The proposed bill aims to establish the "Governor's Cup Challenge," a new initiative designed to provide scholarships for high school student-athletes who have participated in athletic extracurricular activities but did not receive an athletic scholarship to an in-state institution of higher education. The challenge will consist of annual athletic contests between Marshall University and West Virginia University, where the winning institution will earn points towards the overall challenge. The institution with the most points at the end of the year will be declared the winner.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that 20% of the total net profits from various revenue sources related to the athletic contests will be deposited into the newly created "West Virginia Athlete Scholarship Fund." This fund will allocate 65% of its balance to the annual champion for scholarships for in-state high school athletes, while the runner-up will receive 35% for the same purpose. The oversight of the Governor's Cup Challenge and the scholarship fund will be managed by the vice chancellor for administration, ensuring proper administration and monitoring of the initiative.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18C-1-4a