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With 47 team and individual national titles, and 197 conference crowns, the Salisbury University Sea Gulls are no strangers to championships.

Thanks to the generosity of long-time supporters Dr. Thomas "Tom" and Nancy Jones, future Sea Gull teams heading into postseason play will have some additional help with travel costs through the newly established Champions Fund.

"One thing I knew when I first arrived at Salisbury is that our teams are very successful," said Monica Gordy Polizzi, SU Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation. "What you don't see until you get here, however, is just how much it costs to operate beyond our regular season. The creation of this fund is critical to the continued success of our athletic department and I am grateful to Tom and Nancy for spearheading this effort that will help us travel and compete in the post-season while also rewarding our student-athletes for post-season success."

The new fund is unique in that it exists as an endowment, with a principal amount that will remain constant. The rest is for current use and accessible immediately by SU Athletics teams for postseason play needs. The fund is open to contributions, and donors can decide if they want to support the endowment's corpus or the current use funds when giving.

The initiative will help cover postseason travel expenses, such as busses, flights, hotels and meals for student-athletes on SU's 23 NCAA men's and women's varsity teams, as well as the purchase of championship rings and other awards.

"The cost of everything, from fuel to food, is on the rise, and that makes this fund more important than ever," said Tom Jones who, with his wife, Nancy, is making the initial commitment to start the endowment. "Since Salisbury has a lot of athletic success, this fund could be depleted quickly. That is why it is critical that donors step up and make a contribution to provide the best post-season experience we can for our Sea Gulls. We are honored to help get this crucial fund off the ground to help Salisbury University Athletics."

The Joneses are no strangers to SU. Tom began teaching in the University's Biological Sciences Department in 1977, retiring in 2007 after serving nine years as the dean of the Richard A. Henson School of Sciences and Technology and two years as the institution's provost and senior vice president of academic affairs. He and Nancy are both ardent Sea Gull fans.

As an incentive to donate to the Champions Fund, all contributors who make a commitment of $10,000 or more, in a single gift or as part of a multi-year pledge, will be members of the "Champions Circle," an organization recognizing top donors to the initiative. Each member will have their name on a donor wall on the Suite Level of Sea Gull Stadium; will receive a Champions Circle lapel pin; and, when teams win National Championships, will receive an exclusive commemorative gift along with the team.

All supporters of the fund will be invited to exclusive gatherings each year, as well as championship team reunions. Donors who contribute $50,000 or more in total will receive a ring whenever teams win national championships. As with all athletic giving, donors immediately become members of SU's Maroon & Gold Club, which offers additional benefits, including prime seating to watch as the Sea Gulls pave the way to even more national titles.

"I am confident those numbers will grow each year," said Polizzi. "We have to make sure we can continue to support all of our Sea Gull student-athletes and coaches as they continue to represent SU so well."