LOGAN, Utah – Utah State University Athletics unveiled new sport-specific recruitment and retention funds in response to the changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics. The donation opportunity offers Aggie Nation a way to contribute to revenue sharing as part of their Big Blue Club membership. 

Under the new structure, the Merlin Olsen and Wayne Estes Funds, which previously provided operational resources to the football and men's basketball staffs, respectively, will now support recruiting and retention efforts. Additionally, fans who are eager to invest in football or men's basketball but don't meet the minimum donation requirement for either fund will have the option to contribute at a different price point to a recruitment and retention fund designated for that specific sport.

These funds enable supporters to directly impact future revenue-sharing opportunities for student-athletes in the programs. Contributions to these funds help each team recruit and retain the next generation of Aggie greats, while also counting toward a donor's Big Blue Club annual membership level, benefits and priority points. These gifts may be considered tax-deductible charitable donations.

In response to the recently approved House settlement, Utah State Athletics will launch a revenue-sharing model and assume direct leadership of strategic roster support efforts, ensuring long-term alignment with athletics department priorities and competitive needs, while maintaining a high standard of compliance and transparency.