Dear Friends of W&M Athletics,

We're off and running! Classes started last week and so did the fall campaigns for many of our sports; so, grab your Green & Gold gear and take a peek at our composite calendar to make sure you don't miss any of the action.
 
Speaking of running, I must mention Rick Platt's '72 tremendous gift to Track & Field/Cross Country. Even if you read about it previously,Rick's gifts of nearly $9 million in the last year will have a positive impact on student-athletes for years to come.  We could not be more thankful for his support!
 
Rick, a former runner for the Tribe and a 1972 grad of W&M, was able to meet almost all of the members of our cross country team at a welcome back picnic he sponsored recently (photo below) and I'm sure he was impressed by the performance of our runners in the Spider Alumni Open later in the week.  A trio of W&M runners, Sofia Istnick, Arianna DeBoer and Catherine Garrison finished in the top 15 to help the Tribe women capture second place, while the men's team placed third.
 
 Welcome Back, Everyone!
It is an annual tradition for our student-athletes to give students a hand on move-in day and they are more than happy to help with the heavy lifting. Members of many of our teams also welcomed back local elementary school students on that all-important first day of school, including Men's and Women's Basketball, Field Hockey, Swimming, Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Women's Gymnastics and Baseball!  Then it was off to the signature event for new students—the "Cheers to Your First Year" picture!
 
Notable

• Two goals on two shots in 150 seconds in the match's final five minutes gave Tribe Women's Soccer a thrilling 2-1 win over in-state rival, VCU.  The Tribe women have run off three straight wins coming into tonight's match vs. Richmond. 
• Freshman Peyton Costello of Women's Soccer is the CAA Co-Rookie of the Week after scoring the winning goal vs. VCU.
• After an impressive 41-7 victory against VMI in its season opener, Football jumped to No. 13 in this week's Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll.   
• Running back Bronson Yoder, after nearly one year away from football due to a devastating injury, gained 54 yards on 10 carries, plus a reception for 21 more in the VMI game. Read Tribe Scribe Dave Johnson's story on how Bronson found his way back to football.
• Our Men's Soccer team continued its solid start by recording a 2-0 win over Longwood last night.  The clean sheet was the second one in three games for head coach Chris Norris' '93 squad and an excellent tune-up for its CAA opener this Saturday evening when we host Hofstra at Martin Family Stadium in a 5 pm opening touch.
• One last note on football is the huge shout-out to the over 2,000 students who come out loud and proud to support our Tribe!

 Road Trips
 
Why not consider going on the road with Football?  Our Advancement team has put together a great line-up of pregame activities for each away game. Make sure to get your tickets in advance and then plan to join your fellow Tribe fans with your game face on!
 
 NCAA Rules and Regulations
As sports fans, you know that the world of college athletics is rapidly changing. At W&M, we are closely monitoring the ongoing discussions about a variety of issues that will impact the future of our department. We know it is important to embrace change, and we also know that we must chart a path forward that embraces our value system. Rest assured that we will find a way forward that is right for W&M, and we will continue to share updates on the ever-changing national landscape as they become available.

Tribe Talk Returns!
Tribe Talk is back at the original Paul's Deli (761 Scotland Street) before each home game, and you can be part of the live audience each week. Circle your calendar for these Thursday nights--Sept. 19, Sept. 26, Oct. 17, Nov. 7 and Nov. 14. The events will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The live show will feature W&M Football Head Coach Mike London and longtime Tribe play-by-play announcer Jay Colley. Additionally, each week they will be joined by another Tribe head coach and a community partner. During Tribe Talk, Paul's Deli will donate 10% of the proceeds to a community non-profit partner. Fans can also listen live at TideRadio.com.

Did You Know…
...that there is a collective in Williamsburg called the 1693 Alliance that has been organized to support W&M's student-athletes? The group has a twofold mission—matching our student-athletes with NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) opportunities while benefiting charitable organizations throughout the community. We are always grateful when our alumni, friends and fans come together on behalf of the young men and women who wear the Green & Gold. Visit the 1693 Alliance website  to learn more about how you can get involved and thank you for helping us embrace these new opportunities to support our student-athletes.

Hall of Fame Reminder
Don't forget that this year there will be two formal Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, one on Friday, Sept. 20, for Jonathan Grimes '11, Football; Mary Pat Kurtz '86, Field Hockey/Lacrosse; Christo Landry '08, Men's XC / T&F; Katie Radloff '10, Swimming; Dr. Alex Sleeker '97, Men's Golf; Katarina Zoricic '09, Women's Tennis and the 2009 Cross Country team. Tickets are available here.

A second ceremony will be held in the spring of 2025 – to honor John Daly, Head Coach, Women's Soccer (1987 – 2017), Cliff Gauthier, Head Coach, Men's Gymnastics and Jimmye Laycock '70, Head Coach, Football (1980 – 2018).  Please join us for both programs and personally congratulate these outstanding members of the Tribe!
 
Go, Tribe!

Brian D. Mann
Director of Athletics