Kansas State University has announced an $11.5 million gift from alumni Ike and Letty Evans in support of student athletics.

The gift will launch the Ike and Letty Evans Student-Athlete Success Program, which will enable the university to enhance staffing of the Student-Athlete Services Department, advance its technology, and improve programming for all student-athletes and academic services staff. Programming will include a four-year plan to better prepare student-athletes for success after college with annual milestone goals set in the areas of leadership, academic development, and professional development.

Longtime Kansas State supporters, the couple recently contributed to name the Ike and Letty Evans Academic Success Center in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering. Ike, who was a Wildcat baseball letterman, graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and is the former president and COO of Union Pacific Railroad.

"K-State is special to us, and we wanted to help in a way that could enhance and change the lives of Wildcat student-athletes," the couple said in a statement. "Our gift will enable K-State Athletics to allocate resources to assist student-athletes in their personal development with programming that establishes a lifetime of foundational skills and habits. We are excited for this program and are truly blessed to be able to help."

"We are so incredibly grateful and humbled by the generosity of Ike and Letty," said Kristin Waller, senior associate athletics director for Student-Athlete Services. "Quality programming that is meaningful to the student-athlete experience is one of our key missions as we prepare them for their future professional plans. The magnitude of this gift will allow us to re-imagine services and implement practical experiences and programming that we've only ever dreamed of providing to our student athletes. This is a very special day for K-State student-athletes."