Athletics Prospectus

Investing in our competitive success and culture of care

GEORGETOWN ATHLETICS

Georgetown’s drive to do its very best work in service to the common good has shaped centuries of growth and progress. Today, it animates the university’s $3 billion campaign ambition, calling us to invest in areas of great strength for Georgetown— and even greater opportunity.

Through Called to Be: The Campaign for Georgetown , we will answer, building on a long tradition of athletics program excellence.

Students’ participation in intercollegiate athletics at Georgetown has a profound effect on our entire university community. Our studentathletes are driven to be exceptional competitors, scholars, leaders, and contributors—in their years on campus, and in the decades beyond.

That understanding has guided Georgetown Athletics for more than 150 years, knowing the integral role our programs can play in promoting formation and excellence. And it propels us forward, as we work to attract the best and brightest student-athletes, ensure they thrive, sharpen our competitive edge, and bring home the big victories.

Today, we are called to invest in the talented people who define our student-athlete-centered, coach-driven, and administrator-assisted approach. That means providing more scholarships. Offering a broader spectrum of support. Nurturing an inclusive culture. And equipping our teams to compete—and win—at the highest level.

—Lee Reed, Francis X. Rienzo Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

I’ve never been more excited about the future of Georgetown Athletics. I invite you to join us, as we fulfill our mission of formation through sport and become the athletics program we are called to be.

“Intercollegiate athletics provides our young people with a framework to develop their full promise and become the people they are called to be. Georgetown students have the opportunity to engage in athletic competition with some of the best programs in the country. That balance between competition and formation—ensuring that activity of competition is supporting that work of formation—that’s Georgetown.”

—JOHN J. DEGIOIA, PRESIDENT, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

“THE GEORGETOWN ATHLETICS EXPERIENCE IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER. IT SHAPES OUR STUDENTATHLETES FOR A LIFETIME.”

LEE REED, FRANCIS X. RIENZO DIRECTOR OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

Competing for the best talent and the big wins

We all know the excitement—the pride—that comes with a big win.

The community created when students, parents, and alumni of all backgrounds unite behind passionate student-athletes and coaches. The power of outstanding athletes and teams to grab the world’s attention. The thrill of competing in the Blue and Gray.

As compellingly, we recognize the integral role athletics plays in Georgetown’s mission to promote formation and excellence in all things.

And now more than ever, we must invest in the people, programs, and places that will ensure Georgetown Athletics continues its tradition of competitive excellence while building a culture of care for our student-athletes.

1IN10 Georgetown undergraduates is a varsity athlete

30 Division I teams Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Lacrosse, Rowing, Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball

750+ student-athletes

98% graduation rate among Georgetown student-athletes

Building on a 150+ year foundation

Intercollegiate athletic competition has been strengthening our university for more than 150 years.

It began on May 10, 1870, when a select team of baseball players, the College Nine, played against Columbian College (known today as The George Washington University) in Georgetown’s first officially recorded intercollegiate contest. Fast forward to the last 15 years, which brought:

2 NCAA championships

2 NCAA individual titles

17 Big East regular season titles

38 Big East championship titles

175 Big East individual titles

10 Non-NCAA national championships

Our Georgetown community celebrates those accomplishments. But, more importantly, we are called to build on them—recognizing the crucial role of athletics in Georgetown’s ambition to be an ever-greater university.

DEFINING MODERN ATHLETICS EXCELLENCE

We strive to be the premier Big East and nonFBS 11 program in the country. We do this with a distinct advantage: our firm belief that competitive success is possible only when we care for our student-athletes across all aspects of their lives.

Inspired by our Catholic and Jesuit value of cura personalis, care of the whole person, we’re dedicated not only to the physical well-being of our student-athletes but also to their intellectual, emotional, leadership, and spiritual formation.

Donor support will be crucial as we fulfill this ambition. Philanthropy will enable us to offer more scholarships, recruit and retain coaching talent, provide facilities that match our ambitions, and ensure an exceptional studentathlete experience.

1Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association

Competitive success

We will invest in the people who make winning possible.

Elite athletics programs are defined by exceptional people.

And with over 80 accomplished coaches and over 750 student-athletes, Georgetown is home to an astounding amount of athletic talent.

Support for student-athlete scholarships and endowed coaching chairs enables Georgetown to recruit and retain the talented and motivated people who compose our 30 intercollegiate varsity programs.

PROVIDING STUDENT-ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIPS

Athletics scholarships are essential in recruiting the best and brightest student-athletes to the Hilltop, where they can develop their talent, character, and leadership abilities—lessons that transcend any sport and last a lifetime.

Most Georgetown sports do not yet offer the maximum number of scholarships as set by the NCAA, but they compete for talent against institutions that do.

Increasing the number of scholarships we can offer— and permanently endowing a greater share of the athletics scholarship budget—will play a critical role in the strength of our athletics program.

INVESTING IN TALENTED COACHES AND STAFF

To attract the best coaches, we must pay them competitively and demonstrate long-term investment. Endowing these positions is critical: it shows our commitment to recruiting, retaining, and rewarding coaches who will advance our culture of excellence.

Professional development is similarly crucial. Offering our coaches and staff ongoing training ensures they understand the Georgetown context; connects them with peers; and sets them up to be effective leaders, educators, and mentors for our student-athletes.

As part of our commitment to the success of Georgetown student-athletes, we also seek to build our capacity to deliver creative content and stories that ensure our Hoyas benefit from the NCAA’s Name, Image, and Likeness policy.

OUR GOAL

ENDOW EVERY ATHLETICS SCHOLARSHIP AT A FULL

$1.7M OFFERING THE NCAA MAXIMUM ACROSS ALL SPORTS

Academic and leadership excellence

We will ensure our studentathletes meet their potential.

The average NCAA Division I student-athlete spends nearly 80 hours per week on their academic and athletic commitments.

Deeply motivated to succeed in all that they do, Georgetown’s student-athletes earn an average GPA of 3.4. Excelling both in the classroom and in competition requires extraordinary commitment—and support.

In our quest to build a culture of formation and care, we are committed to providing comprehensive academic support and leadership development opportunities, ensuring that studentathletes can achieve their goals.

ACADEMIC ADVISING AND TUTORING

Adding academic advisors will allow us to move from broad progress monitoring to more individualized support addressing time-management, tutoring needs, and the balance between coursework and athletic activities.

We also seek to develop a more robust tutoring program. The demands of a student-athlete’s schedule can complicate their participation in main campus tutorial programs. A dedicated athletics tutorial program and an expanded team of graduate assistants would provide much-needed group and individual resources across a number of academic areas.

Expanding the university’s network of academic support will position student-athletes to pursue their academic passions and engage fully in the opportunities of a formative college education.

COOPER ATHLETICS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

“I’ve been fortunate enough to work as an intern for the Cooper Athletics Leadership Program for two summers. …In addition to immeasurable leadership experience, I learned the importance of investing in connection and creating a community where student-athletes feel valued and supported.”

—Graceann Bennett, women’s basketball (B’23, G’23)

“I had the chance to work as an intern with the Cooper Athletic Leadership Program, and I was able to find an identity outside of football. It allowed me to connect with other studentathletes and strive to be more than just a football player.”

—Talati Polamalu, football (C’23)

The Cooper Athletics Leadership Program (CALP) is a unique interdisciplinary and academically grounded approach to the study and practice of leadership dynamics in an intercollegiate athletics environment.

Funded as a part of a gift from Georgetown parents Peter and Sue Cooper, CALP provides a series of immersive programs designed to focus on holistic development, expose student-athletes to different theories of influence, and help them develop their own leadership philosophies. CALP also acts as a bridge between athletics, student services, and academic units on campus, fostering ongoing dialogue and research with key stakeholders.

Healthy mind, body, and spirit

We will support a culture of care that reflects our most sacred values.

The very ambition that drives Georgetown student-athletes’ achievement also exposes them to significant emotional, academic, and physical pressures. This isn’t unique to Georgetown—it has become a focal point nationally.

In the spirit of our Catholic and Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, we embrace the opportunity to care holistically for our student-athletes. Our programming and resources must support an inclusive culture and address the challenges intrinsic to the student-athlete experience.

“GEORGETOWN IS SPECIAL BECAUSE OF OUR INCREDIBLE PEOPLE. OUR COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE GENEROSITY OF ALUMNI.”

ROB SGARLATA (C’94, G’12), HEAD COACH OF GEORGETOWN FOOTBALL

ENHANCING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS RESOURCES

In 2017, Georgetown Athletics became the first intercollegiate athletic department in the Big East conference to employ a dedicated mental health professional for student-athletes. But that was just the beginning. We have since strengthened and expanded our counseling resources—and must continue to enhance the ways we help studentathletes navigate the pressures of their daily lives.

“Our student-athletes confront unique challenges as they compete at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics while balancing the rigors of Georgetown’s academic schedule. During my time at Georgetown, I’ve been grateful to our community for their investments to ensure we have the resources to support our student-athletes.”

—Dr. Erica Force, Amato Family Head of Athletic Counseling Nutrition programs are another essential part of this approach: they ensure that studentathletes are meeting their nutritional needs for performance and competition, recovery and repair, and emotional and brain health.

A truly comprehensive program includes a full-time dietician steeped in college athletics, individualized nutrition plans for teams and athletes, and a dedicated space with daily nutritional support.

Our care-centered model also addresses the physical demands of modern athletic competition. That means deploying wearable technology, offering individualized programming, and— most crucially—expanding our team of sports performance coaches so they can best support the student-athletes who push their bodies every day.

STRIVING FOR INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE

Further building on Georgetown’s commitment to developing the whole person, Georgetown Athletics is positioned to be a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) education, initiatives, and best practices.

Guided by a dedicated DEI director and working group, Georgetown Athletics is working to increase awareness around DEI issues; create opportunities for student-athletes to make their voices heard; and ensure a sense of belonging for all student-athletes, across all dimensions of learning and formation.

Donor support will be key as we seek to serve all student-athletes who wear the Blue and Gray, and fulfill the values that animate Georgetown Athletics.

Spaces to compete, train, and convene

We will create facilities that match our ambitions.

Competition venues and training facilities are critical elements of our student-athletes’ daily experience—and directly tied to their competitive success. Investing in facilities both on and off the Hilltop will enable us to attract the most promising scholarathletes and coaches.

“The locker room is such a great space for our team to spend time together and be productive for both volleyball and academic purposes. …The locker room benefits the program in so many ways, and I think that everyone who saw how beautiful it is can attest to what

IMPROVING COMPETITION AND TRAINING SPACES

On our space-constrained campus, our needs are many. But several priorities stand out, including renovations to our locker rooms and improvements to our fields.

A new locker room can be a program-changing asset. More than just a place to change clothes, locker rooms are where student-athletes build community and a strong team culture. Locker rooms also are a critical asset as we seek to recruit talent and host championships.

Other priorities include the addition of video boards to Cooper Field—home to field hockey, football, and men’s and women’s lacrosse—as well as renovations to Shaw Field for our men’s and women’s soccer programs. Enhancements like the installation of lights, a pressbox, an upgraded video board, and a revitalized entryway will allow Shaw Field to shine as a venue where champions are made.

There are a range of opportunities to elevate other spaces used by Georgetown’s varsity programs. Let’s strategically invest in facilities that give our teams what they need for success—and give us a recruiting advantage.

a game changer it is.”

—JESSICA CUSI, VOLLEYBALL (C’22, G’25)

Support the lifeblood of intercollegiate athletics

The Annual Fund for Georgetown Athletics is the bedrock of varsity athletics on the Hilltop. By contributing to the Annual Fund, Georgetown alumni, parents, fans, and friends help provide essential resources for 30 Division I varsity programs and 750+ student-athletes, including coaching, travel, equipment, and scholarships.

Growing the Annual Fund for Georgetown Athletics is critical to the future growth and success of Georgetown Athletics.

Georgetown alumni, parents, fans, and friends are crucial champions of our work to achieve competitive excellence and build a culture of care.

Thank you for your support.

To learn more about these priorities, contribute to Georgetown Athletics, or plan for future support, please contact us at athletics@georgetown.edu.