President Michael R. Lovell announced that alumnus Ross Sprovieri and his wife Susan have committed $1 million to establish endowed tennis scholarships for Marquette’s NCAA men’s and women’s tennis programs. This is the largest-ever gift dedicated to the university’s tennis program. Sprovieri is a 1990 College of Business Administration graduate and former member of the men’s tennis program.
“This generous gift will immediately elevate our tennis programs and it builds on our longstanding mission to provide life-changing scholarships,” President Lovell said. “We are grateful to the Sprovieri family for supporting our student-athletes by giving back to a program that directly connects to their passion.”
Sprovieri said his motivation was driven by the positive impact the tennis program had on his Marquette experience.
“In my early days at Marquette, when I was still finding my way and navigating the complexities and challenges of college life, the tennis program provided a reassuring structure and an important sense of connection,” Sprovieri said. “My family’s hope is that we can inspire future generations of Marquette tennis student-athletes to accomplish great things on the court and long after their playing careers are complete.”
Marquette’s tennis programs, like all university athletic programs, play in the highly competitive Big East conference and draw student-athletes from across the world. The programs are led by Jud Shaufler, interim director of tennis, who has been with Marquette for 14 years.
“This gift comes at an especially important time — like college athletic departments across the country, we have faced challenges. As we strategically look at new and innovative ways to grow scholarships for our many student-athletes, we believe that additional alumni will step forward to continue our scholarship momentum,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Bill Scholl.
“It is truly remarkable when our alumni reflect on how their playing days at Marquette shaped their lives and they are moved to pay it forward to the next generation of student-athletes. Ross and his family are living out our mission to serve others by building on our foundation of excellence.”
Scholarship surge
Marquette University is in the final year of its historic Time to Rise campaign and scholarship support has been a top priority. The university has raised more than $295 million dedicated to scholarships, making up more than 40 percent of the total funds raised.
“This generous gift represents the Sprovieri family’s tremendous desire to lift up the Marquette community,” said Vice President for Advancement Tim McMahon. “They are part of our dedicated alumni network making a significant difference as we continue to build campaign momentum.”
