Welcome to the Cougar Club

The Cougar Club is the official booster organization for BYU Athletics. Although BYU is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Athletic Department receives no funding from the church. No tithing or tax dollars are used for BYU Athletics. The Athletic Department is responsible for raising all necessary funds to run the department, including, but not limited to: student-athlete scholarships, coaching salaries, as well as facility and program costs for each of BYU's 21 team sports.

Your membership in the BYU Cougar Club makes a difference in the quality of athletics at BYU. Brigham Young University is establishing itself as a national power in athletics, but we cannot accomplish this goal without the generous support of the Cougar Club. Your assistance helps each of our athletic programs achieve excellence and compete for national championships.

Any gift to any area of BYU Athletics counts toward your Cougar Club membership. Join or renew now by clicking the level of membership below.

*Determined by membership level

**Limited availability

All Annual and Legacy Membership Levels Include:

• Cougar Club Newsletter
• Opportunities to purchase Priority Seating for home events, post-season basketball tournaments, and bowl games
• "Blue Zone" web video access
• Tax deduction
• Luncheons with BYU coaches and athletes
• Y-Awards Invitation
• Club travel privileges
• Annual "Meet the Team" football reception
• Discounts on exclusive BYU merchandise and commemorative memorabilia
• BYU sticker and license plate holder

Out-of-State Members Also Receive:

• Opportunity to purchase individual home game football tickets in priority locations
• Parking and pre-game privileges when visiting Provo on game days                      

Legacy Membership Levels

Donors who make cash or deferred gifts with a present-value of $10,000 or more qualify for the Legacy Program and receive exclusive benefits, including the best available seating at LaVell Edwards Stadium and the Marriott Center. Instead of cash gifts, some Legacy donors choose to leverage their financial planning (securities, trusts, bequests, wills, life insurance, etc.) to ensure BYU's continued athletic success.

Parking and pre-game privileges when visiting Provo on game days

As new members of the Cougar Club join at the Legacy Level they will receive a one-time welcome gift.  Currently New legacy members can choose from an authentic game-worn helmet, a golden cougar statue, or a custom Legacy watch by Rockwell

Membership Cards

Each club member will receive a membership card in the mail, please check your card and make sure it is correct.  The membership card will allow you to attend events based on your membership level.  The membership card will also have your membership number on it; this number is also the number of your ticketing account.  Please use this number when ordering tickets either online on directly with the ticket office.  By using this number it will ensure that you will receive your Cougar Club priority.

Legacy Card:

Legacy member’s cards are used just like the membership cards for all members but it also allows you to attend any Olympic sporting event with your immediate family (you your spouse and unmarried children living at home) for free. 

Legacy Wall

Each legacy member will be honored on the legacy wall that is located on the 3^rd floor of the SAB.  We update this wall annually.  Those of you who do not want to be included can opt-out by calling the Cougar Club Offices. 

Parking Benefits:

Active Cougar Club members at the Bronze Membership level and above who purchase season football or basketball tickets will receive a parking pass.  The parking passes are issued based on membership level and parking capacity.

There is a membership level for every budget—all you need is a desire to help. There are many ways to give:

• Cash Gifts—Checks should be made payable to the Cougar Club.
• Credit Cards—Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card are accepted.
• Matching Gifts—Many employers will match employees' charitable gifts to BYU. You could double or even triple your gifts to the Cougar Club with matching funds and receive the benefits associated with the amount of the total donation.
• A gift in Kind—The Cougar Club accepts certain gifts that help alleviate overhead costs and is beneficial to our office, the BYU Athletic Department, or our members.
• Estate Gifts and Trusts—Other forms of giving include charitable remainder trusts, real estate, securities, and estate gifts. Members who include BYU in their will or trust bless the program through their generosity.
• Direct Bank Withdrawal—The Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) system was implemented to make financially supporting the BYU Cougar Club as simple and convenient as possible. Through EFT, you can authorize your bank to automatically transfer a specified amount from your checking account to the Club on a monthly basis. This may be easier on your monthly budget, but add up to considerable support over time.

Tax Implications

Donations or gifts to charitable organizations like BYU provide substantial tax advantages and income benefits. We would be pleased to provide professional assistance to help you craft your gift to BYU Athletics.

80/20 Split

The following information is taken from IRS Publication 526 "Charitable Contributions."                       

• Contributions From Which You Benefit
"If you receive a benefit as a result of making a contribution to a qualified organization, you can deduct only the amount of your contribution that is more than the value of the benefits you receive."                       
• Athletic Events
"If you make a payment to, or for the benefit of, a college or university and, as a result, you receive the right to buy tickets to an athletic event in the athletic stadium of the college or university, you can deduct 80% of the payment as a charitable contribution. "Example 1. You pay $300 a year for membership in an athletic scholarship program maintained by a university (a qualified organization). The only benefit of membership is that you have the right to buy one season ticket for a seat in a designated area of the stadium at the university's home football games. You can deduct $240 (80% of $300) as a charitable contribution."
• Based on these IRS guidelines, found on page three of the 1994 "Charitable Contributions" publication, the Cougar Club advises you that if you purchased either football or basketball tickets in the club's priority seating areas of Cougar Stadium or the Marriott Center then only 80% of your club membership contributions are tax-deductible.
• As you know, to receive Cougar Club priority seating club members must make a contribution of $100 or more to BYU Athletics. Therefore, if club members purchase football or basketball tickets in Cougar Club's priority seating sections, only $80 of the first $100 contributed to the Cougar Club can be considered tax-deductible.
• Further, club members must subtract the value of any tangible benefits they received, in addition to priority seating, according to the following Cougar Club Disclosure Statement:
• In compliance with IRS regulations that took effect on January 1, 1994, the Cougar Club is required to provide the following details "to donors who make a gift of more than $75 for which the donor receives something in return. The statement must inform the donor how much of such a quid pro quo contribution is tax deductible."
• Loosely translated, the Latin phrase "quid pro quo" means "something for something." As you figure your annual charitable contributions, to deduct them from your taxes, you must subtract the value of any benefits you receive for making the contribution from the total amount donated.
• In computing your tax benefit for charitable contributions to the Cougar Club, you should subtract the value of any benefits you received from the total amount of your membership dues and other contributions according to the following benefits schedule:
• Membership plaque (one time only) $12
• Cougar desk memento (one time only) $120
• Media guides for football and basketball, $8 each
• Club luncheons, $5 per person, per luncheon
• At present, no dollar value has been placed on other club benefits.

For additional information, please contact the Cougar Club Office at 801-422-2583 or consult with your tax advisor.

Important Numbers & Contact Information

Cougar Club Office 801-422-2583

Club Toll free 800-426-4298

CougarClub@byu.edu

Cougarclub.com

BYUCougars.com

Marriot Center Ticket Office: 800-322-2981

BYUTickets.com