Funds that Support Athletics

Athletics
Above: The men's Prairie Stars Soccer team.

Make a difference for the UIS Prairie Stars Athletics

You can give to any fund below. When giving to scholarship funds, your $25, $50, $100 will go into the account you choose, and that money will either go straight to the next student who gets the award (if the scholarship is current use) or into the endowed scholarship fund to add to every future award.

Please notice as well the link to the Stars (Boosters) Club and information on sponsorships at right.

General Athletic Scholarships

Athletic Funds by Team

General Athletic Scholarships

  • Rising Stars Athletic ScholarshipsDonate This fund provides unrestricted support for athletic scholarships. Because the fund is unrestricted, the Athletics Department is able to give out scholarships from this fund to students who most need or who can best add to the success of the teams. Gifts to this fund could qualify for the Access Illinois 1:1 Match Program if the gift is $2500 or more per fiscal year. This would double the impact of your gift—a very special opportunity that will be here only during the Access Illinois Initiative.
  • Ron Gibbs Athletic ScholarshipDonate Ron Gibbs had been a Springfield resident since 1930. Before his death in 1985, Mr. Gibbs had a 50-year+ officiating career comprised of football and basketball games at every level. These included events with the IHSA, NIT, and NCAA as well as 15 Super Bowl games. The Ron Gibbs Athletic Scholarship was established by the Gibbs family to honor the memory of Ron and his wife, Josephine who died in 1992.  Applicants for this scholarship must be student-athletes with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a genuine interest in sports officiating
  • Aydin Gonulsen Scholarship: Created in honor of UIS' former soccer coach. Donate
  • Howard C. and Lynda Y. Humphrey ScholarshipDonate When students contribute to the spirit and extracurricular life of UIS by way of sports, those student-athletes need to be recognized. The Howard C. and Lynda Y. Humphrey Scholarship was established in 2002 to provide student-athletes with funds to assist in their academic endeavors while  participating in the athletic programs at UIS. General student population considered upon lack of suitable student-athlete.
  • Lorber Family Scholarship Fund: AN ACCESS ILLINOIS Matched FundDonate Jeff and Sandy Lorber came to Springfield in 2012, when Jeff began his work at UIS as Vice Chancellor for Development and at the University of Illinois Foundation as Senior Vice President. The Lorbers are providing a scholarship for UIS student-athletes because they believe athletics help round out the complete student experience both for students who compete and for students who support the Prairie Stars teams.
  • Jack Marantz Scholarship Fund: An ACCESS ILLINOIS Matched Fund Donate When the Marantz family sought to commemorate the life of former WWII marine and CEO of the Bank of Springfield, Jack Marantz, they decided upon an avenue that would perpetuate two of his driving passions: sports and education. The senior Marantz, who considered himself to have been an at-risk student in high school, strongly believed that sports help students stay out of trouble.The Jack Marantz Memorial Scholarship was established by Marantz’s son, Tom, to encourage and support UIS student-athletes. This endowed scholarship qualifies for the Access Illinois Match Program. Scholarships produced by the endowed fund will be matched for the next TEN years.
  • Paul O'Shea Athletic Scholarships Fund: An ACCESS ILLINOIS Matched FundDonate Unrestricted support for undergraduate athletes with financial need. Mr. O'Shea is pictured at right (thank you!). You can add to Mr. O'Shea's generous gift in any amount using the Donate button below.
  • Mallory Pate Memorial Scholarship Access Illinois Fund: An ACCESS ILLINOIS Matched Fund Donate Unrestricted support for undergraduate athletes with financial need. Created by UIS Athletic Director Kim Pate (right) and her husband Rick in honor of Rick's father, Mallory, this scholarship and others for athletes helps to recruit excellent athletes and build great teams.
  • Brent Shunk, CFP, CLU, CLTC, Northwestern Mutual Scholarship: An ACCESS ILLINOIS Matched FundDonate Unrestricted for undergraduate athletes with financial need. Because the fund qualifies for the Access Illinois Inititiative Match, the impact of the gift will be doubled.
  • Bill and Nancy Simpson Endowed Scholarship: An ACCESS ILLINOIS Matched Fund Donate Unrestricted for undergraduate athletes with financial need. Because the fund is endowed, the Match Program will match the amount of the scholarship 1:1 for the next TEN years. Thank you!
  • Staley Family Athletic Scholarship: An ACCESS ILLINOIS Matched Fund Donate Unrestricted for undergraduate athletes with financial need. The Staley Family has had an athletic scholarship for several years. To qualify for the match program, they increased the amount of their gift, which will now be doubled in its impact. Thank you!
  • The Gail Waters Scholarship: An ACCESS ILLINOIS Matched Fund Donate A current-use scholarship for undergraduate athletics with financial need, created by the family of UIS' baseball coach Mike Zandler (right), in honor of his aunt. A "huge baseball fan," Gail Waters passed away last summer. According to Mike, "Gail was a wonderful woman who cared deeply about others and would have loved to help support someone with their education."

Athletic Funds by Team

Baseball:

  • Men's Baseball Program Fund Donate
  • Men's Baseball Scholarships Fund
    To give to baseball scholarships, give to the Baseball Program Fund and in the comment box tell us you would like your gift to go to baseball scholarships.

Basketball:

  • Men's Basketball Program Fund Donate
  • Men's Basketball Scholarships Fund Donate
  • Women's Basketball Program Fund Donate
  • Women's Basketball Scholarships Fund Donate

Golf:

  • Men's Golf Program Fund Donate
  • Men's Golf Scholarship Fund
    To give to baseball scholarships, give to the Men's Golf Program Fund and in the comment box tell us you would like your gift to go to baseball scholarships.
  • Women's Golf Program Fund Donate
  • Women's Golf Scholarship Fund
    To give to baseball scholarships, give to the Women's Golf Program Fund and in the comment box tell us you would like your gift to go to baseball scholarships.
  • H. Albert Inkel Memorial Scholarship Donate The University of Illinois Springfield women’s golf coach Nichole Inkel-Pongracz started the H. Albert Inkel Memorial Scholarship Fund with her mother, Becky Inkel, to honor the coach’s father, who died recently. Thee scholarship will be awarded to an UIS women’s golfer. The student-athlete must be in good academic standing and write an essay on how golf has influenced her life.

Soccer:

  • Men's Soccer Program Fund Donate
  • Men's Soccer Scholarship Fund Donate
  • Women's Soccer Program Fund Donate
  • Women's Soccer Scholarships Fund Donate

Tennis:

  • Men's Tennis Program Fund Donate
  • Men's Tennis Scholarship Fund Donate
  • Women's Soccer Program Fund Donate
  • Women's Tennis Scholarships Fund Donate
  • Tracy Tennis Scholarship
    The University of Illinois at Springfield (then Sangamon State University) has enjoyed intercollegiate tennis since 1979. Tennis is one of ten intercollegiate athletic programs competing at the NAIA Division-II level at UIS as of Fall, 2009. In 1981 both men’s and women’s teams won their district championships and advanced to nationals where the women finished 8th. Over the following 20+ years since their inception, the men’s team has been represented by at least one member of the team to the NAIA nationals for 20 years, and the women have been represented nationally for at least 15 years. The Tracy Tennis Scholarship has been established to build upon the Prairie Stars’ winning tradition by allowing UIS coaches to pursue some of the top tennis high school athletes in the state. Financial assistance weighs heavily on an athlete’s college choice and the Tracy Scholarship seeks to attract the state’s most talented players through this award.

Softball:

  • Women's Softball Program Fund Donate
  • Women's Softball Scholarship Fund Donate

Volleyball:

  • Women's Volleyball Program Fund Donate
  • Women's Volleyball Scholarship Fund Donate

Questions?

We welcome your inquiries. Please use the contact info below.