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CANNONSBURG When Audrey Biggs signed with the University of Pittsburgh last week, she was celebrating more than just her commitment to playing basketball at the next level.
She was also celebrating a new family venture: The Biggs Walk-On Foundation.
“We all obviously want to use our platform for the better,” Audrey said after her signing. “This was my brother’s idea and I think, being able to do this together, it’s an amazing thing.”
Audrey’s brother, Bryce Biggs came up with the idea to create a scholarship foundation to help others after his own experience as a walk-on with the football team at West Virginia University.
“A little while ago, a walk-on here got a scholarship and I knew there were other walk-ons who were looking at that thinking it could’ve been theirs,” Bryce said. “I was sitting in my car thinking, I’m fortunate enough to have some academic scholarships, so how can I help these kids?”
It was the light-bulb moment for Bryce, who realized he could use his skills and platform to secure funding for a scholarship that focuses on rewarding the hard work put in by walk-on student-athletes.
“I’m really good at the whole NIL thing,” Bryce said of his various Name-Image-Likeness deals. “I have more NIL deals than anyone else on our team. I’m good at reaching out to companies and selling myself as an athlete. So, I think me reaching out with the same attitude to get donations for other kids who do the same thing I do. I figure it’d work.”
“I’ve already raised enough money to award my first one,” he added. “And it hasn’t been that long since we started, so I’m really hoping for a big future with this.”
Bryce’s path to West Virginia wasn’t the most straightforward. His original intention was to commit to Western Kentucky, but the transfer portal opening up due to COVID meant Bryce’s spot had been filled.
After having a commitment with Marshall fall through, West Virginia offered him a preferred walk-on spot.
Determined to not have his tuition be a burden on his parents, he worked hard to secure academic scholarships to pay his way through college.
“College is obviously an expensive thing,” Bryce said. “Students will often get jobs or side hustles to get a little extra money, but a college athlete doesn’t have the time for that. The sport really is like a job. I was lucky enough to get various scholarships that helped me pay for school but, I understand the struggles that students go through being a walk-on athlete.”
When mom Amy Biggs heard the idea, she was all in. She also had an idea to expand things to become a family affair.
“We told him we were behind him 100%, but let’s make it a family thing,” Amy said. “I told him, ‘Your sister is going to the ACC, she’ll be able to help contribute.’”
When Audrey heard the idea, it was a no-brainer to jump in as well. She knew her older brother’s commitment and determination would make this foundation a success.
“My brother really wants to use his platform for the better,” Audrey said. “What he’s doing with this foundation, especially with football, it’s all about helping another person out. He sees those guys in football working their tails off and maybe not getting rewarded for it. I just think he’s doing great by starting this.”
The family aspect of the foundation is an added bonus for Audrey and Bryce.
“Being a family, it brings us closer together,” Audrey said. “With our community and the support we’ve had, the word is going to get out and we’re going to make big things happen.”
“My mom and dad have always been entrepreneurs,” Bryce added. “They’re really good at coming up with ideas and helping jumpstart things. I went to them for advice and guidance and they said they’d help me out. But then we look at my sister and see how great she’s doing in basketball. We know there’s going to be walk-ons in basketball. So she’ll be able to do a lot as well. And our younger brother, he’ll probably be the best athlete out of all of us. So he’ll probably be able to help out a lot when he’s in college and has teammates and everything.”
Even though the foundation is just getting started, the venture is already paying off. The first recipient was named this week.
“The first athlete will be awarded this week at WVU,” Bryce said. “It’s not just a local thing, it’ll be nationwide, but the first one will be here and I’m really excited about that.”
“It started just a couple of weeks ago,” Audrey said. “We are brand new. But he’s off and running with it. I know he’s going to do great things.”
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