Joe Sullivan@JoeSullivanX
FWD: A letter to Xavier Nation from a proud anonymous alum
This weekend, like many of you, I’ll be watching the NCAA Sweet 16. Although Xavier won’t be in it, I’ll watch anyway—but as a proud alum, I am disappointed that we’re not there. Instead of complaining about it, I am compelled to be proactive and step up.
I am committing to match every gift to the Xavier Basketball Excellence Fund through the end of April, dollar-for-dollar, up to $500,000. Together, we have the chance to generate $1,000,000 in immediate impact funding.
I am not a well-known major donor at Xavier. I haven’t lived in Cincinnati since my graduation in the 1990’s. Like you, I work very hard for my money. I am writing this letter anonymously only because I’m a private person—but I insisted that the recipients know it is not the usual fundraising plea from a development team, and that every word here is mine, untouched by anyone else.
For many of us, Xavier Basketball is more than a program—it is a source of pride, connection, and identity. Every season we fall short carries a price — in recruiting, in enrollment, and in momentum. At Xavier, success on the court represents far more than wins and losses; it is one of the most visible and important investments we can make in our university’s future.
And yet, too often, alumni and fans feel that meaningful impact on the program requires a major gift from a donor—that unless you can give at the highest levels, it is hard to imagine how your contribution at a smaller level can truly move the needle on what happens on the court. That mindset needs to change. And from today through April—it will.
Every dollar raised through the Basketball Excellence Fund goes directly toward giving the program we love the financial resources it needs to win. Have our collective goals changed? Don’t we all want to win the Big East Championship each year and one day a National Championship?
I could have waited until later in my life to do this. I’ll be honest—from a financial planning standpoint, there will be more comfortable moments in the future to step up. But I am not willing to wait for “comfortable” to happen. This program and our school need it now.
Waiting has a cost. There is a moment in Xavier’s history that I keep coming back to. When the Cintas Center was built, it wasn’t just an athletic facility on campus. It was a declaration. Our heartbeat. It told recruits, the country, applicants, and our own community: Xavier is serious. Xavier is playing the game to win. That building didn’t just elevate basketball—it elevated the entire university. Enrollment grew, and with it came new resources to expand the campus significantly. A culture of excellence took root that still defines us today. That happened because people chose to act when it mattered. Not when it was easiest or most convenient.
I strongly believe this is also a pivotal moment. It is also our greatest opportunity.
College athletics are changing faster than at any point in the last century. The landscape is being redrawn. Programs that act boldly now will shape what the next era looks like. Programs that wait will be shaped by it.
In business, we call this a market moment: a window where action compounds, where the bold gain ground, and where hesitation has a consequence. Xavier Basketball is at that window right now.
Your gift—of any size—matters. Not just because it gets doubled today, but because bigger participation in a common goal creates momentum. Momentum creates belief. And belief is what wins games, fills arenas, and builds championship programs that last.
Let’s make this the investment that defines the next era of Xavier Basketball. Please share this letter with fellow Xavier fans—by email, social media, or however you can—because the more people who see this and participate, the greater our collective impact will be. The best is absolutely yet to come—and I ask you to join me as we take an important step forward. Thank you.
