Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Flames Division I men's hockey players (from left) Joe Feamster, Michael DeBrito, Michael Adamek, and Mac Ratzlaff express their appreciation to those who gave to the various Club Sports programs on Wednesday, Sept. 30, this year's designated Giving Day. (Photo by KJ Jugar)
Club Sports department receives more than one-third of all gifts offered on Liberty’s annual Giving Day
10/5/2026 12:10:00 PM | General
The Flames’ DII and DI men’s hockey and men’s wrestling teams ranked first, second, and third, respectively, in total money raised among Liberty’s athletic programs, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the $850,000 Club Sports total.
Liberty University's Club Sports department accounted for more than 36% — 3,248 out of 9,002 — of all of the gifts received by over 100 campaigns spanning academic, athletic, and spiritual programs around campus on last Wednesday's annual Giving Day.
Overall, after eclipsing 7,000 gifts and nearly reaching $7.5 million total funds raised in 2025, the university shattered those record totals this past week with just over 9,000 gifts for a total of more than $11.7 million donated — a near 57% increase from last year.
For Club Sports, which set a goal of raising $800,000 this year after raising $691,000 as a department in 2025, the $851,725 total represented a 23% surplus from last year.
"We are seeing better than a 20% increase year over year," Club Sports Assistant Athletic Director of Development Ben Hughes said. "That's the foundation."
Four of the five athletic programs that raised the most money overall were Club Sports teams — Liberty's Division II men's hockey team ($131,779), Division I men's hockey ($112,058), men's wrestling ($79,138), and equestrian ($65,455), which ranked fifth behind the NCAA Division I women's basketball team ($77,665), the only Athletics program listed in the top five.
The Flames' Division III men's hockey team, which captured the first national championship (albeit at the AAU Division II level) in Liberty men's hockey program history last spring, ranked fifth among Club Sports programs with $60,250 raised.
Liberty's Athletics and Club Sports programs experienced tremendous windfalls from the university's Giving Day Challenges, with the cycling team receiving a $500 bonus for receiving the 1971st donation of the day, matching the university's founding year. The triathlon team earned a $500 surplus for receiving the most money from parents of its triathletes between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Club Sports earned even more positive incentives and $250 prizes by submitting photographs of team fundraising efforts to win nine out of the 11 Social Media Challenges, including the triathlon team which won the best pet wearing LU swag photo. The Lady Flames Division II women's hockey team totaled $500 for receiving first place in the best Giving Day photos taken at the Reber-Thomas Dining Center steps and in front of the Hancock Welcome Center. Liberty's women's wrestling team also earned $500 in bonuses for winning the best photo at the LU Monogram and the best kids fan photo submitted.
The taekwondo team submitted the best photo taken at Giving Day Lawnfest, held Wednesday on the Academic Lawn in front of the Montview Student Union. Meanwhile, the racquetball team had the best photo taken in front of the Freedom Tower and the LU Dance team submitted the best photo from the 50-yard line at Williams Stadium.
Liberty's Division I women's hockey team produced the best Giving Day promo video. (Watch it below).
"How (Club Sports Athletic Director) Kirk (Handy) and I both feel, when you experience generosity from the body of Christ, you experience a touch of heaven," Hughes said. "We are giving all glory to God and are just thankful. We serve a God that gives us so much. God is a generous God. It's really humbling to experience, and we are just walking in gratitude. Now, we are excited to see our programs utilize those funds to Train Champions for Christ."
Handy and Hughes, who also serve as the Division I men's hockey head coach and assistant coach, will be utilizing a good portion of their funds raised to help support the team's return trip to Finland over Winter Break in early 2028. Next summer, the team also plans to send a smaller cohort of players to run a Christian Hockey Camp, one of the first of its kind in that predominantly secular Scandinavian country.
One campaign that did not meet its fundraising goal is the Club Sports Missions fund, which supports team outreaches, both overseas and domestic, allowing student-athletes to use their respective sports as platforms for sharing the Gospel. This fund is also used to produce and distribute specially designed, pocket-sized Gospel of John booklets to be given to every athletic program that visits Liberty for competitions.
Hughes said he and his staff will be reaching out personally to express appreciation to those who gave.
"The fun part is that we get to go to work and say thank you to a lot of people," he said. "We want to meet them and steward their funds and relationships and continue to build new relationships with people. It's our job to make sure that we are communicating the transformation and that our donors feel the impact that their donation is making."
Hughes noted that although Giving Day has officially ended, those interested in supporting Club Sports' operations can still give year-round toward individual programs on their respective team pages on the Club Sports website. Email development@liberty.edu or call (866) 602-7983 for more information.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
Overall, after eclipsing 7,000 gifts and nearly reaching $7.5 million total funds raised in 2025, the university shattered those record totals this past week with just over 9,000 gifts for a total of more than $11.7 million donated — a near 57% increase from last year.
For Club Sports, which set a goal of raising $800,000 this year after raising $691,000 as a department in 2025, the $851,725 total represented a 23% surplus from last year.
"We are seeing better than a 20% increase year over year," Club Sports Assistant Athletic Director of Development Ben Hughes said. "That's the foundation."
Four of the five athletic programs that raised the most money overall were Club Sports teams — Liberty's Division II men's hockey team ($131,779), Division I men's hockey ($112,058), men's wrestling ($79,138), and equestrian ($65,455), which ranked fifth behind the NCAA Division I women's basketball team ($77,665), the only Athletics program listed in the top five.
The Flames' Division III men's hockey team, which captured the first national championship (albeit at the AAU Division II level) in Liberty men's hockey program history last spring, ranked fifth among Club Sports programs with $60,250 raised.
Liberty's Athletics and Club Sports programs experienced tremendous windfalls from the university's Giving Day Challenges, with the cycling team receiving a $500 bonus for receiving the 1971st donation of the day, matching the university's founding year. The triathlon team earned a $500 surplus for receiving the most money from parents of its triathletes between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Club Sports earned even more positive incentives and $250 prizes by submitting photographs of team fundraising efforts to win nine out of the 11 Social Media Challenges, including the triathlon team which won the best pet wearing LU swag photo. The Lady Flames Division II women's hockey team totaled $500 for receiving first place in the best Giving Day photos taken at the Reber-Thomas Dining Center steps and in front of the Hancock Welcome Center. Liberty's women's wrestling team also earned $500 in bonuses for winning the best photo at the LU Monogram and the best kids fan photo submitted.
The taekwondo team submitted the best photo taken at Giving Day Lawnfest, held Wednesday on the Academic Lawn in front of the Montview Student Union. Meanwhile, the racquetball team had the best photo taken in front of the Freedom Tower and the LU Dance team submitted the best photo from the 50-yard line at Williams Stadium.
Liberty's Division I women's hockey team produced the best Giving Day promo video. (Watch it below).
"How (Club Sports Athletic Director) Kirk (Handy) and I both feel, when you experience generosity from the body of Christ, you experience a touch of heaven," Hughes said. "We are giving all glory to God and are just thankful. We serve a God that gives us so much. God is a generous God. It's really humbling to experience, and we are just walking in gratitude. Now, we are excited to see our programs utilize those funds to Train Champions for Christ."
Handy and Hughes, who also serve as the Division I men's hockey head coach and assistant coach, will be utilizing a good portion of their funds raised to help support the team's return trip to Finland over Winter Break in early 2028. Next summer, the team also plans to send a smaller cohort of players to run a Christian Hockey Camp, one of the first of its kind in that predominantly secular Scandinavian country.
One campaign that did not meet its fundraising goal is the Club Sports Missions fund, which supports team outreaches, both overseas and domestic, allowing student-athletes to use their respective sports as platforms for sharing the Gospel. This fund is also used to produce and distribute specially designed, pocket-sized Gospel of John booklets to be given to every athletic program that visits Liberty for competitions.
Hughes said he and his staff will be reaching out personally to express appreciation to those who gave.
"The fun part is that we get to go to work and say thank you to a lot of people," he said. "We want to meet them and steward their funds and relationships and continue to build new relationships with people. It's our job to make sure that we are communicating the transformation and that our donors feel the impact that their donation is making."
Hughes noted that although Giving Day has officially ended, those interested in supporting Club Sports' operations can still give year-round toward individual programs on their respective team pages on the Club Sports website. Email development@liberty.edu or call (866) 602-7983 for more information.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
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