Donations to capital campaigns for new facilities and commitments to "cover more aid for athletes helped major-college athletic departments raise" $1.2B in '15, marking the "fourth time in the past five years that gifts for athletics had crossed the billion-dollar mark," according to Wolverton & Kambhampati of the CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION. However, there are "signs that donors may be reaching their limits, as overall athletics donations to the reporting institutions dipped slightly" in '15 from '14. A drop in the stock market "contributed to that decline." Another factor was "donor fatigue, with some supporters questioning programs’ efforts to raise donation requirements for tickets and to seek money for increased compensation for coaches." Texas A&M brought in nearly $67M, the "most of any institution." The total amount of $1.2B was "slightly less" than '14. As in previous years, the "wealthiest programs accounted for most of the contributions." The top 20 athletic departments "reported collective donations" of about $670M in '15 -- more than half of the $1.2B. That money has "helped cover large capital expenses" (CHRONICLE.com, 1/27).
