ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. -- St. Bonaventure University Athletics and Team Unfurl, an existing third-party, alumni-managed collective, has announced plans for the University to absorb all assets of Team Unfurl and establish the brand as the primary vehicle for St. Bonaventure basketball's institutional Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) efforts.
The transition is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.
The move was prompted by an effort to simplify and more clearly explain the options available to supporters of St. Bonaventure's men's and women's basketball programs, amidst a time of great upheaval in the sport.
"At this critical juncture in the rapid evolution of college athletics, we recognize the urgent need for clarity, transparency and efficiency," said Bob Beretta, St. Bonaventure Vice President and Director of Athletics. "This new arrangement will help us to accomplish all of that and more."
The men's and women's Bonaventure Excellence Fund (BEF) was launched last June, soon after the University opted into the NCAA House Settlement, which allowed schools to share revenues directly with student-athletes. At that time, the BEF joined the basketball Bonnies Athletic Fund (BAF), the Sixth Man Club and the alumni-managed collective Team Unfurl. It soon became clear that confusion arose as to what element of the program each avenue funded.
"The term Team Unfurl is more closely aligned with the ethos and branding of our basketball programs, and we were thrilled when the dedicated alumni who launched and managed Team Unfurl, our primary institutional NIL vehicle, were amenable to the University absorbing it," Beretta said.
Team Unfurl History
Team Unfurl was launched in 2023 to help St. Bonaventure in the new era of NIL. John Mucke ('83), Brian Attea ('89) and Brian Conaghan ('99) were founding members, and were later joined by Adrian Wojnarowski ('91), Denise Dee ('89), Tyler Relph ('08), Denzel Gregg ('17), Sam Molinaro ('80) and Chris LaPlaca ('79).
"In many ways, this is a story that clearly demonstrates the incredible impact our exceptional alumni have on our University," Beretta said. "Team Unfurl members - led by John Mucke, Brian Attea, Brian Conaghan and Denise Dee - donated their time in service of their university, and of course we remain grateful for the generosity of all our donors."
That generosity is critical.
"Our annual athletics budget, including institutional NIL, is roughly $14 million," Beretta said. "Athletics is responsible for over $10 million of that through fundraising and revenue generation. That is why we are so grateful to everyone who supports the Bonnies."
Impact on the University
When St. Bonaventure President Jeff Gingerich decided to opt into the House settlement, he did so from a University-wide perspective.
"A vibrant Division I athletics program in the Atlantic 10 is directly tied to the University's overall success," Gingerich said. "It was the primary reason we opted in.
"In all corners of our campus, we have faculty, staff, students and student-athletes doing remarkable things, and we could not accomplish any of that without our generous donors. We may never have the biggest budgets, but nobody 'out hearts' St. Bonaventure."
Team Unfurl
This creative agreement underscores the special relationship all St. Bonaventure alumni have with the University. Mucke, Attea and soon Conaghan jumped in to help and today are happy to hand over Team Unfurl to their alma mater.
Mucke said, "As alumni and lifelong Bonnies fans, we launched Team Unfurl because we love this program and we know how important it is to the other sports and the University as a whole and wanted to help it thrive in a rapidly changing college athletics environment. The success of Team Unfurl has been driven by the unparalleled support, passion, and generosity of our alumni base — a community that consistently steps up to ensure St. Bonaventure basketball remains competitive on the national stage. We're proud to see Team Unfurl become the central NIL vehicle for St. Bonaventure basketball and excited for what this means for our student-athletes and the future of the program."
"We are thrilled to announce this next chapter for Team Unfurl as we officially transition our operation to St. Bonaventure University," Conaghan said. "From the very beginning, our mission has been to serve as a bridge -- helping navigate the early days of NIL and building a foundation for long-term success. Now, as we pass the torch to the university, we are confident that this operation is in very capable hands. While our executive team will step into advisory roles, we remain deeply committed to supporting the university and its student-athletes as they continue to thrive in this new era."
Donation Options Going Forward
Team Unfurl – replaces the Basketball Excellence Fund as the primary vehicle for donors to support institutional NIL for both men's and women's basketball.
Sixth Man Club – exists to support the operations of men's basketball, primarily elevated travel and nutrition, at varying levels beginning at $7,500.
Bonnies Athletic Fund – BAF donors who designate their gift to men's and women's basketball provide support to all aspects of team operations; donations of any amount are critical to the Bonnies' success.
For all three avenues, all donations are tax deductible.
St. Bonaventure Athletics also is fundraising for two major capital projects, the Athletics Performance Center and a Track and Field complex.
