A Message From Director of Athletics Larry Lyons

Thank you for your support of Illinois State University student-athletes through contributions to the Weisbecker Scholarship Fund and the purchase of season tickets.  

Your investment in Redbird Athletics is critical to the success of our department and we value your contribution to our success.

Yesterday, both houses of legislature passed the federal tax reform bill and it now awaits President Trump's signature to sign it into law.  Today, I want to reach out to our fans who invest in our student-athletes through the Weisbecker Scholarship Fund and the purchase of season tickets to outline how one change in the tax code may impact your ability to deduct that contribution.

In the past, many donors have taken advantage of the opportunity to deduct up to 80% of their WSF gift if, as a result of paying such amount, they were provided the right to purchase tickets for seating at athletic events.  This bill denies a charitable deduction for payments made in exchange for college athletic event seating rights. 
 
While the tax law has changed, what has not changed is the impact your investment makes in the lives of Redbird student-athletes.  The continued support of our WSF donors provides our coaches and administration with resources needed for our student-athletes to compete at the highest level in the classroom and competition. 

2017 produced five individual All-American honors, two MVC Player of the Year honors, and eight Scholar All-Americans. Our GPA of 3.23 and Graduation Success Rate of 88% in the spring semester both tied department records, and this past Saturday 20 of our student-athletes received their diploma at Winter Commencement.

The new federal tax code may change how you account for your WSF investment, but it will not change the significance of your investment to current and future Redbirds.  This will also require us to work through our internal accounting processes within the University and ISU Foundation.  We plan to have those details finalized in January, 2018.

Our Weisbecker Scholarship Fund staff is happy to discuss questions you may have.  The best way to contact them is to call 309-438-3803 or email wsf@ilstu.edu.  Of course, we encourage anyone with specific questions about their personal taxes to reach out to a professional tax advisor.

I wish you a Happy Holidays and a healthy start to 2018.

Sincerely,
Larry Lyons
Director of Athletics