November 15, 2022

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Tuesday that the Football Founders Society, a group of loyal donors who are coming together to help the football program hit the ground running, has already raised $1.5 million.

Along with the UTRGV Foundation’s $1 million allocation to supplement the expansion of spirit programs and the establishment of marching band, women’s swimming & diving, and football, UTRGV has already generated $2.5 million in support of sport expansion.

“I want to personally thank all of our Football Founders Society members for joining us on the ground floor of this period of rapid transformation,” UTRGV Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. “With their support, and the support of future investors in our program, we will be able to create a football program that the Valley will be proud to rally around.”

The Football Founders Society is a select group of donors who have elected to invest in the foundational support to launch the UTRGV football program. Football Founders Society membership is limited, and members are given elite benefits including special access to the UTRGV football program and head coach.

The Football Founders Society will provide direct support to the UTRGV football program to help cover foundational expenses such as the construction of practice fields and a locker room, and the purchase of field equipment, football apparel, and equipment for student-athletes, in addition to other program-related investments needed to compete at the Division I level.

Entrance into the Football Founders Society requires a minimum pledge of $50,000 over five years.

The Football Founders Society currently has 29 members:

Lori and Guillermo Aguilar

Debbie and Ernie Aliseda 

Ameriprise Financial 

Val LaMantia and Dr. Guy Bailey

Karen and Bob Bogus

Kent Burns

Orlando Castaneda 

Lisa and Chasse Conque 

Diana and Gilbert Enriquez

Domain Development

Esperanza Homes 

Gail and Jack Ewing

Rina and Jaime Gonzalez

Dr. Victor Gonzalez

Lone Star National Bank

Drs. Elena and Carlos Marin 

Michael Mueller

Drs. Kelly and Herb Nassour 

Susie and David Oliveira 

Sandra and Dr. Nolan Perez 

Velma and Arturo Perez

Cindy and Senovio Ramirez 

RGV Partnership

Rio Bank

Cris and David Rivera

Viveca and Nick Serafy 

Lizeth and Vicente Solar

Janet and Robert Vackar

Kasey and Lalo Villareal

To learn more about additional opportunities to support UTRGV Athletics contact UTRGV Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Revenue Officer Vince Volpe at (956) 665-4069 or vince.volpe@utrgv.edu.

The creation of the Football Founders Society is a direct response to support the will of the UTRGV student body, which voted in favor of expanding the spirit program and adding football, marching band, and women’s swimming & diving programs in a student referendum in November 2021.