Dear Cavalier Fan,

Summer is winding down and students are making their way back to Grounds. This year will look different than years past but our goal remains the same: to ensure our student-athletes have the best possible experience while learning and competing at UVA. To achieve that goal, we are diligently working with our donor base to fully fund scholarships, operational budgets, academic support and the Master Plan.

These past five months have been marked by change as everyone has had to make adjustments. Our staff is working from home, student-athletes are learning online, and everyone is on Zoom. Despite uncertainty in some areas, we still have definite milestones to achieve. We do know while competition will look different this academic year, student-athletes will continue to study hard, take classes and work towards their world-class degree. Our charge has not changed — it is to fund scholarships and other needs – whether or not our teams compete in a full season.

The financial impact of the pandemic on college athletics will be significant and the full impact is still unknown. There are two areas in which donors can make an impact on the athletics department’s financial stability – philanthropy and ticket revenue. Donors to our Annual Fund have long supported a fully funded scholarship program at Virginia and reaching our $20 million goal this year is of paramount importance. In addition, ticket revenue will be significantly affected this year due to the uncertainty of fan attendance.

How can you help?

If you haven’t made your 2020 Annual Fund commitment, we encourage you to do so now – even if you traditionally wait until later in the year. Renewing your pledge now helps us forecast spending for the remainder of the year. If you can pay your pledge by September 30, it will help us fund our first semester scholarship payment to the University and you will receive bonus Priority Points as part of our annual incentive for early payment.

If you have made your pledge, please consider increasing it and paying it by the end of September, if possible.

Consider buying a 4TheHoos virtual ticket to support operational budgets for the sport programs. This effort is not part of the VAF Annual Fund but is a unique offer that will help offset anticipated losses in ticket revenue due to fan attendance and limited, if any, single game ticket sales.

If games are impacted, please consider donating the value of your season ticket purchase as part of the Fans First Ticket Program. These donations can be directed to a sport operational budget or the Master Plan. We recognize this may be difficult for some and the natural reaction might be to request a refund. Keep in mind that all revenue streams for the athletics program will be impacted this year and donating the value of your ticket purchase or taking a credit for next year will help to lessen the stress on the athletics department budget.

As we welcome all student-athletes this fall, we recognize the profound impact of donor support from the first day they step on Grounds to the day they walk the Lawn and throughout their lives. Thank you for continuing to create a lifetime of memories for over 750 student-athletes.

Best regards,

Dirk P. Katstra
Executive Director