AD Newsletter - February 2016
Academics
I am very proud to report that our student-athletes have once again raised the bar for performance in the classroom. They have set a new record for cumulative grade-point average for the 11th consecutive semester. Our group of nearly 250 student-athletes now has a 3.353 cumulative GPA, and all 14 of our varsity programs have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.145.
During the fall semester, all of our teams posted GPAs over 3.130 and finished with a 3.38 as a group. Individually, 141 student-athletes were named to the Dean's List, representing 58 percent of our student-athlete population.
The numbers are tremendous and speak volumes about the commitment our student-athletes have made to academics and the tireless efforts our academic support staff and administrators have made to make student-athlete success a top priority.
Please take a moment to read the full story and view our teams' academic performance as well as the list of our Fall 2015 Dean's List honorees.
Critical Stretch of Home Games in February
Our men's and women's basketball teams have combined for a 32-11 record and are hitting the critical month of February, when they can build their resumes and put themselves in a great position for the BIG EAST Tournament. And both teams will spend the majority of February at home with each team playing five games in front of their loyal fans.
Our men's team, 15-6 overall and 5-4 in the BIG EAST, begins a three-game homestand tomorrow night against Marquette and will host Georgetown Saturday, Butler next Wednesday, Feb. 10, Providence on Feb. 25 and Xavier on Feb. 28. This is a golden opportunity to get quality wins, and the Pirates need your support at Prudential Center this month. As we have seen lately, our student-athletes feed off the energy you bring from the stands, so we hope to see you at The Rock for five exciting BIG EAST basketball games! Click here to get your tickets.
Our women's basketball team, 17-5 overall and 7-4 in the BIG EAST, also begins a three-game homestand this weekend with a huge game against St. John's on Sunday. The team will also host Georgetown (Feb. 12) and Villanova (Feb. 14) during the homestand and will also welcome Creighton (Feb. 26) and Providence (Feb. 28) to Walsh Gym later in the month. With an NCAA RPI of 19, the women are in a great position for postseason basketball and are looking to finish the season strong. They too feed off the energy of their loyal fans so be sure to pack Walsh this month! Click here to get your tickets.
Critical Stretch of Home Games in February
This Saturday is our Pirate Varsity Club reunion! The event takes place in the Prudential Center Goal Bar at 8 p.m., just one hour before our men's basketball team takes on Georgetown.
The event is always a great opportunity for former student-athletes to re-connect with their teammates and with the University while cheering for the Pirates in an important BIG EAST game!
Be sure to sign up for the PVC reunion by clicking here. For more information, contact Josh Karp in the Pirate Blue office at 973-275-6446.
BIG EAST Tickets
The BIG EAST Men's Basketball Tournament is less than 40 days away, and time is running out for our Pirate Blue members to get the best seats in the house.
This is the last opportunity to purchase our limited supply of tournament all-session packages through our ticket office as our final deadline is this Friday, Feb. 5.
Be sure to fill out the order form or call the ticket office at 973-275-HALL as soon as possible to discuss your ticket package options.
Lobby Renovation Underway
The pictures above show the start of our exciting lobby renovation that will transform the space into a new and exciting area that will feature our Hall of Fame. We look forward to being able to share our great achievements with our student-athletes, fans, alumni, faculty and staff.
Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months!
Spring Season Upon Us
With the calendar turning to February, our spring sports are ramping up. Women's tennis is already in action and our baseball, softball and golf teams have begun practice to get ready for what will be a promising season. The baseball program held its First Pitch Dinner last week with special guest Dana Brown. Be on the lookout for a video recap of the event in the coming days.
Also I'd like to wish our men's & women's swimming & diving teams the best of luck as they prepare for the BIG EAST Championship Feb. 24-27. The event takes place in East Meadow, N.Y., on Long Island, just a short drive away. We hope that you can support our teams as they chase the conference championship!
GO PIRATES!
