From UCO Sports Info.
Mike Kirk, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations
EDMOND – Former University of Central Oklahoma wrestling letterman Chad Richison has pledged to give the athletic department $10 million, the biggest gift in school history and among the largest ever received by an NCAA Division II institution.
The announcement was made during an afternoon press conference attended by hundreds of UCO supporters, with the money earmarked for much-needed facility upgrades.
“It’s truly an honor to be able to give this type of gift,” said Richison, founder and CEO of Paycom Software, Inc. “I came here in 1989 as a student-athlete and while my athletic career was short-lived, the relationships I made have lasted forever. I’m very hopeful the contribution I’ve made today has the intended affect.”
Richison lettered two years for the Broncho wrestling squad in the early 1990s and graduated UCO in 1993 with a bachelor’s in mass communications and journalism.
He began his career with a large national payroll company before moving to Colorado to work for a small, regional payroll provider. A native of Tuttle, Richison returned to Oklahoma in 1998 and founded Paycom, which was one of first companies to process payroll completely online and has been recognized by Inc. Magazine for its continue growth as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S.
“It’s a great day to wear the bronze and blue,” athletic director Joe Muller said. “We know Chad Richison to be a loyal and true Broncho and I’ll tell you this, he’s a difference maker. This is the gift of a lifetime and it’s going to change our department forever.”