Rocket Report with Bryan B. Blair - December 2025 - University of Toledo Athletics

December 4, 2025

Rocket Report with Bryan B. Blair

Team Toledo, Last Three Months

You have probably heard me talk about the incredible momentum that has been building in Toledo Athletics, but the progress over the last couple of months in particular has been a huge step forward for our program! From transformational partnerships to championship performances to the academic and community achievements of our student-athletes, the energy around our program is truly reaching new heights.

The performance of our student-athletes this fall sports season has been nothing short of spectacular! Three of our teams – Women's Volleyball, Men's Cross Country and Women's Cross Country – won MAC Championship titles, while Football finished the regular season with eight wins to become bowl eligible for the 16th consecutive season, the sixth-longest streak in the country.

These elite performances do not happen without elite resources. Our recent announcements of our collaborations with KeyBank, Venture Visionary Partners and Marcos Pizza are perfect examples of what we can do when we join forces with corporate and community partners to fuel opportunities for our student-athletes and energize our fanbase.

These and our many other successes show what we can achieve when we come together as one #TeamToledo! And the best part is, we are just getting started!

Cross Country: Double MAC Champions Again!

Our cross country teams delivered historic performances this fall, sweeping the MAC Championships for the second straight season! Our women's team captured its fifth straight MAC Championship, becoming the winningest program in conference history with 11 total titles, while the men's team earned its second consecutive title. Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Andrea Grove-McDonough was named the MAC Women's Coach of the Year for the fifth consecutive season, while first-year Associate Head Coach Louis Vazquez was named MAC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

A week after the MAC Championships, both programs posted their best finishes ever at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, with Joad Martinho qualifying for the NCAA Championships and Karina James leading the women to a strong third-place finish. Congratulations on another fantastic season!

Women's Volleyball: A Historic Championship!

Our Women's Volleyball team also made history, capturing the program's first-ever MAC Championship in its 45-year existence as a varsity sport with a thrilling 3-1 victory over two-time defending MAC champion Western Michigan on Nov. 23! This came less than 24 hours after the Rockets rallied to defeat No. 1 seed Ball State (17-1 in regular-season MAC play) in an epic five-set semifinal match!

This milestone is the culmination of relentless hard work, resilience, and belief from our student-athletes and coaches. Their journey reflects what it means to be a Rocket—setting bold goals, fighting through the challenges and ultimately achieving great things together! Congratulations to Head Coach Brian Wright and the entire squad for bringing home a championship that will be remembered for generations! And kudos to our fans, who helped us set school records in average attendance (1,357) and single-match attendance (2,251 vs. BGSU on Oct. 7).

Now the Rockets will turn their attention to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where they will face Indiana in first-round action in Bloomington, Ind. on Thursday. Can't wait to see our Rockets compete on the national stage!

VIDEO: MAC Championship Highlights

Football: Bowl Bound Once Again

Our Football program put together another strong campaign this fall, finishing the regular season with eight wins, leading the MAC in attendance for the seventh-straight season and becoming bowl eligible for the 16th consecutive season—the sixth-longest active streak in the country. This consistency is a testament to the hard work of our student-athletes and coaches.

While we are incredibly proud of our team's performance, we also share in the frustration surrounding the MAC Championship tiebreaker scenario that kept us out of Detroit. It is never easy when results on the field put you in position to compete for a title, yet external variables ultimately determine the final outcome. Our program earned the right to be in that conversation, and our department will continue advocating for clear, competitive structures that reflect the spirit of the game and the expectations of our student-athletes.

With all that said, Rocket Nation has every reason to be excited for what comes next. We look forward to representing Toledo in a postseason bowl game and showcasing our program on the national stage once again. This team has earned that opportunity, and we can't wait to see them cap off the season the right way.

Venture Courtside Club Debuts — A Model for the Future of College Athletics

Officially opened prior to our Men's Basketball game on Nov. 8, the new Venture Courtside Club is the kind of premium hospitality space you might expect to find in an NBA arena. But its impact extends far beyond a beautiful renovation. Our partnership with Venture Visionary Partners and their visionary founder/CEO Craig Findley represents the type of modern, business-minded approach that is essential in today's rapidly changing college athletics landscape.

As the financial model of college sports evolves—with rising expectations around NIL, competitive excellence, student-athlete services, and game-day experience—athletic departments across the country are being challenged to generate new revenue in smarter, more entrepreneurial ways. The Venture Courtside Club is a perfect example of how Toledo is meeting that moment. It enhances our fan experience, elevates the Savage Arena atmosphere, and—most importantly—creates sustainable resources that allow us to continue providing championship-level opportunities for our student-athletes.

KeyBank Becomes Title Sponsor of Toledo Women's Athletics

The momentum continued with the announcement of KeyBank as the official bank and new title sponsor of Toledo Women's Athletics—one of the most significant corporate investments in our history. KeyBank gains premier visibility, including on-court logo placement in Savage Arena and integration across all women's sports, tapping into some of the MAC's strongest fan bases and championship-caliber programs. For Toledo, this partnership is another example of our evolving revenue strategy: aligning with corporate partners who see the value of investing in our brand, our growth, and the national trajectory of Rocket Athletics. Partnerships like this fuel the resources needed to continue providing elite experiences for our student-athletes.

This project follows the announcement of our recent partnership with Marco's Pizza, and together they reflect a department that is firing on all cylinders. When our partners invest in Toledo Athletics, they are investing in the mission that drives everything we do: educating, empowering, and elevating Rockets to achieve their full potential—on the field, in the classroom, and throughout our community.

Together, Venture, KeyBank, and Marco's Pizza represent a new era of partnership momentum for Toledo Athletics — one where innovative thinking, business alignment, and shared vision help drive the competitive future of our program.

Mission Midweek: Community, Exposure, and a Night Worth Every Spotlight

One of the clearest examples of our rising momentum this fall was Mission Midweek — a night that brought together our campus, community, corporate partners, and national audience in a way that showcased everything Toledo Athletics represents. With 22,128 fans, it became our biggest midweek crowd since 2015. More importantly, Mission Midweek generated massive national visibility: ESPN2 delivered 301,000 TV viewers, while major national outlets such as ESPN College Football, Barstool Sports, and Big Cat drove social media posts that averaged over 2 million views per post with engagement reaching into the thousands.

In total, the exposure created by Mission Midweek is equivalent to an estimated $1.4 million in advertising value — the amount we would have needed to spend to replicate the same national TV visibility, paid social impressions, digital engagement, and sponsorship exposure through traditional advertising channels.

Just as impressive was the scale of community participation:

2,000+ Toledo Public Schools students and families, across 16 schools
848 Sylvania students, plus large turnouts from Oregon Schools and Bedford football
Campus engagement from Faculty/Staff Appreciation (800+ tickets)
Youth football, cheer, and band recruitment events involving more than 150 high schoolers
Hundreds of families from YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and East Toledo Center, with tickets distributed to underserved families
Local unions, businesses, United Way donors, and regional organizations — all experiencing the Glass Bowl together
And importantly, high school media and communications students from across the region spent the evening in our press tower and on the sidelines — gaining hands-on, real-world experience in sports photography, broadcasting, content creation, and postgame media operations. Their involvement turned Mission Midweek into a career-inspiring learning lab.

This is Team Toledo in action: a community that shows up, leans in, and rallies behind our Rockets. Mission Midweek was a statement of our reach, our relationships, and our rising national relevance.

Dining with the President!

On Nov. 6, Rocket student-athletes joined President Dr. James Holloway at the Maumee Bay Bew Pub for an evening of conversation and connection in the latest rendition of Dining with the Deans. Now in its fourth year, Dining with the Deans highlights our commitment to student-athlete engagement, leadership and community connection!

Rockets Post 93 Percent Graduation Success Rate!

We're proud to share that Toledo student-athletes posted a 93% Graduation Success Rate in the latest figures released by the NCAA, a figure that ranks third among MAC schools, in the top one-third of all NCAA Division I schools and eighth among the 60 "Group of Five" schools. Seven Rocket teams scored a perfect 100 GSR: men's basketball, women's basketball, women's soccer, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, and women's volleyball. Football recorded a program-record 96 GSR, the top score in the Mid-American Conference.

Our Graduation Success Rate is a testament to the dedication and resilience of our student-athletes in the classroom. At Toledo, we are committed to ensuring every Rocket leaves our University prepared to make a positive impact—equipped with both a meaningful UToledo degree and the experiences that define champions. We take immense pride in their academic achievements and look forward to celebrating their continued success on campus and beyond!

Manufactured in the Glass City: Excellence Forged Here

Our latest episodes of Manufactured in the Glass City spotlight two remarkable Rocket alumni who have continued to make an impact far beyond their playing days. Allie Clifton, a nationally recognized sports broadcaster, takes us behind the scenes of her journey from her days as a Rocket playing in Savage Arena to working courtside with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Meanwhile, former Rocket linebacker Dr. Romules Durant shares his perspective on leading Toledo Public Schools as superintendent, tackling challenges and shaping the future of education in our community. These stories are powerful reminders of what it means to be a Rocket—student-athletes who leave our University prepared to achieve greatness in every arena of life.

Introducing the Roger J. Kruse Center for Sports Medicine

We are proud to dedicate the athletic training room in Savage Arena as the Dr. Roger J. Kruse Center for Sports Medicine, honoring his more than 36 years of service as our team physician. Dr. Kruse has been an extraordinary asset to Toledo Athletics, our University, and the entire community. Widely regarded as one of the nation's premier team doctors, his impact on generations of Rockets is immeasurable. Naming this space in his honor is a fitting tribute to a man who has given so much to our student-athletes and to the University of Toledo.

Martez Poynter: Hoodies and Hustle

Martez Poynter's story is one of hard work and entrepreneurship, balancing his life as a Rocket student-athlete while building his own brand in the sports apparel industry.

Learn more about Martez and his clothing business HERE.

Welcome, Melissa DeAngelo!

We're excited to welcome Melissa DeAngelo to the Toledo Athletics family as our new Senior Associate Athletic Director for Business Strategy/Chief Financial Officer! Melissa brings more than two decades of experience in financial management and business operations within higher education, including an extensive tenure at Ohio State University. As college athletics continues to evolve, the CFO role demands a strategic leader who can connect financial stewardship to long-term vision and impact. Melissa brings that expertise. She's a solutions-focused problem solver and trusted advisor who excels at aligning resources with priorities while balancing innovation and fiscal responsibility.

Bragging Rights

Congratulations to all these Rockets on their incredible achievements!

Cross Country: Juniors Karina James and Joad Martinho each captured the individual championship title at MAC Championships.
Women's Volleyball: Freshman Jessica Costlow earned MVP honors at the MAC Championship Tournament. She was joined by sophomore Grace Freiberger and senior Kelsey Smith on the All-Tournament Team. Grace also was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Men's Basketball: Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk earned his 300th career win as a Rocket with a win over Troy on Nov. 24.
Football: Redshirt freshman Matt Hofer was named one of three national finalists for the Wuerffel Trophy, which annually celebrates the football student-athlete who best uses his platforms to serve others and create positive change.
Women's Swimming: Junior Leah Evans set school records in the 100 backstroke and the 100 back long course last month, while senior Janne Slegers broke long course records in the 50 and 100 freestyles.
Women's Rowing: Head Coach Chris Bailey-Greene signed a recruiting class of 17 student-athletes from eight different states. With 35 student-athletes already on the roster in year one for the program, the future looks bright for rowing in the Glass City!

Rocket Nation, the momentum we've built together this fall is more than championships and headlines—it's a reflection of what happens when a community rallies behind a shared vision. Every partnership, every championship, and every milestone represents the collective effort of student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni, and fans who believe in something bigger than themselves.

As we look ahead to winter and spring sports and the opportunities that await, let's keep pushing forward. Our commitment to excellence—in competition, in the classroom, and in life—remains unwavering. The foundation we're building today will shape the future of Toledo Athletics for generations to come. Thank you for being part of this journey and for continuing to show what it means to be #TeamToledo!

This Community.

This University.

This Athletics Department.

Together, we will accomplish the "impossible."

Bryan B. Blair Signature

Players Mentioned

Jessica Costlow