Dear Friends of William & Mary Athletics,
 
As I write this Mannuscript just minutes after returning from NYC where more than 60 proud members of the Tribe gathered to celebrate W&M Athletics, I realized I needed two calendars for the rest of the year, since so much is going on!
 
 But, before we get into all things W&M Athletics, I want to take a moment to recognize and thank every veteran who has served our country, often at great personal sacrifice.  On Veteran's Day I can think of nothing more important than letting the women and men of our armed services know how grateful we are as a nation.
 
A week ago, we hosted our annual Tip Off Dinner for men's basketball with the many attendees being treated to an evening that showcased the personalities of these outstanding student-athletes.  On Monday the season officially kicked off with our women's and men's teams playing a doubleheader versus Navy as they were cheered on by a huge student section.  The men kept it close in the first half but Navy prevailed.  Coach Erin Dickerson Davis got the "W" in her first game as head coach, greatly assisted by honorary coach Dean of Students Stacey Harris!  I think most of us left the arena with a sense of optimism about what is ahead as both coaches continue to build their programs.  Join us for an upcoming game and root on the Tribe in person.
   
This weekend we've got some very special events planned around our final regular season home football game against Villanova, which is also Senior Day.  The football program is hosting its Annual Football Reunion with a golf outing and a tailgate, plus a special presentation in honor of former player David Murphy '84, who passed away recently.  David, a former Tribe Club chairman, was a special player and person to many in the Tribe community, especially his teammates, who have established the David Murphy Memorial Football Endowment as a way to honor his memory by supporting our student-athletes.
 
We will also recognize another outstanding member of the W&M community at the game.  I'm willing to bet that many of you reading this have in one way or another had some conversation or interaction with Jean Beall, who for 45 years has been a mainstay in Tribe Athletics and the Athletics Foundation.  Jean is retiring and in honor of her four and a half decades of service, we will be honoring her in the second quarter.  Jean, thank you from all of us!
 
Now that we are talking football, did you notice the Tribe is ranked #8 in both national polls?
 
With all the great things going on both in Athletics and across the university, it's not hard to stay fired up, but any time I have the opportunity to speak with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which is comprised of 45 women and men who represent all of our teams, I get even more revved up! Earlier this month I met with the group and discussed how W&M will be working on NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) opportunities with our student-athletes with more to come soon, as well as critical issues around mental health and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). 
 
SAAC and our women's lacrosse team joined forces this semester on a social media campaign to create a dialogue around DEI and belonging.  They created social media content around several themes, including "Exploring My Identities," "Allyship is…" and "Strength in Unity".  Other student-athletes including Amy Schwem (volleyball), Caitlin Wingertzahn (women's basketball), Rebekah Frisby-Smith (women's basketball) and Brooke Lamoureux (women's swimming) are serving as campus captains for the Hidden Opponent, a national group founded to raise mental health awareness among student-athletes.  
 
We all get so much email; I want to flag a couple of messages that hopefully landed in your mailbox recently.  First is the save the date for the All In Weekend scheduled for Feb. 24-26 and the Lord Botetourt Auction on Feb. 25.  As you know private support is critical for our department and each of our 23 teams, and we are in the home stretch of the All In campaign.  Right now, we have raised $36.5 million of our $55 million total, and I am confident we will make great progress in the remaining months.  The second message I hope you received is the W&M Athletics Foundation Giving Guide which takes you through the many giving opportunities available that mean so much to the future of our 500 student-athletes.  Plus, the booklet is beautifully designed and includes some intriguing facts and figures.  Check it out!
 
A trio of quick hits before signing off—women's volleyball has qualified for the CAA tournament, which is Nov. 17-19, Sophia Heilen is the CAA Rookie of the Month for women's swimming.  The women's and men's cross country teams finished their respective seasons this morning with 14^th and 17^th place showings, respectively, at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships hosted by Louisville.

Stay tuned as there is more to come on these fronts …
 
Go Tribe!

Brian D. Mann
Director of Athletics