By Mike O'Brien, Vice President and Athletic Director
May 22, 2020 

Dear Rocket Nation,

First and foremost, I hope you and your loved ones are all well. The disruption to our lives over the past two months certainly has been a challenge for all of us. It has also reminded us of the importance of working together toward a common goal, something we talk about often in the world of intercollegiate athletics.

The coronavirus pandemic may have temporarily sidelined our sports competitions, but our student-athletes have continued their pursuit of academic excellence. On May 9, a total of 56 Rockets received their diplomas in the University's first-ever virtual graduation ceremony. Also, earlier this week the NCAA announced the most recent Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, and I am pleased to say that all 16 of our varsity sports met the required standard. We had three sports – Women's Golf, Men's Tennis and Football – that had the highest APR scores in the Mid-American Conference in their respective sports. Football had its highest score ever, leading the MAC in APR for the sixth time in the past seven years. We are pleased to share news like this, and could not be more proud of the consistently stellar academic achievements of our student-athletes!

As to the challenges I mentioned earlier, we certainly are faced with a number of them. Like many others, our University and Athletic Department have faced a significant financial strain as a result of the pandemic. Though some sacrifices will be necessary, we will be doing everything we can to minimize the impact to the overall athletic experience of our student-athletes, while keeping their health and safety as our top priority.

As to the immediate future, we are hard at work planning for the 2020-21 season. The University has announced its intention to resume in-person instruction this fall, and we are moving forward under the presumption that our student-athletes will be returning to campus this summer. Likewise, we are preparing for our 2020 football season, as well as for all of our varsity sports, with the understanding that the games will be played in some format this year. Exactly what that will look like is not yet completely clear. We will be relying on the guidelines provided at all levels – from federal, state and local governments, to governing athletic bodies like the NCAA and the Mid-American Conference – to help us make the best decisions for our student-athletes and fans.

The simple fact is that some things will be a little different for us this year, for our teams as well as our fans on game day. You can expect accelerated use of fan-friendly digital ticketing, for example, an innovation we have been gradually implementing in the last few years. Seating and entry at events may look a little different, too. Some of these changes will be temporary, but no matter what we will always strive to create the best possible game-day environment for you, our loyal Rocket fans. 

In the meantime, we very much need and appreciate your continued support. We know these are challenging times for many in our community, but I cannot overemphasize the importance of your continued contributions to the efforts of our student-athletes. If you are able, please consider renewing your football season tickets and renewing your pledge to the Rocket Fund. If you are not a current football season-ticket holder or haven't supported the Rocket Fund before, we would be grateful for your participation. For your convenience, all of this can be done online or with a phone call.

Our goals have not changed. We still are striving to create the best possible experience for our student-athletes. So now more than ever, we need you to be the difference that makes The University of Toledo Athletic Department truly great. You can help support our Rockets by clicking here.

All of us in Rocket Nation are looking forward to joining together again very soon. In the meantime, we will do our best to keep you informed with the latest developments.

Please stay safe and we'll see you very soon.
 
As always, Go Rockets!


Previous Rocket Blogs
Women's Golf: A Season of Challenges and Achievements (April 24, 2020)
Quarantine: A Time to Reflect on My Journey to Rocket Nation (April 11, 2020)
So Is This the Honeymoon Phase? (April 8, 2020)
Why I Buy Season Tickets (April 5, 2020)
A Promising Season Ends in Surreal Fashion (April 1, 2020)
Coming Together as a Team to Help Sara (March 31, 2020)
Isolation Can Make Time Management a Challenge For Students (March 28, 2020)
Many Challenges Are Ahead for Rocket Athletics (March 25, 2020)
Waking Up From a Perfect Dream to Face a New Reality (March 20, 2020)
Saranlak Tumfong Begins Fight Against Cancer (March 19, 2020)
Healthy Ways to Deal with Anxiety During a Health Crisis (March 18, 2020)
A Note From the Athletic Director: Stay Strong Rocket Nation! (March 17, 2020)
How Can We Live Without Sports? For Now, We Must (March 14, 2020)