IPTAY

IPTAY

Launched in 1934, IPTAY — originally an acronym for 'I Pay Ten A Year' — was formed to fund Clemson's student-athlete scholarships and has since evolved into one of collegiate athletics' most durable fundraising engines. CEO Davis Babb directs an organization that operates as the primary development arm for Clemson Athletics, converting annual gifts and major pledges from alumni and donors into sustained support for the athletic department. IPTAY's capital is deployed through both its athletic and academic endowments alongside direct funding for facility projects. The organization maintains two distinct endowment pools to support university priorities. Real asset holdings include the McCarter Family IPTAY Center, located at 1 Avenue of Champions in Clemson. Major gifts have shaped IPTAY's trajectory, including the largest donation in its history from Jim and Candace Brown, and contributions from the Jordan Family toward the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex. These commitments flow into scholarships, academic resources, and facility improvements for Clemson's student-athletes. IPTAY operates under the broader Clemson University ecosystem, collaborating with the Clemson University Foundation on investment management and endowment oversight. The organization's network extends through affiliated groups: the Block C Club, a letterwinners association now housed under IPTAY, and the IPTAY Collegiate Club, a student group that introduces undergraduates to athletic fundraising. IPTAY also maintains ties to the National Association of Athletic Development Directors. Donors recognized as Cornerstone Partners include John N. 'Nicky' McCarter, Jr., for whom the IPTAY Center is named, alongside Jim and Candace Brown and the Jordan Family. IPTAY's structural differentiator is its singular lock on a single major-conference athletic department's donor base. Unlike a general university endowment, IPTAY's mandate is entirely tied to athletics fundraising, converting football and basketball success cycles into capital for scholarships and facilities. This narrow charter, reinforced by a century-long brand, creates a donor pipeline that most peer institutions administer through fragmented general development offices rather than a dedicated, independent organization.