Proud to Be a Panther Challenge Breaks Records

With support from nearly 5,000 donors in 48 states, the 2026 Proud to Be a Panther Challenge raised over $1.6 million for Middlebury College’s varsity and club programs. That donor total marks 135 percent of the initial goal of 3,500 contributors, making this year’s installment a record-shattering success. 

Supporters showed up in droves for both the varsity and club programs. Varsity support accounted for over $1.3 million from 3,462 supporters, marking the first time varsity crossed $1 million in gifts. Club support netted nearly $300,000 from 1,189 donors. On both fronts, the contributions mark a significant increase from last year’s challenge, resulting in a new record-high watermark for dollars and donors.

Breaking those numbers down in more detail, here are some major takeaways from this year Proud to Be a Panther challenge:

• Crew club took the top spot for total donors, with 622. Women’s lacrosse, football, field hockey, and track and field round out the top five for total donors the Nordic ski team won out, followed by women’s lacrosse, softball, field hockey, and women’s ice hockey.
•  Baseball led the pack for total dollars contributed, with $217,000, followed closely by women’s lacrosse and crew club.
• As a whole, the Athletics Department blew past their goal of 2,026 donors, unlocking a $25,000 challenge gift to the Athletic Director’s Discretionary Fund—a win for all!

Continuing their tradition of showing up for the current generation of Panther student-athletes, alumni accounted for 49 percent of all donors to this year’s challenge. Not to be left behind in cheering them on, parents made up 22 percent of donors, and friends of the College and the athletics program came in at 10 percent. 

For a full breakdown of teams, donors, and dollars, head to the 2026 Proud to Be a Panther Challenge campaign page. 

Thank you to all who participated in this year’s Proud to Be a Panther Challenge, and make sure to save the date for the MiddWinter Challenge February 9–12, 2027, when you can embrace the chill and support all Middlebury students.