UMass Football Supporters:
As we look to the future of the UMass Football program, now is the time for us to galvanize our alumni, friends and family in support of head coach Walt Bell and our student-athletes. The goal is to raise $100,000 in one-time transitional support by the spring signing day deadline of February 6, 2019. All gifts will be directed toward the UMass Gridiron Club – with 100% going to the football program.
The mission of the Gridiron Club is to strengthen the football program by encouraging private contributions from Minutemen across the country. The UMass Gridiron Club supports initiatives requested by the Head Football Coach and the Athletic Department.
While Coach Bell has just started his tenure at UMass, several areas of support will assist his programs' transition:
- Expanded nutrition station and offerings for the student-athletes during spring practice and summer workouts.
- Recruiting resources for Coach Bell and his staff to uncover the next round of talented players to join the UMass program during the December and February signing periods.
- Updated branding and graphical elements in the Marty Jacobson Football Performance Center to represent the new coaching staff, their focus and programmatic values.
- Additional resources for Coach Bell to use during his transition, and address any programmatic needs.
If you have already contributed to the football program this year, please consider making another gift to support this campaign and Coach Bell. Others, we ask you to join us as we move this program to new heights and help Coach Bell get off to a promising start.
Visit minutefund.umass.edu/CoachBell to make a gift in support of Coach Bell and UMass Football.
For any questions, please contact UMass Athletics Development at 413-545-4290.
Additional Information
About Us
Mission Statement
The mission of the UMass Football Gridiron Club is to strengthen the University's football program by encouraging private and volunteer leadership from Minutemen across the country. The UMass Gridiron Club shall support initiatives as requested by the Head Football Coach and the University of Massachusetts Athletic Department.
Objectives
As the official booster club for the University of Massachusetts Football program, the UMass Gridiron Club seeks to Engage, Educate, and Empower young men to achieve optimal success. The UMass Gridiron Club envisions being the premier athletic booster club locally, state-wide, and regionally. Being a member of this club provides opportunities to collaborate with fellow loyal UMass Football friends and fans in accomplishing the mission and bringing the vision of the club to pass. UMass Gridiron Club members provide financial support as requested to help the Minutemen compete at the FBS level, provide leadership development programming for the student-athletes, and sponsor functions for club members. Funds raised by the UMass Football Gridiron Club go directly to support the UMass Football program. Funding and functions are consistent with the applicable NCAA rules governing booster clubs and their supporters.
Board of Directors
Paul Manganaro '87 President
Tom Mullen '74
President-Elect/VP
Chairman, Fundraising
Anne Manning '87
Secretary
Chairwoman, Alumni Relations & Communications
Cliff Bolden '00 Alumni Relations & Communications
Bill DeFlavio '72 Chairman, Events
Frank DiTommaso '81 Chairman, Mentoring & Career Development
Kristin Kanter '07 Chairman, Membership
Dr. L.A. Love '04, '06, '07 Ex Officio
2018-19 Gridiron Club
Member Benefits
The Gridiron Club needs you in the game. Gifts, no matter the size, make a difference and we need 100% of the UMass Football Family on board.
| Championship $10,000 | Heisman $5,000 | MVP $2,500 | Touchdown $1,500 | Red Zone $500 | First Down $250 | Kickoff $100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support the education of UMass student-athletes, priority points | |||||||
| In-season video messages from Head Coach | |||||||
| Gridiron Club Gift (Different Gift at Each Level) | |||||||
| Opportunity to purchase away game tickets | |||||||
| Invite to private practice, Football Performance Center Hunt Hospitality Room passes (Different Number of Passes at Each Level) | 10 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |||
| Complimentary entry to Gridiron Golf Tournament | |||||||
| Dinner with Head Coach | |||||||
| On field in-game recognition |
Join Today
The University of Massachusetts is committed to building and sustaining a football program that exemplifies competitive excellence both on and off the field while competing at the Division I FBS level that alumni, current and future minutemen will be proud off. The difference between a good program and a great program is the support of its alumni and friends. We need your help to ensure greatness for our beloved UMass Football program.
By making a contribution to the UMass Athletics by way of the UMass Gridiron Club, you can make an immediate impact by assisting to improve the quality of the student-athlete experience that UMass Athletes provides. Your contribution(s) to UMass Athletics Gridiron Club immediately makes you a booster. Once an individual or entity becomes a booster that identity is retained indefinitely, even if involvement with the athletics program ceases.
The University of Massachusetts is committed to operating our athletics program in a manner consistent with the letter and spirit of the NCAA rules. The University will not compromise the integrity of the institution when it comes to rules compliance. Everyone associated with our department is responsible for rules compliance. Coaches, Administration, Boosters as well as Student-Athletes and their family play an integral role in maintaining our institutional integrity.
