Farm Athletes sets first golf classic to fund scholarships

Farm Athletes will hold its inaugural Golf Classic on Sept. 11 at Lochland Country Club in Hastings, Nebraska, to raise scholarship money for college athletes from farm and ranch backgrounds. The event is designed to support students facing financial pressure while balancing athletics, classes and agricultural family commitments.

Why it matters: - Farm Athletes is using the event to grow its scholarship fund for college athletes from agricultural backgrounds. - The nonprofit says the scholarships are meant to ease tuition pressure for students whose family wealth may be tied up in land, equipment and livestock, not cash. - The fund is aimed at helping student-athletes stay focused on school and sports instead of taking on more work.

What happened: - Farm Athletes will host its first Farm Athletes Golf Classic on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at Lochland Country Club in Hastings, Nebraska. - The tournament is a four-person scramble. - One hundred percent of the event's net proceeds will go to the Farm Athletes scholarship fund. - Registration is open at FarmAthletes.com, and sign-up closes Friday, Aug. 21.

The details: - The event starts with check-in at 8 a.m. and a 10 a.m. shotgun start. - Dinner, awards and a silent auction will follow play. - Team entry is $500 per four-person team. - The field is capped at 30 teams. - Sponsorships range from $100 hole sponsorships to a $5,000 title sponsorship. - Businesses and individuals can also donate prizes and auction items. - Farm Athletes is based in Hastings, Nebraska, and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. - The organization was founded by Nebraska farmer and entrepreneur Zach Bosle, who also founded and leads Tractor Tuesday. - Farm Athletes launched in 2024 to connect college athletes from farm and ranch backgrounds with Name, Image and Likeness opportunities. - Twenty NCAA athletes initially joined as brand ambassadors. - The organization later shifted from NIL opportunities to scholarships and became a nonprofit.

Between the lines: - The fundraiser reflects a broader shift in Farm Athletes' mission as it learned more about the financial strain on agricultural families. - Bosle said farm kids are used to hard work and long days, and the group wants to recognize that path as those athletes become young adults. - The golf classic also gives local businesses, the agricultural community and sports supporters a single event around the same cause. - Bosle said the goal is to make the tournament an annual tradition.

What's next: - Farm Athletes will use the Sept. 11 tournament to add money to its scholarship pool for future recipients. - The organization is seeking team registrations, sponsorships, donated prizes and auction items ahead of the Aug. 21 deadline. - If the event succeeds, Farm Athletes plans to build it into a yearly fundraiser for rural student-athletes.

The bottom line: - Farm Athletes is turning a golf outing into a scholarship drive for college athletes from farm and ranch families, with all net proceeds from the debut event going to students in need.