The University of Colorado athletic department has raised more than $72 million in gifts and corporate sponsorships in the past two years, with much of the money targeted for the athletic complex expansion around Folsom Field, according to university officials.
They said they are targeting $85 million in private donations toward the facilities project and another $20 million toward an endowment initiative.
The new public phase of the fundraising is being called “The drive to 105.”
More than $57 million has been raised to date toward the facilities project and more than $15 million toward the endowment side, said Rick George, the university’s athletic director.
There is no deadline for reaching the $105 million target.
“We want to build a long-term, sustainable foundation,” George said. “It’s important we grow our endowments.”
“As we sit here today, we’re not very competitive in that versus our peers, and we need to get better.”
CU officials said more than 1,200 gifts from more than 800 donors have been received so far.
George said more than $500,000 has been donated unsolicited.
CU broke ground in May on a $181 million project to expand athletic department space, a parking garage and an indoor practice facility.
Athletics is responsible for $156 million of the project, and the campus is paying close to $25 million to fund a 600-space parking garage.
