Rich and Tracey Maniskas paying it forward with their generous investment in the Pitt football program and Pitt student-athletes.
10/27/2023 8:00:00 AM | General, Panther Club
PITTSBURGH, PA — Motivated to ensure a brighter future for Pitt Athletics and the Pitt Football program, Rich '97 and Tracey Maniskas have stepped forward with a significant $1 million contribution to the Pitt Football Championship Fund and the Student-Athlete Success Fund.
"Pitt Football always holds a special place in my heart. I want nothing more than to see Pitt Football reach the highest level of success in college football," said Maniskas. "It is my belief that gifts like this will help [the program] succeed in achieving the goal of winning another championship!"
Investments in Pitt Football's facility infrastructure are important as we continue to pursue ACC and National Championships on the gridiron. This transformative gift will assist with upcoming locker room renovations and weight room expansion projects at Pitt Football's training facility, the Duratz Athletic Complex.
"For nearly 30 years, dating back to his days as a student assistant for our football equipment staff, Rich Maniskas has been a proud Pitt Panther," said Head Football Coach Pat Narduzzi. "This incredibly generous gift is the latest example of his pride and commitment to our football program. On behalf of our players, coaches, and staff, I want to thank Rich and his wife Tracey for their belief and support of our championship goals, on and off the field."
Maniskas shares a special connection with the Pitt Football program being a Forever Panther and is no stranger to giving back to his alma mater. Beyond attending football and men's basketball games as longtime season ticket holders, the Maniskas Family made a generous contribution to Victory Heights in 2020. Rich also serves on the Champions Advisory Board, which enhances opportunities and bolsters the Pitt experience for student-athletes through its work.
"On behalf of our entire department, I want to thank Rich and Tracey for their tremendous passion, investment, and vision for Pitt Athletics," said Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. "They share our aspiration for comprehensive excellence and want the Pitt student-athlete experience to be the finest in all of college athletics. Their incredible support has been vital to our rise in the ACC and nationally and inspires us to even greater heights in the future. We are so grateful for their belief in Pitt Athletics and having teammates like Rich and Tracey make our work together meaningful and impactful."
Maniskas graduated the University of Pittsburgh with his undergraduate degree in Political Science and earned his law degree from Widener University School of Law.
In 2017, Maniskas founded RM LAW, P.C., where he practices case initiation and development in complex securities fraud, ERISA, fiduciary, antitrust, shareholder derivative, and mergers and acquisitions actions on behalf of both individual and institutional investors. Spending most of his career based in the Philadelphia area, Maniskas represents clients in state and federal courts throughout the nation.
When he is not at a Pitt sporting event or contributing his time to the University, Rich enjoys golfing and spending time with his family, wife Tracey, daughter Becca, and son Nathan. Becca is currently a senior at the University of Pittsburgh and Nathan is a freshman at the University of Kentucky where he is involved with their football program. Rich and Tracey reside in Berwyn, PA.