Modern Woodmen of America Named Official Recruitment Partner of Saint Mary’s College Athletics
9/22/2026 3:17:00 PM | General
MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's College Athletics and Learfield's Saint Mary's Sports Properties announced today a new partnership with Modern Woodmen of America, a fraternal financial services organization founded in 1883, that will deepen its investment in the university and the students who call it home.
As the Official Recruitment Partner of Saint Mary's College Athletics, Modern Woodmen of America will work with student-athletes from the College's Department of Business Administration and Economics who will serve as campus ambassadors. The student-athletes will represent Modern Woodmen of America at campus recruitment events and share their experiences with the organization on social media.
Modern Woodmen of America will also serve as a sponsor of the Gael Force student section at University Credit Union Pavilion, connecting the organization with Saint Mary's most passionate fan base.
The partnership was secured on behalf of Saint Mary's Athletics by athletics multimedia rights-holder Saint Mary's Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the leading media and technology company powering college athletics.
About Modern Woodmen of America
Modern Woodmen of America was inspired by pioneer woodmen of the era. We were founded in 1883 to clear financial burdens – not trees. Modern Woodmen is a fraternal financial services organization. Our products and programs support financial security, quality family life and community impact. And one of the ways we give back to our communities is by empowering future financial leaders. Visit www.modernwoodmen.org to learn more.
About Saint Mary's Athletics
The Saint Mary's College Department of Athletics sponsors 22 NCAA Division I championship sports with over 400 student-athletes that compete in the West Coast Conference. The Gaels boast 33 combined WCC championships and 44 NCAA Tournament appearances in their history. Saint Mary's finished the 2025-26 season with three West Coast Conference team championships, for the second straight year, and multiple NCAA berths. The men's basketball program is the winningest program in California over the last decade and has won or shared six of the last 10 WCC titles, recently advancing to the NCAA Tournament five straight years, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 all as a single-digit seed. The Saint Mary's softball team has won three-straight WCC titles and has appeared in two out of the last three NCAA Tournaments. The baseball team has won back-to-back WCC tournament titles, making two-straight NCAA regionals.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield's presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
#GaelsRise
Saint Mary's Athletics is excited to have Modern Woodmen of America partner with Learfield to become a significant corporate sponsor for Gael athletics," said Mike Matoso, Saint Mary's College, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. "We are looking forward to collaborating with them on how to improve the experience for the entire Saint Mary's community.
As the Official Recruitment Partner of Saint Mary's College Athletics, Modern Woodmen of America will work with student-athletes from the College's Department of Business Administration and Economics who will serve as campus ambassadors. The student-athletes will represent Modern Woodmen of America at campus recruitment events and share their experiences with the organization on social media.
As an alum and former SMC student-athlete, it's a bit surreal to come back to where it all started for me," said Bennett Lee Sperber III, Men's Soccer '09, Modern Woodmen of America, Managing Director. "We're incredibly grateful for this partnership and excited about the opportunity to work alongside Saint Mary's in developing future leaders throughout the Bay Area.
Modern Woodmen of America will also serve as a sponsor of the Gael Force student section at University Credit Union Pavilion, connecting the organization with Saint Mary's most passionate fan base.
We're pleased to welcome Modern Woodmen of America to the Saint Mary's Athletics family," said David Drutz, General Manager of Saint Mary's Sports Properties. "This partnership creates opportunities to engage with student-athletes and the broader Saint Mary's community while supporting the department in meaningful ways.
The partnership was secured on behalf of Saint Mary's Athletics by athletics multimedia rights-holder Saint Mary's Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the leading media and technology company powering college athletics.
About Modern Woodmen of America
Modern Woodmen of America was inspired by pioneer woodmen of the era. We were founded in 1883 to clear financial burdens – not trees. Modern Woodmen is a fraternal financial services organization. Our products and programs support financial security, quality family life and community impact. And one of the ways we give back to our communities is by empowering future financial leaders. Visit www.modernwoodmen.org to learn more.
About Saint Mary's Athletics
The Saint Mary's College Department of Athletics sponsors 22 NCAA Division I championship sports with over 400 student-athletes that compete in the West Coast Conference. The Gaels boast 33 combined WCC championships and 44 NCAA Tournament appearances in their history. Saint Mary's finished the 2025-26 season with three West Coast Conference team championships, for the second straight year, and multiple NCAA berths. The men's basketball program is the winningest program in California over the last decade and has won or shared six of the last 10 WCC titles, recently advancing to the NCAA Tournament five straight years, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 all as a single-digit seed. The Saint Mary's softball team has won three-straight WCC titles and has appeared in two out of the last three NCAA Tournaments. The baseball team has won back-to-back WCC tournament titles, making two-straight NCAA regionals.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield's presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
#GaelsRise
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