From the AD: Together, Memphis Athletics Continues to Rise

Tiger Nation,

I've never been more optimistic about the future of Memphis Athletics.

I keep coming back to that as we wrap up a successful year and look ahead to the next one.

Together, we have made significant progress that has led to a wave of momentum in The Bluff City. We are about to enter an important period of change in intercollegiate athletics, and that progress and momentum has us well positioned to continue to push forward.

But we can't rest on what we've accomplished. And we won't.

Over the past year, men's basketball returned to the NCAA Tournament, and the excitement around the program continues to grow. Football reached its eighth-straight bowl game, which is the longest active streak in the American Athletic Conference and in the State of Tennessee, and football gamedays in Memphis capture the eyes of the City. Women's basketball quadrupled its win total in head coach Katrina Merriweather's first season and saw a 68 percent increase in home attendance from the last pre-pandemic year. We also had NCAA postseason appearances for women's soccer, for both men's and women's tennis and in track and field.

You can be proud that our head coaches and staffs are committed to developing the complete student-athlete and are mindful of the responsibility that comes with representing Memphis. Along with Coach Merriweather last year, this year we added highly respected head baseball coach Kerrick Jackson and promoted Jennifer Jordan to head women's golf coach, and we can't wait to see the marks they make on our entire department.

Outside of competition, our student-athletes have recorded a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in 18-straight terms, and we have posted an all-time high Graduation Success Rate for seven-straight years that is the highest in the AAC.

We have also rebuilt the backbone of our athletic department, our administrative staff, into one as talented as any in our industry. We have a group of incredibly dedicated individuals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets who are working every day to provide an exceptional experience for our student-athletes and fans, while positioning Memphis Athletics for the future.

While the pandemic posed significant hardships and challenges, as it did for everyone, we were able to make progress on multiple facility projects and have over $30 million in facility improvements underway.

The football indoor practice field, Olympic sports weight room and Elma Roane Fieldhouse renovations have been completed.
Construction is ongoing at the new Leftwich Tennis Center and FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field.
Thanks to Tiger Leadership Circle members, we are adding videoboards to multiple venues including baseball, softball, soccer and track and field, reconstructing the entrance to the Billy J. Murphy Athletic Complex, upgrading the volleyball Finch Center, and more

Add all of this together, and the foundation has been laid for sustained success.

The next couple of years will be a dramatic time of transformation in intercollegiate athletics. Name, Image and Likeness and the transfer portal are here. A new model for NCAA governance and the potential for more conference realignment are on the horizon. Intercollegiate athletics will likely look very different in the not-too-distant future.

But while challenges are looming, opportunity exists for those willing to adapt and invest.

Ultimately, we must focus on what we can control – the decisions we make and how much we're willing to invest in ourselves. Fortunately, as detailed above, we are well positioned because of our previous investments and the support of our University, community and fanbase, along with our continued competitive success. Our foundation is established, and we have a clear vision for what needs to be done next.

Our #MemphisRising strategic vision provides a roadmap for our programs and administration.

The Tiger Park Athletic Facilities Master Plan will result in a true "student-athlete village" experience on the Park Avenue Campus.

The transformation of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium will provide a world-class fan experience and demonstrate that we belong at the highest level of college football.

I often have great Tiger fans who care deeply about our success ask me what they can do to help us continue to rise.

My answer is always candid and honest, and I'll repeat it here.

Nothing grows without investment. And we're going to need to think bigger than we ever have before.

We recognize that we have a lot of needs in the current landscape of intercollegiate athletics. To boil it down in priority order, there are four buckets: think of it as four areas to continue to invest to help us share in future successes together. We had a record-breaking year of giving last year, but we can't stop there.

Buy season tickets and be a member of the Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF). There is nothing more important than being at our events and supporting our teams. It's easier than ever to transfer tickets to family or friends if you can't make it to a game, and as a season ticket holder, you also enjoy unique benefits. For more information, visit www.GoTigersGo.com/tickets and www.GoTigersGo.com/TigerScholarshipFund. Already have season tickets? Refer a friend who doesn't with our new "Tag A Tiger" Referral Program! For each person you refer, you will receive 1 entry to win one of five different prizes. If your friend purchases, they will receive 3 entries into the prize drawing, and your entry will be multiplied by 5! For more information and to Tag a Tiger, visit www.GoTigersGo.com/TagATiger.

The Tiger Leadership Circle (TLC) consists of a core group of top supporters who give above and beyond to make an impact where they care the most. The TLC also receives the highest level of benefits, service, insight and recognition and can take part in unique behind-the-scenes experiences with our coaches, staff and student-athletes. To learn more about the TLC, visit www.GoTigersGo.com/TLC.

Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) provides a chance for you to directly support our student-athletes and their endeavors, and we have industry-leading infrastructure in place to make it easy for you to do so. If you would like to simply give a set amount to benefit multiple student-athletes and our community through charity efforts, you can go to the 901 Fund. If you would prefer to connect directly with specific student-athletes, you can go to our MaximUM Marketplace, powered by Opendorse. For additional information on NIL, please visit www.GoTigersGo.com/NIL.

Investing in our athletic facilities infrastructure will propel us to the next level. If you would like to make a holistic investment in the development of all of our student-athletes in the areas of academics, nutrition, mental health and career services, consider a gift to the Student-Athlete Success Center. To help elevate our football program and dramatically improve the gameday experience for yourself and others, consider a gift to the transformation of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. For more information, please reply to me or contact Associate Athletic Director for Development Blair DeBord at (901) 678-1369 or bdebord@memphis.edu.

Continued investment in these four areas will help us continue our current trajectory.

We are asking for the future of Memphis Athletics.

For the future of the University of Memphis.

For the future of the City of Memphis.

And we need you to say "yes."

"Yes" to the goosebumps of a sold-out crowd erupting as one during "did-you-just-see-that" moments that we'll talk about forever.

"Yes" to more championship trophies taking up permanent residence in our facilities.

"Yes" to more student-athletes walking across the stage with immense joy and receiving their University of Memphis diplomas.

"Yes" to the community pride you feel when seeing Memphis win on national television.

Well, Tiger Nation, fortune favors the bold!

And it's our moment.

All of ours.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, and Go Tigers Go!

Laird Veatch signature black

Laird Veatch
University of Memphis Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

University of Memphis Athletics

From the AD: Together, Memphis Athletics Continues to Rise

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