In a release from TU...
I am writing to first thank you for your steadfast and unwavering support. I continue to be amazed at the passion you have for this University and our student-athletes. Secondly, let me update you on TU Athletics as we continue our vision to achieve consistent top-tier performance in all sports while being the premier academic program in the American Athletic Conference.
In addition to having captured the most American Athletic Conference Championships during the past 2+ years, TU athletics turned in one of its best fall semesters in school history. Our Men's Cross Country and Men's Soccer teams captured their third consecutive conference titles this year. Overall, our teams finished the fall as the highest ranked American institution in the national Learfield Directors' Cup standings outpacing many "Power 5" athletic programs.
In addition to a conference championship, Men's Cross Country also placed second at the NCAA Midwest Regional event and had an 11th-place performance at the National Championship Meet. After claiming conference championships in each of the previous two seasons, the TU Women's Cross Country team narrowly missed a third and finished in second-place this year.
Our football team turned in a 10-3 record and finished a perfect 6-0 at H.A. Chapman Stadium. It was a memorable exclamation point to an outstanding season with a 55-10 win over Central Michigan University in the Miami Beach Bowl. En route to the school's 10th 10+ win season, Tulsa became the first school in DI/FBS history to produce a 3,000-yard passer (Dane Evans), two 1,000-yard rushers (D'Angelo Brewer and James Flanders) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Josh Atkinson and Keevan Lucas) in the same season. At season's end, the football team was the second-highest ranked American Athletic Conference team in the Associated Press poll.
Head Coach Philip Montgomery and his staff quickly followed the season by signing highly competitive young men to join the Golden Hurricane football program, including seven from local high schools.
I hope that we can count on you as we roll out a season ticket sales campaign for football within the next few weeks. Please note that our annual spring football game will be held April 8, at H.A. Chapman Stadium beginning at 11:00 a.m.
As TU Men's Basketball prepares to compete in the conference tournament, it is worth noting that the program has accumulated the third-most league wins during our three-year tenure in The American. Only SMU and Cincinnati have more conference wins during the same period. TU Women Basketball student-athletes Shug Dickson and Kendrian Elliott were recently named to The American's All-Freshman Team.
Next week, we look forward to hosting the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship First & Second Rounds at the BOK Center. Game days are Friday and Sunday, March 17 & 19, but I recommend trying to make time for the Open Practice Day next Thursday, which is free admission.
As we turn our attention to the remainder of the 2016-17 academic year, our storied Softball program is celebrating its 25th season as the preseason favorite in the American Athletic Conference. Head Coach John Bargfeldt enters his 12th season as the winningest coach in TU softball history. The Men's and Women's Tennis programs continue to flourish as the women's team currently has a 12-4 record and both programs have been ranked in the top-40 nationally this season. We also wish our Women's Rowing program and head coach Kevin Harris great success as they compete this spring.
This weekend, we also extend our well wishes to track & field athletes Marc Scott, racing in the 3,000m and 5,000m, and weight throw participant Aleks Rapp, as they compete at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship.
In addition to outstanding athletic performances, our student-athletes continue to succeed in the classroom. Collectively, approximately 400 TU student-athletes earned a 3.209 fall cumulative grade point average as 207 of those athletes posted a 3.0+ GPA. A total of 43 student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during the fall semester.
Men's Cross Country/Track & Field student-athlete Kirk Smith was named a Rhodes Scholar, the second Rhodes Scholar in university history, both student-athletes, and one of only 32 in the country this year. Smith was also recognized recently with the American Athletic Conference's Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Award.
We will have a special visitor on campus in April as NCAA President Dr. Mark Emmert will be guest speaker at the monthly 'TU Friends of Finance' luncheon on April 19. Dr. Emmert will also address the entire athletics coaching and administrative staff during his visit.
We will recognize our first-year letter-winners at a special ceremony on April 12. The annual Golden 'Cane Awards, where we honor our deserving student-athletes, takes place on April 25, and spring commencement is scheduled for May 6.
As we move forward, the Department of Athletics will continue to concentrate on revenue generation and fundraising to better support our outstanding student-athletes. Most recently, we have been able to extend our corporate sponsorship agreement with Learfield Sports and also negotiated the athletic program's first-ever all-inclusive sports apparel deal with adidas. We will continue to focus on ticket sales for football and men's and women's basketball as we enter the 2017-18 academic year.
Again, I would like to thank TU Nation for all of your support! Please join me in also thanking our student-athletes, coaches and athletic administrators who represent our university with pride and excellence.
GO TU!
Derrick L. Gragg, Ed. D.
Vice President & Director of Athletics
The University of Tulsa
I am writing to first thank you for your steadfast and unwavering support. I continue to be amazed at the passion you have for this University and our student-athletes. Secondly, let me update you on TU Athletics as we continue our vision to achieve consistent top-tier performance in all sports while being the premier academic program in the American Athletic Conference.
In addition to having captured the most American Athletic Conference Championships during the past 2+ years, TU athletics turned in one of its best fall semesters in school history. Our Men's Cross Country and Men's Soccer teams captured their third consecutive conference titles this year. Overall, our teams finished the fall as the highest ranked American institution in the national Learfield Directors' Cup standings outpacing many "Power 5" athletic programs.
In addition to a conference championship, Men's Cross Country also placed second at the NCAA Midwest Regional event and had an 11th-place performance at the National Championship Meet. After claiming conference championships in each of the previous two seasons, the TU Women's Cross Country team narrowly missed a third and finished in second-place this year.
Our football team turned in a 10-3 record and finished a perfect 6-0 at H.A. Chapman Stadium. It was a memorable exclamation point to an outstanding season with a 55-10 win over Central Michigan University in the Miami Beach Bowl. En route to the school's 10th 10+ win season, Tulsa became the first school in DI/FBS history to produce a 3,000-yard passer (Dane Evans), two 1,000-yard rushers (D'Angelo Brewer and James Flanders) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Josh Atkinson and Keevan Lucas) in the same season. At season's end, the football team was the second-highest ranked American Athletic Conference team in the Associated Press poll.
Head Coach Philip Montgomery and his staff quickly followed the season by signing highly competitive young men to join the Golden Hurricane football program, including seven from local high schools.
I hope that we can count on you as we roll out a season ticket sales campaign for football within the next few weeks. Please note that our annual spring football game will be held April 8, at H.A. Chapman Stadium beginning at 11:00 a.m.
As TU Men's Basketball prepares to compete in the conference tournament, it is worth noting that the program has accumulated the third-most league wins during our three-year tenure in The American. Only SMU and Cincinnati have more conference wins during the same period. TU Women Basketball student-athletes Shug Dickson and Kendrian Elliott were recently named to The American's All-Freshman Team.
Next week, we look forward to hosting the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship First & Second Rounds at the BOK Center. Game days are Friday and Sunday, March 17 & 19, but I recommend trying to make time for the Open Practice Day next Thursday, which is free admission.
As we turn our attention to the remainder of the 2016-17 academic year, our storied Softball program is celebrating its 25th season as the preseason favorite in the American Athletic Conference. Head Coach John Bargfeldt enters his 12th season as the winningest coach in TU softball history. The Men's and Women's Tennis programs continue to flourish as the women's team currently has a 12-4 record and both programs have been ranked in the top-40 nationally this season. We also wish our Women's Rowing program and head coach Kevin Harris great success as they compete this spring.
This weekend, we also extend our well wishes to track & field athletes Marc Scott, racing in the 3,000m and 5,000m, and weight throw participant Aleks Rapp, as they compete at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship.
In addition to outstanding athletic performances, our student-athletes continue to succeed in the classroom. Collectively, approximately 400 TU student-athletes earned a 3.209 fall cumulative grade point average as 207 of those athletes posted a 3.0+ GPA. A total of 43 student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during the fall semester.
Men's Cross Country/Track & Field student-athlete Kirk Smith was named a Rhodes Scholar, the second Rhodes Scholar in university history, both student-athletes, and one of only 32 in the country this year. Smith was also recognized recently with the American Athletic Conference's Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Award.
We will have a special visitor on campus in April as NCAA President Dr. Mark Emmert will be guest speaker at the monthly 'TU Friends of Finance' luncheon on April 19. Dr. Emmert will also address the entire athletics coaching and administrative staff during his visit.
We will recognize our first-year letter-winners at a special ceremony on April 12. The annual Golden 'Cane Awards, where we honor our deserving student-athletes, takes place on April 25, and spring commencement is scheduled for May 6.
As we move forward, the Department of Athletics will continue to concentrate on revenue generation and fundraising to better support our outstanding student-athletes. Most recently, we have been able to extend our corporate sponsorship agreement with Learfield Sports and also negotiated the athletic program's first-ever all-inclusive sports apparel deal with adidas. We will continue to focus on ticket sales for football and men's and women's basketball as we enter the 2017-18 academic year.
Again, I would like to thank TU Nation for all of your support! Please join me in also thanking our student-athletes, coaches and athletic administrators who represent our university with pride and excellence.
GO TU!
Derrick L. Gragg, Ed. D.
Vice President & Director of Athletics
The University of Tulsa
