By Bryan B. Blair, Vice President and Director of Athletics
Dec. 15, 2022 
 

Dear Team Toledo, 

In this time of year when we come together with family and friends to celebrate good fortunes and resolve to better ourselves, I would like to reflect on some of the truly exciting things happening in Toledo Athletics, as well as share some of my aspirations for our Athletics program in 2023.

First and foremost, we are blessed to have an incredible group of student-athletes, coaches and staff who are dedicated to their sports and to this University. I hope you are as proud as I am to be associated with a program that values education and service as much as it does athletic success.

Our women's basketball team came up with one of the biggest wins in program history when Toledo took down undefeated and #14 Michigan at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on December 8. Head Coach Tricia Cullop's Rockets (7-2) own the longest winning streak in the country on opponents' home courts, now at 14 games. Best of all, Crisler was brimming with jubilant Rocket fans who traveled up US-23 and fired up our team with their enthusiasm. YOU made a difference!

   

COMING TOGETHER FOR #TEAMTOLEDO

Whether it is the great Rocket crowds in the Glass Bowl and Savage Arena or the traveling fans that took over Detroit's Ford Field or the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Rocket Nation has stepped up to support their teams in a big way. Football averaged nearly 20,000 fans per game and led the MAC in home attendance for the fourth consecutive season. Our basketball teams have also had great support so far, and with both squads battling to defend their conference championship titles, we expect the crowds in Savage to grow throughout the MAC season. 

The success of our teams benefits all of us – our athletics program, our University and our alumni, as well the Toledo community. That's a big part of what we mean when we talk about #TeamToledo. When the Walleye, Mud Hens or a local high school wins a championship, we're going to celebrate with them. Likewise, we want the entire Toledo community to rally behind the Rockets.

Athletics can shine a light on our University and our community in many ways, some of which are unique to the world of college athletics. Hundreds of thousands of people come to our campus each year to watch the Rockets compete at the highest level of college athletics. In addition is the national television exposure and opportunities that simply would not happen without a Division I athletics program.

While we are happy with our achievements to date, we are by no means satisfied. In the coming months, we will share our vision and plan to become one of the elite Group of Five athletic programs in the nation. And we will need your support, as it takes a substantial investment to simply sustain the current level of success of our student-athletes, and will take an even greater commitment to bring us to the next level!

Thanks to all of you who have stepped up and made a commitment to help our student-athletes reach their full potential. Whether you purchase tickets and cheer on our Rockets, or make a financial donation to the Rocket Fund or the 1923 Society, or contribute in some other way, we appreciate your support now and in the future.

 

 

BRAGGING RIGHTS….
In addition to all of the amazing accomplishments above, I'd like to note a few other highlights within Rocket Athletics: 
 

	Rocket student-athletes: The latest report from the NCAA revealed our Rockets had a 92% Graduation Success Rate (GSR), third in the MAC and the fourth consecutive year with a 92% GSR.
	Tricia Cullop: Tricia reached the 300-win milestone on November 26 vs. UT Arlington at the Daytona Beach Invitational!
	Quinyon Mitchell: The sophomore cornerback, the nation's leader with 25 pass breakups, was named first Walter Camp All-American on December 8, our first player on the prestigious team since Eric Page in 2010. Quinyon was also named third-team All-America by the Associated Press, our first AP All-American since 2007!
	Morgan Otteson:  A forward on the women's soccer team, Morgan was recently named Second-Team Academic All-America, just the second Toledo soccer player to earn that honor. Morgan is currently pursuing her MBA and holds a 4.00 GPA.
	Women's Volleyball Team: Head Coach Jason Oliver's team secured back-to-back post-season berths for the first time in school history, with first-round wins both years.
	Chuck Ealey and Gary Pinkel: I was privileged to be in attendance to see these Rocket legends inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in Las Vegas on December 6. Toledo was the only school to have two inductees at this incredible event.
	Men's Basketball: Not only did our men's basketball team record two more victories this week, it also pulled in more hardware. Senior forward JT Shumate was named the Mid-American Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Week, and Junior guard RayJ Dennis was honored as the Player of the Week for the second time this season. That's how you get it done on the court and in the classroom.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 

We are truly blessed to have fans and supporters like you. I hope to see you many of you at the bowl game or at upcoming men's and women's basketball games over the semester break. Wishing all of you a safe and happy holiday season!  

Go Rockets!