About
News & Updates
About
News & Updates
AUGUST 20, 2020
Letter to Razorback Foundation Members
FAYETTEVILLE – By now, you have heard the plan for a reduced-capacity stadium for the 2020 football season. Like many of you, we are disappointed our student-athletes will not get to experience the electric atmosphere created when die-hard Razorback fans pack Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. However, our primary responsibility is and will always be the health, safety and well-being of all in the Razorback nation.
Thanks to your support, the University of Arkansas Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is one of only a handful of athletic programs in the nation that is financially self-sustaining – meaning we receive $0 from state or taxpayer funding or university funding. However, the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of Razorback Athletics and throughout all college athletics will have ongoing financial effects. To help combat the significant revenue loss due to the pandemic, the Department of Athletics has implemented several cost-saving measures, including cutting millions of dollars in costs through staff compensation reductions, travel restrictions, decreased operating budgets and imposing a hiring freeze, all while still ensuring our Razorback student-athletes remain our very top priority.
Together, we must ensure that Razorback Athletics can meet the needs of current Razorback student-athletes during the 2020-2021 academic year. These needs include the cost of scholarships, nutrition, physical and mental health, academic support, maintaining facilities for ongoing athletic training, and other expenses to safeguard the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes in all sports. We must also continue building upon the foundation laid by each of you and previous generations as we think beyond 2020. The future of our student-athletes and Razorback Athletics is at stake.
In response to these financial challenges, the Razorback Foundation has established the ONE Razorback Fund to support the needs of Razorback student-athletes and to remain competitive with our SEC peers.
SINGLE-SPORT SEASON TICKET HOLDERS: If you are unable to attend the 2020 football season for any reason, we urge you to continue investing in our student-athletes by transferring your 2020 Annual Fund donation as a tax-deductible gift to the ONE Razorback Fund. As an expression of our gratitude for your support when it mattered the most, the Razorback Foundation will provide you with a variety of exciting ONE Razorback benefits as well as other donation options. As a reminder, any ticket refunds may also be donated to the ONE Razorback Fund. Every dollar will help support student-athletes this year. If you do attend a football game and because your seats will be affected, you will also be eligible for the ONE Razorback benefits (except tax-deductibility), however your Annual Fund donation is not eligible for a refund.
MULTI-SPORT SEASON TICKET HOLDERS: As a multi-sport season ticket holder and because you may choose to opt out of attending football games due to health reasons or because your seats might be affected, the Razorback Foundation is excited to share you will be eligible for the ONE Razorback benefits, excluding tax-deductibility. As a reminder, if you receive a ticket fee refund, you will have the opportunity to donate it to the ONE Razorback Fund as a tax-deductible gift. Please note, your 2020 Annual Fund donation will be utilized for priority seating benefits in other athletic venues and is therefore not eligible for a refund.
In extraordinary ways, the Razorbacks unify the great state of Arkansas as ONE Razorback in a unique bond over many generations. We know, together as ONE Razorback, we will secure the past and the present to protect the great tradition of Razorback Athletics! Let us mark 2020 as the year all Razorbacks united and built an even stronger foundation for the future.
As always, we are grateful for your commitment to the Arkansas Razorbacks. We are ONE Razorback.
Go Hogs!
Hunter Yurachek
Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics
Scott Varady
Razorback Foundation Executive Director
Football-Only Season Ticket Holders:
We hope Razorback Foundation members will choose to continue investing in the lives of Razorback student-athletes and Razorback Athletics by transferring their 2020 Annual Fund gift as a tax-deductible gift to the ONE Razorback Fund. Razorback Foundation members who previously purchased 2020 football season tickets but were not able to retain those tickets due to (1) the limited capacity seating in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium or (2) personal health and safety concerns relating to COVID-19 will be eligible for all of the ONE Razorback Benefits as our "Thank You" for transferring your 2020 Annual Fund gift to the ONE Razorback Fund. If you wish to transfer your donation to the ONE Razorback Fund, no action is needed. We will take care of it for you. You also have the option to request a refund.
Keep Your Seats in 2021
If you choose to request a refund but would like to keep your priority seat locations for the 2021 football season, you must make a minimum donation of $50 to the 2020 Annual Fund and renew your 2021 Annual Fund pledge.
Other Options + Deadline
For any questions pertaining to your 2020 Annual Fund gift or for refund options, please call the Razorback Foundation at 479-443-9000 no later than Friday, September 25. If we do not hear from you by October 1, we will transfer your 2020 Annual Fund gift to the ONE Razorback Fund and you will be eligible for the ONE Razorback Benefits, including treating your gift as tax-deductible.
Basketball-Only Season Ticket Holders:
We hope Razorback Foundation members will choose to continue investing in the lives of Razorback student-athletes and Razorback Athletics by transferring their 2020 Annual Fund gift as a tax-deductible gift to the ONE Razorback Fund. Razorback Foundation members who purchased 2020-21 basketball season tickets and elect not to attend games this season due to (1) the limited capacity seating in Bud Walton Arena or (2) personal health and safety concerns relating to COVID-19 will be eligible for all of the ONE Razorback benefits as our "Thank You" for transferring your 2020 Annual Fund gift to the ONE Razorback Fund. You also have the option to request a refund of your 2020 Annual Fund donation.
Keep Your Seats in 2021
If you request an Annual Fund refund but still would like to retain your priority seat locations for the 2021-22 basketball season, you must maintain a minimum Razorback Foundation membership level and your 2021 Annual Fund pledge will be entered following the submission of your refund request. If you are a multi-sport season ticket holder, your 2020 total Annual Fund donation is required to retain your tickets in all venues.
Other Options + Deadline
For any questions pertaining to your 2020 Annual Fund gift or for refund options, please call the Razorback Foundation at 479-443-9000 no later than Friday, November 20.
If we do not hear from you by November 20, we will transfer your 2020 Annual Fund gift to the ONE Razorback Fund and you will be eligible for the ONE Razorback benefits.
Baseball-Only Season Ticket Holders:
We hope Razorback Foundation members will choose to continue investing in the lives of Razorback student-athletes and Razorback Athletics by transferring their 2020 Annual Fund donation as a tax-deductible gift to the ONE Razorback Fund. Razorback Foundation members who elect not to receive tickets this season due to (1) the limited capacity seating in Baum-Walker Stadium or (2) personal health and safety concerns relating to COVID-19 will be eligible for all of the ONE Razorback benefits as our "Thank You" for transferring your 2020 Annual Fund donation to the ONE Razorback Fund. You also have the option to request a refund of your 2020 Annual Fund donation.
Keep Your Priority Ranking
If you request an Annual Fund refund but still would like to retain your priority ranking for baseball season tickets, you must maintain a minimum 2020 Razorback Foundation membership level and your 2021 Annual Fund pledge will be entered following the submission of your refund request. If you are a multi-sport season ticket holder, your 2020 total Annual Fund donation is required to retain your tickets in all venues.
Multi-Sport Season Ticket Holders:
Due to Annual Fund donation requirements in each athletic venue, Razorback Foundation members who have season tickets in football plus men's basketball, and/or baseball will not be eligible for a refund of their 2020 Annual Fund gift. Any Razorback Foundation member who experienced a change in priority seating locations due to the required social distancing seating in Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium will be eligible for the ONE Razorback Benefits (excluding tax-deductibility) as our "Thank You" for your support of Razorback student-athletes and Razorback Athletics.
Thank you for your continued support. Together as ONE Razorback we will secure the Razorback legacy!