Crossroads Bank is donating $300,000 over the next 10 years to support the expansion of athletics at the University of Houston-Victoria, Athletics Director Ashley Walyuchow announced Saturday at the A Night for the Jaguars fundraising event.
The gift is the largest cash donation the university ever has received in support of its athletics program and also designates Crossroads Bank a UHV Athletics Sponsor for each of the university’s sports throughout the academic year from 2019 to 2028.
“UHV is working to grow its footprint every day, and Crossroads Bank’s contribution to Athletics is a remarkable way to help us continue that growth,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “We are excited to partner with Crossroads Bank, as this is a pivotal point not only for Athletics but UHV as well. Higher education is important, and these funds will help contribute to attracting future student-athletes to UHV.”
The $300,000 gift will be divided into 10 annual payments of $30,000 starting in 2019. The funds will allow UHV to use the funds in various ways to support growth of the athletics program, Walyuchow said. The gift also makes Crossroads Bank a UHV Athletics Sponsor for each sport’s season throughout the academic year.
“This gift is a generous gesture that provides Athletics the flexibility and momentum necessary to add new programs in the future,” Walyuchow said. “We are grateful to Crossroads Bank for partnering with us to transform Athletics. Its support creates new possibilities for the university and the community.”
A Night for the Jaguars fundraising event was part of A Weekend for the Jaguars. The weekend included the Claud Jacobs Intercollegiate Golf Tournament, and Saturday evening’s event featuring a catered dinner, beer and wine reception and entertainment by the Scott Taylor Band at Schroeder Hall.
“UHV’s role in the region aligns with our mission as a community bank, and we are enthusiastic to embark on this partnership with the university’s growing athletics program,” Crossroads Bank President Layne Brandt said. “As a community bank, we could not see a better organization to support and align ourselves with than the UHV Jaguars.”
Crossroads Bank’s mission is much like UHV because it is a cornerstone of the community and a symbol of progress toward the future, Brandt said. Assisting customers with banking and lending services allows the bank the opportunity and responsibility to play a role in supporting the community, and this donation is the first step in Crossroads Bank’s partnership with UHV and the greater Crossroads community.
The Jaguars, in their 12th year of athletic competition, have flourished with a successful program that includes several conference championships and trips to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championships in baseball, softball, golf and soccer. For the first eight years of the program’s existence, the Jaguars competed in the Association of Independent Constitutions Conference, and in 2016, the Jaguars joined the Red River Athletics Conference. The program has had success on the field and in the classroom. The UHV Jaguars’ baseball, softball and golf seasons are underway.
Though the years, the Jaguars and UHV have received tremendous support from the community, Walyuchow said. Plans to grow include providing prospective student-athletes with increased scholarships, without which they may not be able to attend UHV. In addition, Walyuchow would like to expand the athletic facilities, meet needs in the department and add new sports programs such as basketball, and track and field. In 2018, Athletics received a 65-acre gift of land located about four miles from the university’s main campus for a future athletics complex.
“For Athletics to grow, it was going to take significant support like this from the community,” said Jesse Pisors, UHV vice president for advancement and external relations. “We’re extremely grateful to have Crossroads Bank see that need and take the opportunity to partner with us. We look forward to seeing the athletics program flourish.”
In November 2017, the university announced the public launch of UHV Here, We Go, a major comprehensive fundraising campaign with a goal of $12 million by 2020, Pisors said. All gifts to UHV, including this one, will count toward that goal.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973, offers courses leading to 70 bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degree programs and concentrations in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as a teaching center in Katy, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All Initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student popular, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.