SUPPORT THE STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE!
The Wildcat Annual Fund focuses on two pillars at the heart of the ACU mission in enhanced scholarships/player compensation, and faith/spiritual development. The Wildcat Annual Fund allows for 100% of donations to go toward supporting ACU student-athletes achieve athletic, academic and spiritual excellence. The model includes two distinct and strategic components:
The Scholarship Enhancement Fund is a vehicle for directly supporting student-athlete scholarship and revenue sharing opportunities.
The Faith Development Fund is dedicated to the spiritual growth of student-athletes and supports faith development programs that ACU athletics will begin building and implementing immediately.
Wildcat Annual Fund donors will gain exclusive insight into student-athletes' journeys and experiences at ACU. More details regarding the Wildcat Annual Fund will be released in the near future.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
Q: Why should I give to the WAF?
A: We need your support to execute the mission of recruiting elite talented student-athletes to compete for championships while building a foundation to help them grow closer in their walk with Christ. This Fund will allow ACU Athletics to remain relevant and competitive in this landscape doing so in a Christ-centered environment.
Q: What is the Wildcat Annual Fund?
A: The Wildcat Annual Fund is the new philanthropic fundraising initiative for Abilene Christian University Athletics. It replaces the former Wildcat Club and supports two core priorities: Enhanced Scholarships and Player Compensation & Spiritual Formation and Faith Development of our student-athletes. Every dollar given goes directly to these mission-aligned priorities, giving us the ability to recruit and retain championship level Student-Athletes, as well as providing intentional resources for their faith development.
Q: Why did ACU transition away from the Wildcat Club?
A: The landscape of college athletics is changing rapidly due to the House v. NCAA settlement and national conference realignment. Moving away from benefit-based giving will allow us to gear our efforts toward mission- driven generosity..
Q: What happened to the benefits I used to get as a Wildcat Club member?
A: We’ve intentionally moved away from incentive- and benefit-based giving. All donor perks, seating priority, and parking benefits are now handled exclusively through ticket purchases with the ACU Ticket Office. The Wildcat Annual Fund is now 100% philanthropic — your gift goes entirely to supporting student-athletes, not toward goods, services, or benefits. Nevertheless donor appreciation initiatives will remain core to our practices.
Q: Where does my donation go?
A: 100% of your donation goes directly to the component(s) of the Wildcat Annual Fund you choose to support — either scholarships/player compensation or faith/spiritual development. There are no administrative fees or overhead deductions from your gift.
Scholarship Enhancement Fund can include: Athletic Scholarships, Alston Awards, Cost of Attendance Stipends and Sport-specific NIL Compensation.
Faith Development Fund includes: Retreats, Mission trips, mentorship programs, Custom ACU Bibles for Athletes and ACU Advantage program (Spiritual leadership for Head coaches and Athletic Administration)
Q: How do the House settlement and realignment affect this?
A: The House v. NCAA settlement has dramatically changed the rules: universities can now provide direct compensation to student-athletes through revenue-sharing models, scholarship enhancements, and COA payments. Meanwhile, conference realignment, including our recent major shift from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) to the United Athletic Conference (UAC) has increased the need for institutional clarity and stability. Our new fundraising structure allows ACU to remain competitive, agile, and deeply mission-aligned—no matter how the external landscape evolves.
Q: Is there a minimum donation to be part of the Wildcat Annual Fund?
A: There is no required minimum. any gift of any amount goes directly to impact our student-athletes.
Q: How do I give to the Wildcat Annual Fund?
A: You can make a one-time gift or set up a recurring donation through acusports.com
