As Fresno State athletics fundraisers struggle to meet their goals for the year in a very tough economy, one big gift announced this summer appears all but forgotten.
Former Bulldogs linebacker Alphonso Bigelow announced a $10 million pledge, largest in Fresno State athletics history, at a university news conference in June. Top campus officials outlined plans to use $8 million for athletics facilities and $2 million for athletics scholarships.
Bigelow planned to give $500,000 a quarter over five years, beginning July 1. But questions immediately arose about whether he had the means to make good on his pledge. Bigelow delivered a check to university officials in mid-July for his first payment but declined to say how much it was for.
And Thursday, the original due date for payment of the second installment, passed with no sign that Bigelow was keeping to his plan.
Bigelow, who says he has made a fortune in the commodities business, could not be reached, and university officials declined to say how much he has given.
Fresno State officials are not counting on Alphonso Bigelow's money until it comes in and have no schedule for him to make good on his pledge.
Athletic director Thomas Boeh said the university is not counting on Bigelow's money until it comes in and that officials have no schedule for him to make good on his pledge.
Boeh said no part of the athletic department's revised 2009-10 budget -- capital improvements or scholarships -- includes anticipated money from Bigelow.
"We won't spend any [pledge] money until it is in place," Boeh said.
Another local organization that had counted on money from Bigelow has given up trying to collect. Bigelow made a $500 pledge in 2007 to Reel Pride, Fresno's gay and lesbian film festival, said Jon Carroll, executive director of the festival.
In exchange for his pledge, Bigelow received tickets to events including the opening and closing night parties, an ad in the festival program and other promotional considerations.
But Bigelow never paid despite repeated efforts to collect, Carroll said. The festival recently wrote off the pledge -- one of the few times in the 20-year history of the festival that a pledge has gone sour.
"Personally, I think Fresno State has as much of a chance getting their $10 million as we did getting our $500," Carroll said.
University officials say Bulldogs athletics can get along just fine without the facilities Bigelow's money was to help build. But it's clear that Fresno State could use his pledge to help fund scholarships this year.
The initial 2009-10 budget of $23.6 million approved last spring by the Fresno State Athletic Corp. board included nearly $4.9 million in projected costs for athletic aid. The Bulldog Foundation has agreed to fund the entire amount.
The foundation's primary fundraiser has been the annual fund drive. The drive from 2005 through 2008 raised more than $7 million, about half in season-ticket sales and about half in donations. Proceeds from the ticket sales went toward operations, while proceeds from donations funded scholarships.
According to university records, pledges as of late September in the 2009 fund drive were $6.25 million, nearly $1 million less than the comparable figure last year.
Fresno State officials said the fund drive used to be only several months in length, but has now evolved into a year-around effort. Coleman Barnes, assistant athletic director for development and Bulldog Foundation executive director, said he is confident the fund drive's 2009 total will match or exceed the $7.23 million pledged in 2008.
"We're facing tough times," Barnes said. "But we're going to continue to reach out to the community and the Valley."
Barnes has assumed more of the athletic department's fundraising duties since the recent departure of two key officials in development.
Danny White, the Bulldogs' associate athletic director for development for two years, last month became chief development officer for the University of Mississippi's athletic program.
And Jay Vickers, formerly the assistant director for development at the Bulldog Foundation, has moved on to the University of Arizona, where is assistant athletic director for development.
Both jobs can be seen as promotions because Mississippi is part of the Southeastern Conference and Arizona is in the Pac-10. Both conferences are in the top echelon of the Bowl Championship Series.
Boeh at the June news conference gave much of the credit for landing the Bigelow pledge to White and Vickers.
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