Rocket Report with Bryan B. Blair - September 2024

By Bryan B. Blair, Vice President and Director of Athletics
September 20, 2024

Rocket Report with Bryan B. Blair

Dear Team Toledo,

Whether we are talking about college athletics, the business world, or any other highly competitive endeavor, I believe it is universally true that there is no better measure of excellence than to be consistently chosen by your peers as the very best at what you do.

So when the 12 schools of the Mid-American Conference recently voted the University of Toledo as the recipient of the 2023-24 Cartwright Award for an unprecedented third consecutive year, it gave further validation of our commitment to excellence and serves as a tremendous foundation as we aspire to even greater heights.

The Cartwright Award, presented annually to the top athletic program in the MAC, is based upon the criteria of excellence in academics, athletics, and citizenship. Our student-athletes experienced record success in all those areas in 2023-24, winning five MAC Championships, establishing record GPAs and graduation rates in the classroom, and volunteering an amazing 4,800 community service hours!

While we celebrate these achievements, we also acknowledge that we have only scratched the surface of our collective potential. With that in mind, now is the time to double down on our efforts to ensure the coming years and decades shine even brighter!

"THE BIGGEST PARTY IN TOLEDO", WIN OVER MISSISSIPPI STATE KICKS OFF 2024 FOOTBALL SEASON!

Our 2024 Football season got off to a great start with the largest crowd in the Glass Bowl in five years coming out for "The Biggest Party in Toledo" in a 49-10 victory over Duquesne on Aug. 29! Two weeks later, our Rockets became the talk of the college football world with their win over an SEC opponent, dominating Mississippi State in Starkville, 41-17.

I'm so proud of how our #TeamToledo community came together to bring excitement and energy to our home opener! The good times began with the Rocket Walk, Touchdown Town, live music, a big-screen TV and The Beer Garden in Parking Area 10. The fun continued at game time with an awe-inspiring flyover by the 180th Fighter Wing, the debut of our new Rocket Motor Sports Car, plus the usual pre-game pyrotechnics. The Rockets came through with a 49-10 victory for the crowd of 23,515, which kept our cannon and Touchdown Tank busy all night long!

Following another home triumph over UMass on Sept. 7, Head Coach Jason Candle's squad silenced the cowbells and then celebrated in Mississippi State's Davis Wade Stadium by hoisting the Jolly Roger flag that indicates a MAC victory over a Power Four school! The historic victory earned us the Cheez-It National Team of the Week, votes in the AP Top 25, and showed the country that we will not take a back seat to anyone, not just in football but in everything we do as an Athletic Department, a University and as #TeamToledo!

It's critical that we build on the momentum of the big win over the Bulldogs and pack the Glass Bowl for two huge Saturday home games coming up in October: Homecoming vs. Miami on Oct. 5 and the Battle of I-75 on Oct. 26. Let's show the MAC and the entire country that there is nothing that compares to power of #TeamToledo!

HOMECOMING ON SATURDAY, OCT. 5

Homecoming 2024 on Saturday, Oct. 5 is one of the can't-miss events of the fall! It's our opportunity to celebrate UToledo as a destination to learn, work, play, and receive first class care.

The fun begins at 10:00 a.m. with the annual Homecoming Parade through Old Orchard with Interim UToledo President Matt Schroeder serving as grand marshal. After the parade, head to Savage Arena at noon for an open scrimmage of our four-time defending MAC Champion men's basketball team. Then cheer on our football team for Rocket Walk in Parking Area 10 at 1:00 as they step off the bus and head to the Glass Bowl. The fun continues with tailgating, live music from Pop's Garage, our new Beer Garden, and other exciting game-day activities.

Finally, make sure to be in your seats at 3:30 for what is sure to be a ROCKING Glass Bowl when we kick off vs. the Miami Redhawks in a rematch of last year's MAC Championship Game!

Ticket and Homecoming information can be found here: TICKETS HOMECOMING PARADE ALUMNI INFO

NEW VIDEOBOARD & LED ASSETS WILL TRANSFORM THE FAN EXPERIENCE AT SAVAGE ARENA

As we continue to invest in the gameday experience within Savage Arena, we are excited to announce the addition of a state-of-the-art videoboard and new ribbonboards this fall! The new center-hung videoboard is twice as big as our previous model, and will be the largest in the Mid-American Conference! The new digital assets bring new energy to Rocket basketball and volleyball games, as well as to the other 50+ events we host each year, such as graduation ceremonies, concerts and other community gatherings.

This is the second completed project in our facilities masterplan and aligns with our strategic plan, Rise Together, as we seek to recruit the very best talent, engage our fans, grow resources and continually invest in our infrastructure. These digital assets will create new opportunities to generate revenue that will help us support our student-athletes with the resources they need to thrive while providing them with an unparalleled athletic experience!

FALL SPORTS ARE OFF TO A GREAT START!

It's been another great start for all our fall sports! Women's Volleyball is off to a 7-3 start after sweeping two of its first three weekends, while Women's Soccer has won three of its last five games. The all-important MAC portion of the schedule is now underway as both squads fight for a league title.

Our women's and men's cross country teams showed that they will be a force once again this year by sweeping the We Fly MAC Championship Preview meet at Ball State on Sept. 14. Our golf and tennis teams have begun the fall portion of their schedule, while Women's Swimming & Diving opens its season with its Blue & Gold and Alumnae meets on Sept. 28 and Oct. 5.

We hope to see you on campus to come out and cheer on all our Rocket teams!

WE LOVE OUR CHEER, BAND, DANCE & MASCOT SQUADS!

One of the most important aspects of collegiate competition that distinguishes it from professional sports is the color and spirit brought to our events by our cheer, band and spirit squads. And at the University of Toledo, we have some of the very best. It just wouldn't be a Rocket football or basketball game without our cheerleaders, the Rocket Marching Band, Rocky & Rocksy, and the Dancing Rockettes.

I am happy to share that the Rocket Marching Band and the Dancing Rockettes will join the cheerleaders as part of the Athletic Department, moving from their previous home in the College of Arts & Letters. We look forward to working with our spirit squads to enhance the game-day energy for our fans, as well as enrich the experience for all of our students in these groups who devote their time and energy to supporting the Rockets!

DINING WITH THE DEANS

"Dining With the Deans" provides a unique opportunity for Rocket student-athletes to meet with university deans and other leaders in an informal dining setting. Earlier this week, seven student-athletes took advantage of a very special opportunity to exchange ideas, share their academic experiences, and enjoy a meal at the Maumee Bay Brewing Company with Interim President Matt Schroeder.

The event marked the seventh time Dining with the Deans has taken place over the past two-plus years. A total of 47 student-athletes have participated in these events. Looking forward to future connections with University leaders and our student-athletes!

ROCKET WEEK / TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL HONORS OUR MAC CHAMPIONS

We highly value our connection with the Toledo community so we are very grateful for the enthusiastic #TeamToledo support of community leaders such as Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and the Toledo City Council.

Each year, the City of Toledo honors its connection to our Athletics Program during the week leading up to our football home opener with "Rocket Week." Toledo Rocket flags are raised at city properties throughout the city during the week, which began this year with a flag-raising ceremony at One Government Center on Aug. 26. Two weeks later, the Toledo City Council honored our five 2023-24 MAC Champions with an official resolution during their monthly meeting on Sept. 11.

With the mutual support and #TeamToledo spirit in our community, the sky is the limit for what we can accomplish together!

IMPLICATIONS OF HOUSE VS. NCAA CASE FOR TOLEDO ATHLETICS

As we continue to follow developments in the House vs. NCAA case, it's become clear that the way we manage the finances of major college athletics will never be the same.

The House settlement proposes the distribution of a percentage of athletics revenue to student-athletes, as well as providing damages to former student-athletes going back to 2016. It also increases roster limits for most sports. The judge presiding over the case recently ordered both sides to "go back to the drawing board" to resolve concerns she has about how the deal would limit the ways in which boosters can provide money to athletes. But no matter what the final agreement looks like in the end, we must be ready to adapt and thrive in this new landscape. Frankly, that means generating more revenue to fund the aspirations of our student-athletes, both in their sports and in their academic pursuits.

In our Strategic Plan we laid out our vision that includes a major emphasis on generating new revenues that will help support our student-athletes and invest in the infrastructure that will lay the foundation for future recruitment and success. Many of you have already stepped up, whether by giving to the Rocket Fund, the 1923 Society or in some other way supporting our Rockets. We are so grateful for your support. But we can't stop now.

I truly believe we are on the verge of exponential growth which will be a huge boost not only for our Athletic Department but for our University of Toledo community as well. If we all push a little harder on the "flywheel," we can take our program to heights not previously believed possible!

This Community. This University. This Athletics Department.
Together, we will accomplish the "impossible."

Go Rockets!

Rocket Report with Bryan B. Blair - September 2024

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