Sometimes an idea comes along that truly deserves the name “game-changing.” Such is the case with the Duke Athletics Library Fund.

Starting this year, the Department of Athletics will donate to Duke University Libraries one dollar from every ticket sold to regular-season home sporting events. That includes baseball and football games, as well as men’s and women’s basketball, lacrosse, and soccer matches.

Every time you come out to cheer for the Blue Devils, one dollar from your ticket will be invested in a special fund, which the Libraries will use to support teaching and research across the university.

“The backbone of all great universities is a strong library system,” said Duke Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White. “Our excitement about this partnership cannot be overemphasized.”

Naturally, we’re excited, too. The newly created fund signifies an important partnership between athletics and academics, two things for which Duke is well known. When news about the Athletics-Libraries partnership broke, it was hailed by the Chronicle of Higher Education and other national media as an example of what makes this university so special.

Here in the Libraries, we are proud of the accomplishments of Duke athletes, both on the field and in the classroom. And we believe that a strong library system greatly enhances every student’s ability to excel academically. 

To learn more about this mutually beneficial arrangement, read the full story online.