Since 2022, DU Great Collective has united fans like you to support our men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes. Your early support set the standard and positioned Drake basketball to thrive. With your generosity, we:

•  Added 100 monthly donors and hundreds of one-time givers
• Nearly quadrupled our fundraising in just two years, which fueled program success
• Hosted fan and donor events, like I-Cubs night, youth clinics, practices and picnics, and our annual end-of-year banquet
• Created meaningful NIL opportunities for basketball student-athletes through local charity partnerships

Drake basketball wouldn’t be where it is without fans like you. With your continued support, we’re building something even greater.

A new chapter: Drake opts in to House v. NCAA settlement

Starting July 1, Drake University will directly manage NIL agreements and revenue sharing through Drake Athletics as part of the House v. NCAA settlement. This shift allows:

• Direct, tax-deductible giving through Drake Athletics
• Greater institutional support for student-athletes
• Enhanced transparency and sustainability for the future of NIL

New ways to support Drake Basketball

For Drake, opting in means the generous contributions you make—especially tax-deductible gifts to Drake Athletics—are now eligible to be part of this shared revenue model. To support this shift, Drake Athletics established two dedicated funds to directly benefit student-athletes. 

You can donate directly to the Men’s Basketball Restricted Fund here:  https://alumni.drake.edu/mensbasketball

You can donate directly to the Women’s Basketball Restricted Fund here: https://alumni.drake.edu/womensbasketball

What happens to DU Great?

While DU Great isn’t dissolving for myriad reasons, we’re currently working with Drake Athletics on next steps for fulfilling membership tier perks and other administrative items. We’ll follow-up directly with recurring donors once a plan is in place.

For now, donors can continue their recurring gifts if they choose, but we highly encourage you to start new recurring donations with the above Excellence Funds through Drake Athletics. If you need support canceling your current donation with DU Great, please reach out and we’re happy to help.

Thank you for believing early

Your support of DU Great helped shape Drake’s success in the NIL era. We’re especially grateful to our past and present board members for their leadership and passion: Kyle Mertz, Ryan Boatman, Mike Nixon, Kurt Brewer, Pat Schneider, Becca Mataloni, Spencer Harsch, Ted Brewer, Doug Shull, Louie Laurent and Brook Rosenberg. 

Success is the standard

Thank you for believing in our student-athletes—then, now and in the future. Go Bulldogs!