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The Longhorn Foundation announced several historic milestones and accomplishments in conjunction with Texas Athletics’ sensational performances on and off the field during the 2023-24 academic year.
With two years remaining in the university’s What Starts Here campaign, Texas Athletics has surpassed $1 billion since the inception of the campus-wide fundraising effort, one of the largest, if not the largest, single campaign total of any athletic program in the country. When you look at the overall impact of the What Starts Here campaign, the results are staggering: UT is the first university in Texas to raise more than $1 billion for student support and is on pace to surpass its $6 billion campaign goal.
A total of 24,996 Longhorn Foundation members will contribute nearly $200 million in cash and donations in the 2023-24 school year, the most in the school’s history. The total number of current Longhorn Foundation members is also the highest in the school’s history.
As a direct result of this incredible support from donors, it was a stellar year for Texas Athletics both on the playing field and in the classroom. On the strength of two national championships, three NCAA runner-up finishes and a College Football Playoff appearance, the Longhorns won the LEARFIELD Director’s Cup for the third time in the last four years, making them the top all-around sports program in the nation. Additionally, UT Women’s Athletics won the Capital One Cup for the third consecutive year, making them the most successful women’s sports program. In their final season in the Big 12 Conference, the Longhorns also won a record 15 Big 12 team titles.
In the classroom, a total of 127 current and former UT student-athletes will attend commencement or have earned graduate credentials in fall 2023 or spring 2024. UT also had a school-record 13 individuals recognized as Academic All-Americans in a single season by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) during the 2023-24 academic year. The overall cumulative GPA across all sports after the spring 2024 semester is 3.34, with over 77% of student-athletes after the spring 2024 semester having a cumulative GPA above 3.0.
“The donors of the Longhorn Foundation truly have our backs and we are so grateful for their unwavering support,” said Chris Del Conte, vice president and Lois and Richard Folger Athletic Director. “The success of our student-athletes and coaches depends on the support of our loyal fans. You have given them the resources to succeed in the classroom and on the playing field, and we can’t thank them enough.”
Longhorn Foundation donors contributed more than $74.4 million to the Annual Fund, the highest amount since the Foundation was established in 1986. More than $13 million of that was designated for Longhorn Excellence, the philanthropic arm of the Annual Fund, more than double the previous high.
“We are so grateful to our Longhorn Foundation donors for supporting every initiative, answering every call to action and actively participating in the most dynamic period in college sports history,” Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director Andrew Hamoa said. “We always say that every success of our student-athletes is made possible by the support of Longhorn Nation.”
The DeLoss Dodds Leadership Team, the highest level of annual giving, now has a record 668 members, including donors who give a minimum of $25,000 each year.
In 2023, the Longhorn Foundation launched the United Texas Circle, a new initiative that recognizes multi-year pledges of philanthropy. UTC currently has 325 members who have pledged a minimum of $100,000 over five years to support ongoing capital projects, endowments and Longhorn Excellence.
