By Micah Friez
Published 10:00 am on May 3, 2025
When Rick Black attended Bemidji State College on a full-ride football scholarship, the $200 he received covered tuition and left him with a $20 bill in his pocket.
But now, more than 50 years removed from his playing days and the era of paying $5 per credit, he recognizes the game has changed. And that’s why he and his wife, Sue, are still a part of the team.
“The costs are so much higher now,” Rick said. “That $200 was a full ride back in 1965 and ‘66. Now, $200 can buy a book, maybe. I know today’s students need help, and we’re not rich, but we want to share what we have. That’s the future.”
Sue echoed the same sentiments. They’ve joined the team behind the teams — the passionate donors who help Beaver Athletics thrive in a highly competitive landscape. They’ve established an Impact Scholarship, they’re active on Day of Giving and they like supporting special initiatives like funding championship rings. The couple also recently received the Joe Dunn Award at the football team’s annual spring banquet. The rare honor is given to those who have made outstanding contributions to the Bemidji State football program.
“How are they going to compete if they don’t have the support?” Sue asked. “Whether it’s minimal or huge, if you’re passionate about the team and want them to be able to compete, you need to help them financially.”
But don’t be fooled into thinking all they do is open their checkbook. They’re also some of the loudest fans in attendance.
The Blacks have become an unofficial extension of many BSU teams. They have season tickets to football, men’s hockey and women’s hockey — often traveling with the teams for road games — and they own a constant presence wherever the Beavers are listed on the scoreboard.
And it’s not just the games. The Blacks were in the middle of the action at last month’s Green & White Dinner and Auction, which raised an event-record $230,000 for Beaver Athletics. The Blacks added to the grand total when they won one of the live auction items: a trip for two to Alaska with the men’s hockey team to kick off the 2025-26 season. Of course, a scenic trip with the Beavers certainly fits the bill for a couple that schedules vacations around the Bemidji State sports calendar.
“Why wouldn’t you want to take part in the excitement of BSU sports? It’s part of the community,” Sue said. “I think the athletes enjoy it here, and we just want to be a part of the action.”
Sue is not a Bemidji State graduate herself, but she developed a passion for athletics early on and was a football cheerleader in East Grand Forks growing up. Rick applauds her for adopting a different shade of green and white as her own, and in fact, she now takes the lead in many respects.
“I give Sue credit because she’s not an alum or anything, but she goes along with it and she gets into it,” Rick said. “She meets a lot of people and she’s more outgoing than I am, so she probably actually knows more people than I do.”
It’s natural for Sue, who understands the big-picture difference that Bemidji State makes in the region. She feels that student-athletes help drive that impact, and they certainly stir up a contagious atmosphere for those faithful fans in the stands.
“I don’t know if Bemidji would be what it is without BSU,” Sue said. “It’s a college town and it’s a beautiful place for the athletes to come to. I think that the community thrives on BSU, and it’s fun to be in the action where stuff is going on.”
Rick said that he would suit up for the Beavers again if his body would let him. He’s still got the drive of a 22-year-old ready to play in the NCAA Tournament — which has become something of an annual tradition at BSU lately.
In lieu of playing, he’ll settle for a different kind of impact. Rick humbly downplayed the role they have in helping the teams compete for trophies, but the Blacks’ philanthropy is a major driver in the championship-caliber product they cheer for every season.
“Say a student gets $5,000 or whatever. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but it’s a lot of money to an athlete who’s trying to get by on a hundred bucks,” Rick said. “That’s why a night like tonight (at the Green & White) is so big.
“I’ll never stop supporting. We’ll never stop.”
