1890.

Established by Dr. Teresa Conner, dean of the NDSU College of Health and Human Sciences, and co-chaired by Dr. Margaret Fitzgerald ’83 and Col. Esther Meyers ’75, the Wisdom Keepers provide support and share their knowledge and expertise with students, faculty, staff, and leadership in the College.

The home management house at NDAC was the first facility built on a college campus specifically for home management practice. In 1954, it was named in honor of Alba Bales, the first female academic dean at NDAC.