Dear Friends of William & Mary Athletics,
 
When we flipped the calendar from 2021 to 2022, I think all of us did so with a sense of hope and optimism that this new year would signal better times. And in many respects, it is trending that way, although a challenge or two remain.
 
Full Strength
One piece of great news is that our senior leadership team in Athletics is now complete!  With the hiring of Jarrad Turner in fundraising and Ricky Ray in external operations, and Chelsey Burk's return from maternity leave to lead our internal operations, I'm happy to report we are at full strength.  Each of these individuals holds a critical position in our administration and with their talents and experience, we are hitting the ground running in 2022!
 
MLK Remembered
On Monday, William & Mary along with the rest of the nation will celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a great American hero.  There will be a candlelight vigil on campus and readings of Dr. King's words.  In Athletics, we are remembering Dr. King with heartfelt video messages from our student-athletes and others which will be posted to our social media channels. Their words are powerful reminders about the importance of our efforts to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion at our university and beyond.
 
Also, for the first time, the Colonial Athletics Association (CAA) has scheduled all 10 of its men's basketball teams to compete on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and women's basketball teams will compete on Sunday as they observe MLK Day, giving each institution the opportunity to promote its efforts to eliminate racial and social injustice.
 
Financial Shortfall
As we begin the new year, it's more important than ever that we have all hands on deck as we continue to work hard to meet the department's continuing financial challenges.  While having our Athletics administration in place is a huge step forward, it is equally important that we have support from everyone who loves W&M Athletics.
 
Just a little over a year ago Jeremy Martin, in his role as interim athletics director, provided us with a comprehensive snapshot of fundraising halfway through FY21. At the time we had raised close to $2.6 million. Our current total is $1.9 million, making us significantly behind last year.
 
Looking at the above figures is a sobering experience, yet the extraordinary way the Tribe Nation responded last year gives me confidence that we have the alumni support necessary to meet our needs.  Our commitment to Division I athletics and to providing stellar experience to our 500 student-athletes is unwavering but we need your help, and we need it quickly, both in terms of new gifts and in fulfilling any outstanding pledges.
 
Below you will see how each sport is doing with its specific fundraising goal. Some teams are off to a quicker start than others but with half the year still ahead of us, we believe positive momentum is just ahead for every program. 
 
A Chance to Go ALL IN!
A week from today (Jan. 21) at 9 a.m. registration opens for our "ALL IN" weekend scheduled for Feb. 18-20.  We've planned a tremendous three days of women's and men's basketball games and the Lord Botetourt Affair — An Auction for a Noble Cause.  All proceeds from the weekend will support our student-athletes and the Athletics Department.  We will also have a "Celebration of Life" honoring Millie West.  Please visit www.tribeauction.com for more details and mark your calendars now as we have limited capacity and anticipate a sellout!
 
I continue to be gratified and humbled by the love and support shown to our Athletics programs.  Thank you for continuing this journey with the Tribe.
 
 Go Tribe!
 
Brian D. Mann
Director of Athletics