Michigan State University Athletics
$1.1 M Bowen Gift To Support MSU Athletics
10/28/2021 3:00:00 PM | Football, General, Men's Basketball, Women's Golf
Michigan State Athletics has received a $1.1M gift from alumnus Dan ('88; Broad College of Business) and Sherry Bowen to further the pursuit of excellence both on and off the field. The gift will support priorities for football, men's basketball, and women's golf, as well as enhancing off-the-field programs and initiatives for all student-athletes.
Vice President and Director of Athletics, Alan Haller, "On behalf of Michigan State Athletics and our more than 700 student-athletes, we are grateful for this tremendous gift and express our sincere appreciation to Dan and Sherry. This gift will impact all student-athletes, improving upon their experience to make tomorrow better than today. Ultimately, that is the goal - to provide a transformative experience for our student-athletes while at Michigan State that positively influences the rest of their lives."
"We are excited to be able to make this gift for a number of reasons," said Dan. "First, I attribute my years at Michigan State University as a significant factor in the trajectory of my life. The experience helped me grow, make life-long friends and gave me a start on my career.
"Second, the past year-plus has been a difficult time financially for many individuals and organizations. Michigan State is not immune to those difficulties. We were inspired by Mat Ishbia's extraordinary generosity and making his financial commitment in honor of Coach Izzo and his parents. And when we heard Coach Izzo reference the need for other Spartans to step up, we knew we wanted to make a difference.
"Finally, whether in business or in sports, you're constantly competing. Our hope is that the investments we make in our MSU programs allow our teams to consistently compete for championships. We hope our gift will provide resources for our leaders - coaches like Tom, Mel, and Stacy who represent the best of MSU – to further their success, maintain high levels of performance, and continue to shape the lives of young men and women.
"Giving back to the University is one way we can say thank you and help future generations of Spartans."
The gift will impact five distinct priorities of MSU Athletics.For football, the gift will help support the addition of the Tom Izzo Football Building, which was given an "Authorization to Plan" approval by the MSU Board of Trustees on September 10, 2021.
MSU Football head coach Mel Tucker, "Thank you to Dan and Sherry for their support. I continue to be inspired by the way Spartans have come together to provide financial assistance for our program and our department as a whole. We will relentlessly pursue excellence on and off the field and gifts like these make it possible for us to dream big."
In basketball, the donation will support the MSU Men's Basketball Excellence Fund to meet the program's ongoing needs.
MSU Men's Basketball head coach Tom Izzo, "I'm humbled by the generosity of Dan and Sherry and the place it comes from. As a coach, you hope to inspire and motivate. Words into action are a beautiful thing – especially when words inspire the act of giving for the betterment of Michigan State. We thank the Bowens for how their gift will impact our programs, but also truly thank them for making their selfless gift at a pivotal time and providing positive momentum for our department."
Remaining portions of the gift will support the Spartan For Life Fund for student-athlete career development, the MSU Athletics Excellence Fund to aid the most pressing needs of the athletic department, and the women's golf program.
Women's Golf head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, "Thank you to Dan and Sherry for their commitment to our program and for their friendship. We are appreciative of the belief they have in our program and in our players. Their gift will allow us to continue to compete for championships and will enhance our ability to provide our student-athletes with incredible opportunities while at Michigan State. We are honored to be part of this significant contribution and thank the Bowen Family for recognizing our program's success."
For those interested in more information on philanthropically supporting MSU Athletics, please visit spartanfund.net or call (517) 432-4610.
