Duquesne Club Sports Receive First Funding from Endowment

Most of the teams will have about 40% of their annual costs covered by the allocation. Expenses incurred typically include the cost of uniforms, league dues, athletic trainers, officials, equipment and facility rentals. Travel can be an additional cost. Prior to the creation of the club sports endowment, each team had to fundraise to cover 100% of their operating expenses. 

In September 2023, Gormley announced the creation of the $1.1 million endowment to provide a perpetual funding source for club sports. The goal, Gormley stated, was to support students whose Duquesne experience is emended by club sports and to build that endowment over time through additional gifts and donations. 

“I’m thrilled that we’re ready to provide the first funding from this new endowment to our club sports teams,” said Gormley. “The organizations have expressed the need for support, we had the opportunity to make something happen and now we’re moving it forward. For so many of our students who stay active in competition while pursuing their personal and educational goals at Duquesne, I know this will help enhance their organizations and their own experiences.”  

After the president announced the endowment, Student Government Association (SGA) representatives and University staff in Student Life and Recreation Services helped develop a fair process to distribute the funding, bearing in mind the different size teams, varying needs and other factors. The allocations reflect that collaborative process.   

“I am thankful for the work of my colleagues in the Student Government Association and for the input from the club sports staff in devising a fair way to distribute the funding from the endowment,” said SGA President Claudio Simione. “The funding is a huge assist to every single team and will enhance the experience for all who participate as part of their total educational experience here.” 

Calculations aimed generally to provide teams allocations that would cover 40% of their expenses, resulting in funding amounts ranging between $600 to more than $5,000 per team. The largest roster sport, hockey, received the largest allocation— $18,000, or about 18% of its total operating expenses. Other sports with larger rosters—the Dukettes dance team and baseball—received allocations of around $5,000. 

“Teams have different expenses related to operations,” said Doug Frizzell, senior vice president of student life at Duquesne. “The system established does a good job of acknowledging those differences while also providing these student organizations a real benefit.” 

Duquesne club sports include baseball, golf, field hockey, ice hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, swimming, tennis, track, women’s volleyball and wrestling. 

Several of the University’s club sports are quite competitive. Duquesne Club Baseball participates in Division III athletic competition; Duquesne Club Field Hockey is part of the National Field Hockey League; Club Wrestling partners with the National Collegiate Wrestling Association; and Duquesne Club Ice Hockey is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of nearly 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

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