野狼社区 University鈥檚 men鈥檚 wrestling program is the beneficiary of a $50,000 gift from a local corporate leader and wrestling enthusiast.
The gift is courtesy of the Richison Family Foundation and Paycom founder and CEO Chad Richison, a longtime supporter of wrestling in Oklahoma.
鈥淲e are grateful for this support and for Mr. Richison鈥檚 dedication to the sport of wrestling,鈥� OCU Athletics Director Sadiaa Jones said. 鈥淭hese funds will directly support our team members and help enhance the student-athlete experience.鈥�
Jones said the gift will be used to strengthen scholarship support, offset travel costs, support assistant coaches and provide for some facility upgrades.
Richison wrestled in high school at Tuttle and collegiately at the University of Central Oklahoma before founding Paycom in 1998. He has supported collegiate and high school wrestling programs around the state and given significantly to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2018, he created the .
The initiative aims to keep top high school wrestling coaches from leaving the state or the sport and to incentivize young graduates to pursue teaching and coaching high school wrestling as a career.
Last year, Richison founded the inaugural sponsored by Paycom. The event brought top NCAA wrestling teams from around the country to compete in Tulsa, with a purse of more than $1 million up for grabs.
Richison said the gift to OCU wrestling aligns with his passion for helping to elevate the sport both locally and nationally.
鈥淥CU鈥檚 wrestling program is well known, with several Oklahomans in the lineup, and I鈥檓 proud to support collegiate wrestlers at all levels, including the NAIA,鈥� said Richison. 鈥淚 look forward to following their success on the mat this season and in the years to come as these student-athletes continue to elevate the sport.鈥�
More information about OCU wrestling can be found at .
