Towson Faithful,
This week marks the start of fall classes here on campus, and you can feel the excitement in the air. Three of our programs - women's soccer, volleyball and field hockey - have already begun competition while football and cross country get their season's underway this weekend. I hope you will join me in wishing Field Hockey Head Coach Katie Salem, who picked up her first TU win on Sunday, and Football Head Coach Pete Shinnick best of luck as we launch new eras under their leadership.
Over the summer, much planning has taken place to prepare for the 2023-24 academic year and we are thrilled to have our student-athletes back on campus and are soaking in the energy that accompanies their return. In this quarterly
"Vision of the Division," I'd like to share some important updates and the strides that have been made within our department, while also giving you an idea of where our department is focused.
Revenue Generation
Our efforts to generate revenue and carefully steward our existing resources has never been more important than it is today. Our external teams continue to work diligently to raise money, find new community partners and invest in the experience of our Towson student-athletes.
Change is in the air this fall, as we have also
welcomed to Coca-Cola to campus and are excited about the opportunity to share a Coke with you this fall! Additionally,
Aramark will take over as our food service provider, bringing with them new nutritional opportunities for our student-athletes, as well as low price concessions items to our concessions stands. Lastly, while we are excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of our arena this fall, we will set out to find a new arena naming partner as well.
Facilities
Two projects that you will immediately notice as you return to campus include a beautiful new track installed at Unitas Stadium and a refinishing of the court inside SECU Arena.
Check out this time lapse of the two projects as they came together side by side this summer. All four teams (track, volleyball and men's and women's basketball) that will enjoy these improvements have won championships in the past two years and we look forward to them reaching new heights in their programs.
We are also excited to begin preparations for the Phase Two renovation of the Unitas Stadium Field House and hope to share renderings later this year. This upcoming work will have a direct impact on football, lacrosse and track & field programs as we modernize this building over the course of the next few years. We have also begun developing a Towson Center master plan that will incorporate ways to enhance the student-athlete experience for all of our 19 sports.
New Branding
Towson Athletics launched its new marketing campaign "Excellence Earned," highlighting the grit and grind that our student-athletes go through each day to earn their excellence in the classroom, on the playing field, and in the community. New signage has begun to appear on campus and you will see that as the anchor of our branding and storytelling.
Ways to Get Involved
Our vision is to ensure a sustainable future for Towson Athletics that provides a high-quality Division I experience for our student-athletes. None of this can be accomplished without the collective support of our loyal fans, donors, parents, coaches and staff.
Be sure to
check out the schedules for our Fall Sports and make your way to south campus to support our teams. Join us Homecoming Weekend as our
2023 Hall of Fame Class is inducted on October 6 inside the University Union, and our letterwinners can stop by the T-Club tailgate before the Tigers take on UAlbany at 4pm on October 7.
The landscape of college athletics is everchanging and in an effort to remain competitive with our peers,
we have welcomed the GOH Collective as the first Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) collective at Towson. The
Tiger Athletic Fund is working hard everyday to create meaningful events and build connections with alumni and fans who want to contribute to providing a powerful student-athlete experience at TU.
There's much to be excited for and proud of as we get the 2023-24 year underway. I look forward to seeing you on campus and in the stands this fall.
