Barefoot Athletics Challenge Returns to Support Student-Athletes

Listen

The annual Barefoot Athletics Challenge kicks off next week, March 7–10, putting the ball in the hands of alumni, friends, and fans to support Babson’s athletic programs.

Barefoot Athletics Challenge

The Barefoot Athletics Challenge—initially funded by former Babson President Brian Barefoot ’66, H’09, P’01—encourages alumni athletes, parents of student-athletes, and Babson superfans to make a gift in support of the College’s student-athletes. In the competition last year, 1,567 donors contributed an all-time record of $200,076.

During the challenge, Babson’s 22 men’s and women’s athletics teams—which include about one-quarter of the College’s undergraduate population—compete to help unlock $10,000 in challenge funds, and the team with the highest percentage of alumni donors receives an additional $5,000 in challenge funds.

Gifts also can be designated for key Babson Athletics priorities, including the Women’s Empowerment Fund, which was created to ensure equal support for women’s athletics programs at Babson. The Women’s Empowerment Fund is the focus of Babson Athletics’ campaign this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX.

The ​​Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) will host a kickoff event Sunday at Roger’s Pub for current student-athletes to start the Barefoot Challenge by supporting their own teams.

Posted in Babson Briefs

More from Babson Briefs »

Latest Stories

Andrew “Zach” Zacharakis applauds while sitting at a table during a BCERC dinner
Honoring Andrew ‘Zach’ Zacharakis for 20 Years as BCERC Director As the 45th annual entrepreneurship research conference returns to Babson’s campus, BCERC pays tribute to Professor Andrew “Zach” Zacharakis for two decades of service. Zacharakis shares reflections of BCERC and its impact.
By
Eric Beato
Editor / Writer
Eric Beato
Eric Beato is the Editor of Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Eric has worked as an editor and writer at newspapers across the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and Boston Herald. Eric joined Babson College in 2019 after working as the communications director for a private educational travel company and as the managing editor of six regional sports publications.
June 16, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

Public safety dog surrounded by students.
It’s All in the Name: Hero the Dog Brings Safety and Smiles to Babson Trained by the state police, Babson’s newest Public Safety dog comes with unique skills to boost campus safety and community engagement.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
June 12, 2025

Posted in Community

Runners pose for a photo on a rainy day at Babson
The 10K for Babson: A Rainy Run and a New Fundraising Record  Those running and walking in the 10K for Babson faced soggy conditions, but the annual event raised the most money in its history for the Melissa Shaak Student Emergency Fund.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
June 11, 2025

Posted in Community