Dear Tiger
Nation,
I am sure many of
you have reviewed the information that TU Athletics shared on Wednesday announcing that our men's basketball team will
not be participating in 2013 NCAA or CAA postseason play. I met with the coaches and student-athletes
following their workout yesterday at the Towson Center to share this news in
person, and to a man, these student-athletes and staff reacted like
champions. These Tigers are ALL IN, ALL THE TIME!
While Towson
University is solidly in support of the NCAA's Academic Reform and the movement
to raise the academic progress rate of all student-athletes, we remain deeply
disappointed in the NCAA's timing to implement a new immediate penalty
structure to a set of multi-year metrics and the NCAA's denial of our specific
and detailed appeals. There is no
denying the lack of retention and graduation from 2007-08 through 2010-11 and
those realities, regardless of the reasons for each individual case, will now adversely
impact a group of young men, coaches and staff who played no hand in this
deficient multi-year APR score. While
our current athletics collectively did not make the mess, we will most surely
clean it up and make sure that we never face this type of issue again.
I do want to
share with you some impressive news about how our men's basketball team is
achieving strong results in the classroom. Coach Skerry, his coaching staff,
our newly enhanced academic achievement team and the current roster of men's
basketball student-athletes have made dramatic improvements in our team's
single-year APR - 800 in 2010-11 to a projected 938-minimum for the 2011-12
season. The final APR will not be
calculated by the NCAA until October 2012. Add to that our rising team grade point
average – from 2.725 in 2010-11 to a final posting of 2.852 for the just
completed 2011-12 academic year.
This improvement
is a result of Towson Athletics becoming more accountable, strategic and
proactive via the implementation of a new level of high expectations for all of
our student-athletes. The class attendance policy that was introduced in
February 2011 is one of, if not the most demanding in the nation. This action
plan places a strong value on developing critical life skills and personal
accountability. As a result, the cumulative
department grade point average is now approaching 3.1 while 53 percent of our student-athletes
earned higher than a 3.0 GPA. Another 107
student-athletes earned Dean's List recognition following the recently
completed 2012 spring semester. Towson Athletics has made it a priority to build
a solid academic track record, well beyond the minimum requirements set forth
by the NCAA. We EXPECT SUCCESS on and off the field and that will never change.
For everyone here
at Towson, and throughout Tiger Nation, it is time for us to put this
disappointing chapter behind us and focus on our very exciting men's basketball
future. As you have probably seen in the
last couple days, the national media even sees nothing but a bright future for Coach
Skerry and our program (ESPN.com - Blog
Feature; NBCSports.com - Blog
Feature). The
proof will be in the results on the court and I encourage you to make plans to
come to the final season of play in the Towson Center ready to cheer on the
Tigers as we make this a very special season for this 2012-13 team. Winning becomes a part of our immediate
vernacular right now!
If you haven't
been through campus lately, I invite you to take a quick drive around Unitas
Stadium, look up, and see how the new skyline of our athletics village is rising.
As I write this letter the time is counting down to our first basketball games
in the new facility, set for a doubleheader on the night of November 8, 2013. The
final truss was installed last week (click
here for latest arena update) and it is our
hope that our hoops teams will be able to practice in the building shortly
after the first of the year. This
building is truly emblematic of our two basketball programs – rising up from a
solid foundation – built by a team of strong professionals (thanks Gilbane
Building), and set to impress everyone upon opening night.
You are an
integral part of the CHAMPIONSHIP
PROGRAM that we are building here at Towson and we all cannot thank you
enough for your support. You are the team behind the team. THANK
YOU!
With
Black & Gold Pride...
Mike Waddell
Director
of Athletics
