Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Basketball Announces Endowed Scholarship
August 22, 2010 | Cowboy Basketball
Aug. 22, 2010
Oklahoma State University announced the full funding of its first endowed memorial scholarship for the Cowboy Basketball program today. The Mitch Jones Memorial scholarship was funded due to participation by his family, friends and OSU supporters. It costs $500,000 to endow one yearly scholarship in perpetuity.
Jones was a four-year letterman at Oklahoma State and played for the Cowboys from 1982-86, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1983 under coach Paul Hansen. He played 79 games in his career at OSU and averaged 4.5 points per game.
Jones died in May of 2004 due to a tragic automobile accident on the H.E. Bailey Turnpike in Oklahoma. Days later at his funeral, close friend and teammate Bill Self stated, “we know this about Mitch ... right now, he is in heaven, he is playing on a basketball team, they are called the Cowboys and are wearing orange and black jerseys.”
Four years ago, an annual golf tournament was established in Jones' honor to raise money for the scholarship fund. This fund is a part of the current Leave a Legacy campaign aimed at endowing all student-athlete scholarships associated with OSU's 18 intercollegiate sports. This campaign is part of the $1 billion BRANDING SUCCESS campaign led by President Burns Hargis and co-chaired by Ross and Billie McKnight.
A native of Choctaw, Okla., Jones led the state of Oklahoma in scoring his final two seasons of high school, averaging 28 and 25.6 points, respectively. He was a two-sport star, garnering all-city and All-State honors as a baseball pitcher, leading Choctaw to two regional championships.
The 2010 Mitch Jones Memorial Endowed Scholarship tournament is scheduled for Thursday, August 26, at the Stillwater Country Club. Entry fee is $250 per player or $1,000 for a four-player team. Each team competes with a celebrity in a five-some. The format is a scramble with a 10 am shotgun start. For more information, contact Matt Grantham in the OSU Foundation at (405) 744-5938.
