Clemson, IPTAY Announce Hear Her Roar Fundraising Campaign

Hear Her Roar Home Page

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson Athletics and IPTAY on Thursday announced the launch of the “Hear Her Roar” fundraising campaign, designed to directly enhance and propel the future of women’s athletics at Clemson.

Varsity women’s student-athletes have proudly represented Clemson since 1975, where they have been leaders in the classroom and athletic competition. Since then, an impressive 39 ACC regular-season or tournament team championships have been won, 51 women are enshrined in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame, and Clemson alumnae have earned 10 Olympic medals. Additionally, the Tigers have posted record-setting GPAs and become leaders both professionally and in their families and communities.

The momentum behind the growth of athletic opportunities for women at Clemson has never been more evident. Within the last decade, Clemson Athletics has added women’s golf (2012-13), softball (2019-20), and announced the sponsorship of women’s lacrosse (2022-23) and women’s gymnastics (2023-24). In the spring of 2022, a comprehensive women’s athletic facility plan was formalized, and POWER: Women’s Leadership Academy was launched.

The newly launched Hear Her Roar initiative raises awareness and financial support specifically for Clemson’s women student-athletes, allowing Clemson to continue to offer a premier collegiate experience both athletically and academically. IPTAY is committed to the growth of opportunities and access for the 12 NCAA Division I women’s programs sponsored by Clemson University. Groundbreaking Title IX legislation paved the way for women in college athletics, and turns 50 this June. The Hear Her Roar initiative celebrates this milestone, while setting up future generations for success at Clemson.

With an aggressive goal of $50 million, the Hear Her Roar initiative will take Clemson Women’s Athletics to new heights.

Hear Her Roar is grounded in three main impact areas: scholarships, state-of-the-art facilities, and student-athlete experience. Today, the need in each impact area continues to grow as intercollegiate athletics aggressively progresses. This new initiative will allow donors to give to areas that are not only of greatest need but to specific objectives throughout Clemson’s 12 women’s sports programs. Clemson is positioned for success in the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally due to the incredible philanthropic support and generosity of those who give to IPTAY.

IPTAY CEO Davis Babb: “The Hear Her Roar initiative is crucial to our organization as we enhance IPTAY’s fundraising scope to properly support women student-athletes. Providing world-class resources to fund women’s academic, athletic, and personal development is critical as we meet this moment within the dynamic world of intercollegiate athletics. IPTAY has been a philanthropic leader within intercollegiate athletics for more than 85 years, and Hear Her Roar is vital to the future successes of the program.”

Clemson Director of Athletics Graham Neff: “Clemson is a special place, and I am excited about the continued growth of our athletic program, and in particular, the future of women’s athletics on campus. The plans for the new women’s specific lakefront facilities, POWER: Women’s Leadership Academy, and Hear Her Roar are outward examples of our commitment to our student-athletes. Hear Her Roar will allow us to propel our strategic initiatives forward for women through the incredible generosity of our IPTAY donors.”

Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator Stephanie Ellison-Johnson: “We have incredible women student-athletes at Clemson. They are proud, passionate, and devoted to their crafts while collectively posting team cumulative GPAs above 3.0. Hear Her Roar, fueled by IPTAY, will further elevate women’s opportunities to be successful while attending Clemson. Team travel, new and improved facilities, sport-specific fundraising, and more are just the beginning of what Hear Her Roar will be able to provide in terms of resources that will make a direct impact on the daily lives of these student-athletes. This investment by IPTAY is significant, and I am excited to see it develop.”