For years I have heard fans say "what can we do to take the next step". And for years I have constantly said, "buy tickets and donate to the athletic department." Those things still hold true, but the problem the last 5 years or so is that most of that has no longer been tax deductible, and fans have little control of where the money goes once it leaves their pockets. So the enticement to support or support at higher levels has disappeared a lot for many fans.

But now there is an opportunity to support as a fan, in a way that IS tax deductible (Im not an accountant) and can significantly support the ability for CSU to recruit and retain great players for the sports you love. This is your chance. CSU has always played by the rules and we have taken pride in CSU not committing major recruiting violations with under the table handouts while major schools did and had others look the other way. It is now legal to be on the same playing field as those other schools. While they can just do what they were doing, only publicly and without repercussions, CSU can now come out in force and be the CSU that plays on that even playing field in this regard.

We as fans set that field. We determine how important recruiting and retaining great players is. We know what we have done and achieved with being standup and stalwart all the time. Now imagine if fans went all in financial support, because now they can legally and with a tax break for doing so, to provide resources that directly support players the way these other schools have been doing for decades.

If you own a local business or are connected to ones that are looking for marketing or PR opportunities, here is a great opportunity. Why not utilize some local sports heros to help be your mouthpiece and make CSU better because of it? Why not donate some profits to the Green and Gold Guard? If CSU athletics is awesome, it economically benefits local businesses which in turn comes back to you. And if CSU gets into an A5 conference, oh damn, the return of value to FoCo would be exponential.

It has been tough to be a CSU fan, over the years, no doubt. It can either be tougher. Or we can try to be part of an opportunity to be the biggest and best NIL operation in college sports. Little-ole CSU can become Big-ole CSU very very quickly with a lot of commitment. We all control what our level commitment is to help move that needle. You all spend way too much time on this board to not show at least a little support to what makes the big difference now. $10/mo is all it takes to join. For the price of a Happy Meal, you can join. But you can donate more if you wish. Do you only love watching CSU Football? Or Basketball? Fine, you can direct your donation to one sport if you wish, so only that sport can utilize your NIL donation. Want to support multiple sports but only the ones you choose? You can make multiple monthly donations that go only to those sports. It is simple, and it will make a difference.

We have talked about it in the past that conference realignment depend a lot on commitment. Do you think conferences want schools where no one turns on the tv to watch, no one is in the stands, no one travels to away games, with low donation levels, and doesn't win? Or do you think they would be salivating at adding the school where tv ratings are high, fans are in the stands, fans travel to support their school, fans donate to support the players and to recruit and attract talent? Sure there is a bit of chicken or the egg with winning or losing on that, but end of the day, dedication is a choice. You don't have to win to watch, don't have to win to show up, don't have to win to travel to away games, don't have to win to support players. Instead of waiting to find out which came first, the chicken or the egg, ask yourself, does it really matter? Be the chicken by making the egg. Be the egg, that becomes the chicken. Don't wait for winning to support. Support to win.

Don't like Joe Parker? Fine, this $ doesn't go to Joe Parker. It is a non-profit separate from the athletic department to support the student athletes directly. Donate to this instead. Hate how much coaches get paid? Support the players that play the game directly instead. Want to beat CU at their own game? This is how you do that. Think of it this way, imagine a CU fan calling CSU "little brother" when you then shove the value of CSU's NIL Collective down their throats and it is bigger than CUs collective. Wouldn't that be satisfying? Sorry Prime Time, I guess your fans are more like cable rerun time.

Finally, it is fun! The players are getting involved in the events the GGGuard is putting on. You get to know them and their families. It is creating a strong community of support and Ram pride. You can be a part of that.

So, if you made it to the end of this post it is because it interests you. If it interests you, at least click the link below and do a $10/mo donation. If you were that interested to read this post, you should be that interested to support. $10/mo is nothing for most of you. You will probably forget you are even donating in a couple months. Now imagine the difference at much larger levels. Time to nut up or shut up. If we want bigtime college football and basketball in Fort Collins, we need a bigtime Green and Gold Guard leading that charge, and that takes you. Joining the guard isnt for the rich, it is for the dedicated and for those that want to compete in this landscape of college athletics.




[Post edited by Big Horned Sheep at 07/06/2023 4:18PM]