Indiana State University Newsroom

With Indiana State University in the midst of its most successful football season in years, the ISU Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign to help ensure the program has the resources needed to continue that success.

"Sycamore football is a vital part of our campus traditions and fall activities. I am excited about the direction Coach Trent Miles and his assistants are taking our football program," said ISU President Dan Bradley. "This campaign will play a critical role in ensuring the program's success by creating the competitive advantage needed to level the playing field with our conference opponents."

Under Bradley's leadership, the university has made long term commitments to the Sycamore football program. More than $3 million has been invested in facilities, coaches and staff, and student-athletes and the university's long term campus master plan calls for the continued transformation of football facilities.

The March On! Football Fund Campaign creates a consistent annual budget for the program. Gifts to the campaign will directly support the Football Annual Fund, providing additional resources for such key areas as scholarships for student-athletes, training table meals, recruiting, training and facilities.

More than 40 Sycamores have advanced to the professional ranks during the ISU football program's 114-year history. Thousands more have graduated from the university with careers in business, education, coaching, broadcasting and many other fields.

"The Football Annual Fund aims to increase the resources available to the team, helping our Sycamores compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference every year," said Trent Miles, head coach of the Sycamores.

In addition to Miles, many other former Sycamore athletes are supporting the Football Fund Campaign.

"Now is an exciting time to be involved with the Sycamore Football Program. This campaign will help strengthen our program by providing greater opportunities for our athletes in the classroom and on the field," said Rich Dawson, a 1984 ISU graduate and chair of the Football Campaign. Dawson was inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame during ceremonies in conjunction with this year's Homecoming.

"I am excited about the future of ISU football. The program is building something special - they are changing the culture of ISU football. We are on the edge of something amazing," said Tunch Ilkin, a 1980 Indiana State graduate and sixth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Vincent Allen, a 1978 ISU graduate who was a running back for the Sycamores and a first team All-American in 1976, said being an ISU football player "was an opportunity for me to continue my athletic career at the collegiate level and gain an education. ISU football helped build in me the football mentality of ‘hard work, don't quit, don't give up, and fight to the end.' If given the option, I would play football at ISU all over again in a heartbeat."

More information about the Football Campaign may be found on the website of the ISU Foundation's March On! Campaign at http://www.marchonisu.com.

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Events/Homecoming-2010/Homecoming-game/100910homecoming-850-of-1301/1043261711_BuhGc-L.jpg - The Indiana State Sycamores celebrate one of their eight touchdowns in a 59-24 Homecoming victory over Illinois State. The Sycamores are off to their best start since 2004 and the ISU Foundation has launched a football fundraising campaign to help provide the resources to build on that success. (ISU/Tony Campbell)

Contact: Eric Nappy, associate director of development-athletics, Indiana State University Foundation, 812-237-3958 or enappy@indstate.edu

Writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu