Thanks to the generosity of Jan Sievers '59 Schrage and Paul Schrage '57, the Valparaiso University men's basketball program has received a significant boost to its recruiting and retention efforts. The couple has committed $1 million to establish the Paul D. and Janet C. Schrage Basketball Excellence Fund, in alignment with the recently-launched Men's Basketball Excellence Fund, which provides resources to the program's greatest areas of need, such as team travel, nutrition and new student-athlete benefits.
 
"This is a game-changing investment for our basketball program, athletics department and University," Director of Athletics and Campus Recreation Laurel Hosmer said. "I cannot be more grateful for Paul and Jan and all they have done in their lifetime to ensure excellence for Valpo Basketball and the University overall. They understand the crossroads that we face as a mid-major institution in this new era of intercollegiate athletics. Their visionary commitment to embracing this new reality and investing in a profoundly transformational way propels us on the necessary path forward in achieving and sustaining success. That success will ignite a positive ripple effect across our campus and community."
 
This generous gift continues a lifetime of the Schrage family making a transformational impact on the University, athletic department and men's basketball program. Since developing a close friendship with legendary Valpo men's basketball head coach Homer Drew, the Schrages have provided philanthropic support that has benefited every men's basketball coach and student-athlete who has donned the brown and gold.
 
"The generosity of Paul and Jan Schrage will make a transformational impact on our program," head coach Roger Powell Jr. said. "Their support will play a crucial role in helping us continue to elevate our recruiting and retention efforts. We are grateful for their evolving mindset and willingness to give toward the areas that will make the greatest impact on Valpo Basketball and help us win games while transforming the lives of the young men in our program."
 
Through all of the changes that the college basketball landscape has gone through over the decades, the Schrages have continuously adapted their unwavering support for the program by prioritizing the most pressing needs of a given era. In the modern era of college basketball, that need includes the student-athlete benefits supported by the Paul D. and Janet C. Schrage Basketball Excellence Fund.
 
"Investing in the basketball program is more important now than ever before," Paul said. "With the landscape of college basketball changing drastically, Jan and I felt that now was time to support Valpo Basketball and Coach Powell. We love the direction of the program and feel compelled to do our part to ensure that the program and the University have the unrestricted resources to keep pace in this new era and carry the torch of the Valpo basketball tradition that we have enjoyed for over 60 years."
 
Longtime benefactors to the University and ardent supporters of the basketball program, the Schrages funded the Schrage Basketball Wing addition to the Athletics-Recreation Center, which houses the men's and women's basketball offices. Along with the gift to construct the addition, they established an endowment to provide ongoing support for the facility on an annual basis.
 
"The generosity of Paul and Jan Schrage impacts not only our men's basketball program and our Department of Athletics, but also our institution as a whole," Valparaiso University President José D. Padilla said. "Their gift will help athletics and men's basketball continue to serve as a front porch for the University, providing an important marketing and enrollment driver during a time when those efforts are paramount. We are grateful for the belief in our institution, our mission and our values that a gift of this magnitude represents." 
 
Paul Schrage earned a bachelor of arts in business administration from Valparaiso University, a master of science in advertising from the University of Illinois and an honorary juris doctor from Valpo. He served on the Valparaiso University Board of Directors from 1996-2004 and from 2009-2015. His 30-year career with the McDonald's Corporation began in 1967 when Ray Kroc hired him to start the marketing department. By the time he retired in 1997 as a senior executive vice president and chief marketing officer of McDonald's Corporation and member of its board of directors, he had made McDonald's one of the most powerful brands in the world. In recognition of his career, Schrage was inducted into the American Advertising Hall of Fame in 1997. He is also a lifetime trustee and former chair of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Board of Directors.
 
"Men's basketball success is deeply rooted in the identity of the University," Paul said. "O.P. Kretzmann believed that investing in it would provide the ability to compete on a national level and further the identity of Valparaiso University as a national institution that draws students from every part of the United States. Now, at a time when enrollment is a priority to the future of Valpo, we believe that this gift can provide the foundation that elevates the University further onto the national stage and be a valuable recruiting tool for all students."
 
Their gift will help the program achieve long-term success and provide crucial support for recruiting and retaining the caliber of student-athletes who will make meaningful contributions to a program's pursuit of Missouri Valley Conference championships. Click here to make a contribution to the Valpo Men's Basketball Excellence Fund.
 
"It's our hope that this gift will lead other alumni and friends to invest in Valpo Athletics and the University overall," Jan said. "The student-athlete experience is incredibly special and athletics is a critical element of Valparaiso University's DNA. For that reason, we choose to show our student-athletes that they will be supported and have the resources necessary to be committed to a successful collegiate career at Valpo and grow to lead and serve in the rest of their lives."