Blitz Success: Football Surpasses Million Dollar Goal
12/15/2025 12:59:00 PM | Football, Support
Lehigh Football raises largest current-use gift in program history
215 donors and 40 days was all it took to help Lehigh Football sack its matching challenge. The "$500K Football Blitz: The Matching Challenge to Raise $1M" crossed the goal line 20 days ahead of schedule, raising over $1M for Lehigh football, the largest current-use gift in program history.
In November, a generous gift offered by an anonymous donor would match up to $500,000 for Lehigh football. The money raised from this dollar-for-dollar match will now provide resources needed to strengthen the program and build the culture of champions.
Engaged alumni, parents, players, fans, faculty and staff became donors to this matching challenge, spurred on by the momentum from the 2025 season as Mountain Hawks football used grit, passion, and brotherhood to accomplish so much:
An undefeated regular season, Rivalry win, Patriot League championship, national ranking, first round playoff bye, and a home playoff game.
That success extended even further with national recognition and alumni investment. Coach Kevin Cahill was named Region 1 Coach of the Year by the AFCA, was recognized for leading the Dick Biddle Patriot League Coaching Staff of the Year, and won the Eddie Robinson Award as the national FCS coach of the year.
Last weekend at the home playoff game, the team honored Andy '79 and Marybeth Vandergrift for their lead gift of $2.5 million to support the head coach position. Their commitment builds on more than $1 million already raised for a $5 million coaching endowment that, when fully realized, will fund the Vandergrift Family Head Football Coach, held by Cahill.
The coach then signed a multi-year extension with Lehigh. As Cahill said, "I am deeply thankful to have the chance to continue growing and advancing Lehigh football. The strength of our program lies in the direct alignment between the vision for Lehigh football and the vision for Lehigh University. This alignment is key to our future success."
Monies raised from the Blitz will go directly into program support.
"The success of the Blitz is a testament to one of the team's core values: Brotherhood," says Cahill. "The engagement from former players, proud alumni, and so many others proves the power of their belief in Lehigh, this team, its coaches, and student-athletes. It is a display of passion I see on the field that clearly lives out in the stands and beyond. These gifts will help generate even more success and close the gaps – that space where Lehigh needs to keep pace with its league peers and other FCS programs."
"The sustained generosity and immediate responsiveness of the Lehigh community continue to inspire me and underscore our collective commitment to excellence," says Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics Jeremy Gibson. "Lehigh University is forging a distinctive and elevated path for our athletic programs. Our dedicated alumni and supporters recognize this trajectory. They understand that we uphold a legacy of cultivating exceptional student-athletes and future leaders, all of whom are guided by top-tier coaches who are consistently elevating our programs to unprecedented levels of achievement."
In November, a generous gift offered by an anonymous donor would match up to $500,000 for Lehigh football. The money raised from this dollar-for-dollar match will now provide resources needed to strengthen the program and build the culture of champions.
Engaged alumni, parents, players, fans, faculty and staff became donors to this matching challenge, spurred on by the momentum from the 2025 season as Mountain Hawks football used grit, passion, and brotherhood to accomplish so much:
An undefeated regular season, Rivalry win, Patriot League championship, national ranking, first round playoff bye, and a home playoff game.
That success extended even further with national recognition and alumni investment. Coach Kevin Cahill was named Region 1 Coach of the Year by the AFCA, was recognized for leading the Dick Biddle Patriot League Coaching Staff of the Year, and won the Eddie Robinson Award as the national FCS coach of the year.
Last weekend at the home playoff game, the team honored Andy '79 and Marybeth Vandergrift for their lead gift of $2.5 million to support the head coach position. Their commitment builds on more than $1 million already raised for a $5 million coaching endowment that, when fully realized, will fund the Vandergrift Family Head Football Coach, held by Cahill.
The coach then signed a multi-year extension with Lehigh. As Cahill said, "I am deeply thankful to have the chance to continue growing and advancing Lehigh football. The strength of our program lies in the direct alignment between the vision for Lehigh football and the vision for Lehigh University. This alignment is key to our future success."
Monies raised from the Blitz will go directly into program support.
"The success of the Blitz is a testament to one of the team's core values: Brotherhood," says Cahill. "The engagement from former players, proud alumni, and so many others proves the power of their belief in Lehigh, this team, its coaches, and student-athletes. It is a display of passion I see on the field that clearly lives out in the stands and beyond. These gifts will help generate even more success and close the gaps – that space where Lehigh needs to keep pace with its league peers and other FCS programs."
"The sustained generosity and immediate responsiveness of the Lehigh community continue to inspire me and underscore our collective commitment to excellence," says Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics Jeremy Gibson. "Lehigh University is forging a distinctive and elevated path for our athletic programs. Our dedicated alumni and supporters recognize this trajectory. They understand that we uphold a legacy of cultivating exceptional student-athletes and future leaders, all of whom are guided by top-tier coaches who are consistently elevating our programs to unprecedented levels of achievement."
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