ROCHESTER, Mich. - Oakland University Athletics saw a record number of charitable contributions, corporate sponsorships and ticket sales in 2015-16, announced Senior Associate Athletics Director Padraic McMeel on Wednesday. The Golden Grizzlies saw a 47.5 percent increase in contributions, surpassing $1.2 million.

"We placed a greater effort on reaching out to our fans and community this past year and they answered the call," said McMeel. "Our donors and fans saw our vision and are supporting our 320 student-athletes. We also had 100 percent commitment from our staff to the Golden Grizzlies Athletic Fund, which demonstrates our belief in a first-class student-athlete experience. We cannot thank our donors and staff enough for this great year and look forward to building on this in the near future."

Corporate sponsorships for the Golden Grizzlies increased by 63 percent for 2015-16. Oakland Sports Properties, the corporate sales division of Golden Grizzlies Athletics, secured a five-year agreement with Crittenton Hospital Medical Center for the largest partnership in athletics history, making Crittenton the official healthcare provider of the Golden Grizzlies and increasing services for student-athletes.

Charitable contributions went up 22 percent as the Golden Grizzlies Athletic Fund (GGAF), Oakland University Athletics official fundraising arm, saw an increase of just under $100,000 in gifts. The GGAF helps directly support the over 300 student-athletes and 18 Division I programs at Oakland University.

Donations go directly to support the student-athletes in their academic and athletic pursuits, as funds are used for scholarships, travel, equipment, uniforms, recruiting, and other operational costs. In addition, the University's AUFD received 100 percent participation from the Athletics staff, the largest organization at Oakland University to elicit such levels of participation.

"This demonstrates that our coaches and staff are in full support of our ethos and culture," said Director of Athletics Jeff Konya. "I want to thank our student-athletes, staff and donors for making this a special year."

Ticket sales jumped 40 percent compared to last season behind a 94 percent jump in attendance, sixth-best in the country, with over 57,000 fans attending men's basketball home games. The Golden Grizzlies saw an increase of 52 percent in season ticket holders for the 2015-16 basketball season and women's basketball witnessed a 29 percent jump in attendance.

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