Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding Team Makers and Bison Pride.
Membership Questions
Renewing Your Membership
Priority Season Tickets
Parking/Tailgating
Priority Point System
Tax Benefits
Each year, all varsity sports programs benefit from the generosity of the Team Makers Club. The Club is responsible for raising the funds necessary to cover the tuition, room, board, cost of attendance, books and academic support costs of NDSU’s 400 student-athletes – a bill that is over $5.5 million annually.
Q: How are Team Makers Club contributions used?
All of the donations to the Team Makers Club support scholarships, cost of attendance, and program excellence for NDSU student-athletes.
Q: What is the Green and Gold Fund?
One of the most important elements of the NCAA v. House settlement is the ability to directly support student-athletes through Institutional NIL (Name, Image and Likeness). At NDSU that means the generous contributions you make — especially tax-deductible gifts to the Green and Gold Fund — are now eligible to be part of this shared revenue model. These funds managed by NDSU Athletics will be another way to provide financial resources for our student-athletes, which is critical for recruitment and retention.
Although the NDSU athletic department receives funding from the university and the state of North Dakota, Team Makers is integral to ensuring the tradition of Bison Athletics through providing scholarship opportunities.
Q: Who can join the Team Makers Club?
Anyone interested in the future of Bison Athletics may join the Team Makers Club. Many of our donors attended NDSU, but you don’t need to be an NDSU Alumnus or letter winner to show your support. Twenty-five percent of our Team Makers Club members are not NDSU alumni.
Q: How do I make contributions to the Team Makers Club?
The Team Makers Club offers its members a number of different giving options. To obtain donor benefits, contributions must be completed within a 12-month period. Donations can be made online with a credit card through your GoBison.com account. If you have yet to activate your online account please contact 701-231-5990 to receive account number and online pin.
Cash, checks, and credit cards are always acceptable. Gifts to NDSU Team Makers are receipted and acknowledged by the Athletic Department. Checks should be made payable to the NDSU Team Makers and mailed to NDSU Team Makers, Dept 1200, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050. We also accept gifts of stock and agricultural produce. Please contact the office directly for details.
Q: Can memberships or tickets be willed to a friend or family member?
Tickets and benefits can only be transferred to immediate family members at market value. Please call 701-231-9555 for information on how to transfer tickets to an immediate family member.
Q: Does the Team Makers Club accept matching gift contributions?
Many companies match gifts to Bison Athletics. Call the Team Makers Club office at 701-231-6172 or 701-231-5990 to learn if your company matches.
All memberships will be invoiced in late February with a due date of April 1st. Membership follows the calendar year, January 1st – December 31st. Membership benefits coincide with the academic calendar, July 1st – June 30th. Renewals can be made online, over the phone with a credit card or mailed to the Team Makers Club in the envelope enclosed with the renewal letter.
Q: Does my gift make a difference?
Every gift, no matter the amount, brings us closer to meeting the total scholarship costs for dedicated NDSU student-athletes and helps to continue the championship tradition of Bison Athletics.
Football season ticket requests can be submitted through our online request form. Requests can be made between February 1 – May 1.
Q: As someone who is requesting season tickets for the first time, where will my seats be located?
Season tickets are allocated by priority point totals. Location and cost will be determined by open inventory. Refer to the football, men's basketball and women's basketball seating charts for prices and locations.
Q: How do I maintain my season ticket location from year to year?
The Team Makers Club will not move a member's tickets if the minimum level of giving is maintained. If a membership lapses, it will be made inactive and tickets will be reallocated.
Q: I am a current season ticket holder and would like to add, remove, or relocate my seats?
Requests to change your current quantity of seats or to relocate can be made on the same online season ticket request form. This form is available online from February 1 – May 1.
VIP Parking in Lot D/R is available for Team Maker members that contribute $250+ annually. It must be requested online yearly and the parking spots are assigned based on Priority Points. Reserved tailgate parking is assigned based on Priority Points as inventory becomes available.
Bison Athletics has established a point system for the allocation of various opportunities, including season tickets, tailgating, VIP parking, etc. The system recognizes both continuous loyalty and financial support.
Q: How does the priority point system work?
The priority point system uses many factors, including continuous years as a season ticket holder, continuous years as a Team Makers Club member, and other factors to determine point totals for new or improved seating assignments. There are three different categories of points: Letterwinner, Consecutive and Annual.
Letterwinner points are non-cumulative and carry over each year. Consecutive points for membership accumulate yearly unless membership lapses, then all points are lost. The same is for consecutive years of holding season tickets; points accumulate yearly unless season tickets are not purchased then all points are lost. Annual points are cumulative and are earned each year. Accumulations represent support from 1993 to present.
An important objective of the point system is to properly mesh loyalty to Bison Athletics with the importance of dollars given. This is accomplished by keeping the current ticket policy:
Q: How often are points added to my total?
Priority points are accumulated whenever a member earns them. The Bison Ticket Office runs new totals daily. Members can view their account any time for a point update. Contact the Bison Ticket Office at 1-888-231-NDSU for your account number and online PIN if you have yet to active your online account. Other annual points are updated before major events, season ticket assignment, etc.
All gifts to the Team Makers scholarship fund and Bison Pride Fund are considered gifts to NDSU and are credited at full value for purposes of the donor’s giving record to the NDSU athletic department.
While gifts that are not tied to tickets are 100% tax-deductible, the Team Makers Club will calculate the fair-market value of the benefits accompanying each level of giving. Your tax deduction may be reduced by the value of these benefits.
Beginning in 2018, according to the Internal Revenue Service, a contribution associated with the privilege of purchasing season is no longer deductible as charitable tickets.
The first $100 of your annual contribution places you in the Team Makers Club and gives you priority over the general public. Members may also choose to decline the benefits offered.
Please see your tax advisor for more information about the tax implications of your donation.
Membership Questions
Renewing Your Membership
Priority Season Tickets
Parking/Tailgating
Priority Point System
Tax Benefits
Membership Questions
Q: What is the function of the Team Makers Club?Each year, all varsity sports programs benefit from the generosity of the Team Makers Club. The Club is responsible for raising the funds necessary to cover the tuition, room, board, cost of attendance, books and academic support costs of NDSU’s 400 student-athletes – a bill that is over $5.5 million annually.
Q: How are Team Makers Club contributions used?
All of the donations to the Team Makers Club support scholarships, cost of attendance, and program excellence for NDSU student-athletes.
Q: What is the Green and Gold Fund?
One of the most important elements of the NCAA v. House settlement is the ability to directly support student-athletes through Institutional NIL (Name, Image and Likeness). At NDSU that means the generous contributions you make — especially tax-deductible gifts to the Green and Gold Fund — are now eligible to be part of this shared revenue model. These funds managed by NDSU Athletics will be another way to provide financial resources for our student-athletes, which is critical for recruitment and retention.
The Green and Gold Fund can be supported via one-time or recurring online gifts, donor-advised funds, stock donations, IRA distributions, or check. All contributions to the Green and Gold Fund are a gift to Team Makers, and qualify for Team Maker Club benefits and priority points (1 point per $50 donated).
Q: Why is the Team Makers Club important?Although the NDSU athletic department receives funding from the university and the state of North Dakota, Team Makers is integral to ensuring the tradition of Bison Athletics through providing scholarship opportunities.
Q: Who can join the Team Makers Club?
Anyone interested in the future of Bison Athletics may join the Team Makers Club. Many of our donors attended NDSU, but you don’t need to be an NDSU Alumnus or letter winner to show your support. Twenty-five percent of our Team Makers Club members are not NDSU alumni.
Q: How do I make contributions to the Team Makers Club?
The Team Makers Club offers its members a number of different giving options. To obtain donor benefits, contributions must be completed within a 12-month period. Donations can be made online with a credit card through your GoBison.com account. If you have yet to activate your online account please contact 701-231-5990 to receive account number and online pin.
Cash, checks, and credit cards are always acceptable. Gifts to NDSU Team Makers are receipted and acknowledged by the Athletic Department. Checks should be made payable to the NDSU Team Makers and mailed to NDSU Team Makers, Dept 1200, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050. We also accept gifts of stock and agricultural produce. Please contact the office directly for details.
Q: Can memberships or tickets be willed to a friend or family member?
Tickets and benefits can only be transferred to immediate family members at market value. Please call 701-231-9555 for information on how to transfer tickets to an immediate family member.
Q: Does the Team Makers Club accept matching gift contributions?
Many companies match gifts to Bison Athletics. Call the Team Makers Club office at 701-231-6172 or 701-231-5990 to learn if your company matches.
Renewing Your Membership
Q: How do I renew my membership?All memberships will be invoiced in late February with a due date of April 1st. Membership follows the calendar year, January 1st – December 31st. Membership benefits coincide with the academic calendar, July 1st – June 30th. Renewals can be made online, over the phone with a credit card or mailed to the Team Makers Club in the envelope enclosed with the renewal letter.
Q: Does my gift make a difference?
Every gift, no matter the amount, brings us closer to meeting the total scholarship costs for dedicated NDSU student-athletes and helps to continue the championship tradition of Bison Athletics.
Priority Season Tickets
Q: How do I request football season tickets?Football season ticket requests can be submitted through our online request form. Requests can be made between February 1 – May 1.
Q: As someone who is requesting season tickets for the first time, where will my seats be located?
Season tickets are allocated by priority point totals. Location and cost will be determined by open inventory. Refer to the football, men's basketball and women's basketball seating charts for prices and locations.
Q: How do I maintain my season ticket location from year to year?
The Team Makers Club will not move a member's tickets if the minimum level of giving is maintained. If a membership lapses, it will be made inactive and tickets will be reallocated.
Q: I am a current season ticket holder and would like to add, remove, or relocate my seats?
Requests to change your current quantity of seats or to relocate can be made on the same online season ticket request form. This form is available online from February 1 – May 1.
Parking/Tailgating
Q: As a Team Makers Club member, what kind of parking is available for football games?VIP Parking in Lot D/R is available for Team Maker members that contribute $250+ annually. It must be requested online yearly and the parking spots are assigned based on Priority Points. Reserved tailgate parking is assigned based on Priority Points as inventory becomes available.
Priority Point System
Q: What is the priority point system?Bison Athletics has established a point system for the allocation of various opportunities, including season tickets, tailgating, VIP parking, etc. The system recognizes both continuous loyalty and financial support.
Q: How does the priority point system work?
The priority point system uses many factors, including continuous years as a season ticket holder, continuous years as a Team Makers Club member, and other factors to determine point totals for new or improved seating assignments. There are three different categories of points: Letterwinner, Consecutive and Annual.
Letterwinner points are non-cumulative and carry over each year. Consecutive points for membership accumulate yearly unless membership lapses, then all points are lost. The same is for consecutive years of holding season tickets; points accumulate yearly unless season tickets are not purchased then all points are lost. Annual points are cumulative and are earned each year. Accumulations represent support from 1993 to present.
- Letterwinner Points
- NDSU Varsity Letter Winner
- 1 time - 100 points
- NDSU Varsity Letter Winner
- Consecutive Points
- Consecutive Years of Annual Giving
- 1 point for each consecutive year of annual giving (excludes giving to Bison Athletic Excellence Fund). Points accumulate yearly unless giving lapses, then all consecutive points are lost.
- Consecutive Years as a Season Ticket Holder
- 1 point per year for each consecutive year for the purchase of football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, wrestling and volleyball season tickets
- 1 point per year for each consecutive year for the purchase of football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, wrestling and volleyball season tickets
- Consecutive Years of Annual Giving
- Annual Points
- Cumulative Contributions
- 1 point for each $50 contribution to the Team Makers Club, Green and Gold Fund and Bison Athletic Excellence Fund
- Athletic Endowment and Athletic Facilities
- 1 point for every $100 contributed
- In-Kind Donations to Athletics
- 1 point for every $100 value of in-kind contributions
- NDSU Foundation
- 1 point for every $1,000 contributed
- Cumulative Contributions
An important objective of the point system is to properly mesh loyalty to Bison Athletics with the importance of dollars given. This is accomplished by keeping the current ticket policy:
- Members who maintain their current giving level may keep their seats. The priority point system is only used to determine priority in the allocation of new or improved seating, in the assignment of single-game tickets, and in determining football playoff and basketball tournament ticket disbursement, etc.
Q: How often are points added to my total?
Priority points are accumulated whenever a member earns them. The Bison Ticket Office runs new totals daily. Members can view their account any time for a point update. Contact the Bison Ticket Office at 1-888-231-NDSU for your account number and online PIN if you have yet to active your online account. Other annual points are updated before major events, season ticket assignment, etc.
Tax Benefits
Q: Is my contribution tax deductible?All gifts to the Team Makers scholarship fund and Bison Pride Fund are considered gifts to NDSU and are credited at full value for purposes of the donor’s giving record to the NDSU athletic department.
While gifts that are not tied to tickets are 100% tax-deductible, the Team Makers Club will calculate the fair-market value of the benefits accompanying each level of giving. Your tax deduction may be reduced by the value of these benefits.
Beginning in 2018, according to the Internal Revenue Service, a contribution associated with the privilege of purchasing season is no longer deductible as charitable tickets.
The first $100 of your annual contribution places you in the Team Makers Club and gives you priority over the general public. Members may also choose to decline the benefits offered.
Please see your tax advisor for more information about the tax implications of your donation.
