Maverick Athletics will receive more than $1.31 million in cash payment and an additional $425,000 of services

      Mankato, Minn. – In concluding a recently completed request for proposals process, Minnesota State Director of Athletics Kevin Buisman announced today that MSU Athletics has agreed to a five-year partnership with the Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic (OFC) in Mankato and Sanford Health that will provide MSU Athletics more than $1.31 million in funds through a series of payments and an additional $425,000 of orthopedic physician coverage and service over the term of the contract.

As part of the agreement, Minnesota State has agreed to designate the Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic in Mankato and Sanford Health as the exclusive providers of sports medicine services to the Maverick intercollegiate athletic programs. The arrangements will also include an exchange of other marketing assets and benefits highlighting each organization's investment in the partnership.

"We are pleased to announce this new partnership with Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic and Sanford Health," said Buisman. "The opportunity to build upon the long-standing relationship we have had with OFC spanning more than four decades while adding Sanford Health as part of the combination is certainly an exciting one for Maverick Athletics. This collaboration yields a rich combination of financial support and medical expertise that will surely benefit our coaches and teams and ensures that the health and welfare of our student-athletes continues to be a top priority. This is a huge win for our programs at many different levels and we look forward to working together in the years ahead."

Leaders from the Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic and Sanford Health said they were looking forward to the partnership with Maverick Athletics.

"The Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic is proud to continue our long-standing tradition of supporting MSU Maverick Athletics," said Andrew Meyers, CEO of OFC. "Beginning in 1972, we have provided state of the art orthopaedic and sports medicine services to MSU student-athletes. Drs. Jesse Botker and Scott Stevens, both specialty trained in sports medicine, will continue to provide the high quality sports medicine that OFC provides to all athletes in this region."

 "At Sanford Health, we pride ourselves in providing the most advanced sports medicine services available in the industry," said Paul Hanson, president of Sanford Health - Sioux Falls market. "Our ability, and the willingness of Maverick Athletics and the Mankato community to align with us on this venture, is very exciting."

Buisman said the agreement would provide much needed funding to transition the current athletic training staffing model from graduate assistants to part-time University employees, as changes to the athletic training certification process required a new approach. According to Buisman, phasing out graduate assistants should lessen staffing turnover, which will improve the long-term continuity of care for student-athletes and allow stronger relationships with coaches to emerge. In addition, he said this financial support will allow the department to expand its coverage model and the number of events and activities for which the athletic training staff is able to provide service.  Finally, said Buisman, the partnership highlights a commitment to excellence as it aligns Maverick Athletics with two of the preeminent medical providers in the area.

For more information about the partnership, contact Buisman by phone at 507-389-6111 or by email at kevin.buisman@mnsu.edu.

The Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic, P.A. is a 62-year-old independent single specialty orthopaedic surgical practice in Southern Minnesota. The main location is in Mankato, but the practice sees patients in nine additional locations throughout Central and Southern Minnesota.  In total, OFC's physician providers have over 250 years of combined orthopedic experience and perform an average of 3,800 cases a year, making OFC the largest and most experienced independent orthopaedic surgical practice in Southern Minnesota.

Sanford Health is an integrated health system headquartered in the Dakotas. It is the largest, rural, not-for-profit health care system in the nation with 45 hospitals and 289 clinics in nine states and three countries. With 28,000+ employees, including 1,300+ physicians in more than 80 specialty areas of medicine, Sanford Health is the largest employer in the Dakotas. Nearly $1 billion in gifts from philanthropist Denny Sanford have allowed for several initiatives, including global children's clinics, genomic medicine and specialized centers researching cures for type 1 diabetes, breast cancer and other diseases.


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