COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— Through generous donations and a grant from USA Triathlon, Sun Devil Athletics will look to implement the NCAA emerging sport of women’s triathlon. ASU would be the first NCAA Division I, power-five school to adopt the emerging sport.
“Since day one I have said that Sun Devil Athletics will expand Arizona State’s educational and competitive opportunities for student-athletes,” said Ray Anderson, Vice President for University Athletics and Athletics Director. “The proposition of triathlon was made possible by a generous grant from USA Triathlon and funds from our gracious donors.”
When Sun Devil Athletics announced the elevation of ice hockey to NCAA status in November, the group of donors – led by Don Mullett – provided extra support to sponsor a women’s program.
Sun Devil Athletics was selected as one of eight collegiate athletics programs to receive a multi-year Women’s Triathlon Emerging Sport Grant by the USA Triathlon Foundation. The grant was created to drive the establishment of NCAA women’s varsity triathlon programs.
“We are in an unprecedented time within Sun Devil Athletics,” said Anderson. “It is our responsibility to aggressively find unique and creative revenue streams to afford opportunities for students to receive an education from Arizona State and compete for Sun Devil Athletics, like the gift earmarked from the hockey donation.”
From USA Triathlon, Sun Devil Athletics will receive a grant of $140,000 distributed over the course of three years to develop, implement, grow and sustain women’s triathlon programs at the NCAA-level. The collegiate sport of triathlon will compete at the “sprint distance,” which includes a 750M swim, a 20K bike ride, and a 5K run.
“I want to thank USA Triathlon for selecting Sun Devil Athletics as a recipient of the emerging sport grant, but also, I’d like to thank again the donors that made this opportunity possible,” said Anderson. “The donors are obviously passionate about hockey but more important, they’re passionate about providing new avenues to advance our student body, and for that we are grateful.”
Nicole Truxes, a triathlete and graduate student in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College pursuing a master’s in higher education, was instrumental in helping Sun Devil Athletics apply for the USA Triathlon Grant.
Truxes discovered the grant while taking a philanthropy and grant masters course and, as a triathlete herself, created a mock grant proposal. Using the framework set up through the course, Truxes helped Sun Devil Athletics co-author the final grant submission to USA Triathlon.
The sport of triathlon is growing exponentially with annual membership in the USA Triathlon growing from 21,341 in 2000 to nearly 175,000 members in 2013. Triathlon was recognized as an Olympic sport starting at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
The Phoenix area, and specifically the city of Tempe, is a popular destination for triathlon courses. On average, the city of Tempe hosts four triathlons a year and boasts one of the country’s only urban areas in which to compete. Beginning in 2005, the City of Tempe hosts an annual Ironman Triathlon, uniting athletes from every state and over 30 countries worldwide just blocks away from the Arizona State campus.
Among the emerging sports the NCAA has tested in recent years, triathlon distinguishes itself with its governing body, USA Triathlon, providing both financial support and operational support for universities seeking to adopt the sport, this according to the Wall Street Journal.