COLUMBIA, Mo. – Less than 40 days after closing out the best fund-raising year in Mizzou Athletics history, the department kicked off the 2017-18 academic year by receiving an anonymous $1.2M gift to the Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF) in support of the football and basketball programs, as well as future TSF initiatives.

“The generosity and passion that our donors have for Mizzou Athletics continues to amaze me, and our coaches and staff deeply appreciate the generosity of those who are stepping forward to help us enhance our programs” said Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk. “These transformational gifts allow us to provide the best possible academic and athletic experience for our more than 550 student-athletes who represent this great University.”

Mizzou Athletics received a school-record 11, seven-figure gifts during the recently-completed fiscal year which allowed TSF to generate a school-record $50.7 million in support of the institution’s 20-sport intercollegiate athletics program. TSF’s record-breaking 2016-17 tally shattered the previous record of $45.7 million raised in 2011-12, which marked Mizzou’s maiden voyage in the Southeastern Conference. It also marked just the second time in school history that the TSF surpassed the $40 million threshold in philanthropic support and just the fifth time it topped the $30 million plateau.

Thanks in part to outstanding support from over 7,000 TSF members, Mizzou student-athletes continued to thrive academically and athletically during the recently completed academic year.

In the classroom, 269 Mizzou student-athletes received SEC Honor Roll recognition, 303 garnered University Dean’s List status for at least one semester and 14 teams registered a 3.00 grade-point average for the Spring 2017 term. In addition, Mizzou student-athletes spent over 4,800 hours volunteering with more than 50 organizations in Columbia and surrounding Mid-Missouri communities.
Mizzou, which registered its highest finish ever in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings with its 33rd-place showing in the final 2016-17 rankings (highest previous final ranking was 36th in 2008-09), won a pair of conference team championships (volleyball and wrestling), had 16 of 20 teams represented in NCAA postseason play, and saw 10 squads finish their respective season ranked among the nation’s Top 25, including Top 10 NCAA championship placings in wrestling (fifth), women’s indoor track & field (eighth) and men’s swimming and diving (ninth).

In addition, two Tigers combined to win four 2016-17 NCAA individual championships as wrestler J’den Cox won his third national title at 197 lbs., and Karissa Schweizer became just the fourth female in NCAA history to win the distance triple crown (cross country, indoor 5,000m and outdoor 5,000m national titles), and first since 2008. Mizzou also produced 13 individual conference champions and saw 31 student-athletes earn 69 All-America certificates in 11 different sports.

— Mizzou Athletics —