"Annual support from the Champions Club is vital to the success of our athletics programs," said Brian Faison, UND Director of Athletics (pictured above, left). "Through the generosity of donors we're able to continue our mission of the Champions Club - to build champions in the classroom, community, and competition. This kind of generosity helps us to do just that by providing critical scholarship dollars."

"We always say that championships start with scholarships," said Josh Morton, Associate Athletic Director and Executive Director of the Champions Club (pictured above, right). "In the past 12 months we've had proof of that with men's hockey, volleyball, women's basketball and football winning conference titles. Because of the scholarship support from the Champions Club members our coaches can recruit the best and brightest student-athletes across the country."

Nearly 65 percent of UND's student-athletes earned a spot on the Athletics Director's Honor Roll for the 2011 fall semester, achieving at least a 3.0 semester or cumulative grade point average. Of the 413 student-athletes, 276 made the Honor Roll and 40 of those student-athletes achieved a perfect 4.0.

All gifts to UND Athletics through the Champions Club benefit North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND, which seeks to dedicate $300 million to UND's passionate students, innovative programs, inspirational educators and extraordinary places. Learn more about North Dakota Spirit at spirit.und.edu.

Follow the Champions Club on Twitter @NDChampions and Facebook (North Dakota Champions Club).

The UND Foundation, an independent non-profit organization, raises and manages funds that secure a strong future for UND and its students, faculty and alumni. A sister corporation to the UND Alumni Association, the UND Foundation was established in 1978 with assets of approximately $1 million. As of June 30, 2011, the total assets are over $228.1 million.

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