DES MOINES, Iowa - The entire Drake athletic department convened on Sunday (Aug. 24) night at the Knapp Center to recognize its student-athletes and pledge to live the Bulldog Way both on and off the field.

As the assembled student-athletes ate dinner, director of athletics Sandy Hatfield Clubb was joined by faculty athletics representative Dr. Renae Chesnut, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president Carly Grenfell and former Bulldog women's basketball great and recent Double D Award Recipient Tammi Blackstone spoke to the nearly 400 assembled Drake student-athletes.

Following various games and activities between the team to foster introductions and fellowship, Hatfield Clubb introduced each class of student-athletes, beginning with the freshmen, and explained their role in supporting their fellow student-athletes and living the Bulldog Way. An inspiring message from Blackstone to the gathering of student-athletes on the impact that collegiate athletics has and can have  brought the seniors to the floor to join the teammates they will be charged with leading.

Drake University president David Maxwell joined the gathering to welcome the Bulldogs to campus and to take the opportunity to recognize Hatfield Clubb for her being named a NACDA/Under Armour FCS Athletic Director of the Year.

With all the student-athletes, coaches and staff congregated on the floor, the core tenets of the Bulldog Way and their significance were explained as student-athletes committed to live by its guidelines by signing a Bulldog Way placard that all student-athletes and athletic staff sign and commit to.

All student-athletes were also give a Bulldog Way t-shirt and playbook to guide them throughout their years at Drake as they aspire to live the Bulldog Way on and off the playing field.

The Bulldog Way

We act with INTEGRITY.

We demonstrate and uncompromising COMMITMENT to EXCELLENCE.

We OUTWORK and OUTHUSTLE our opponent in pursuit of CHAMPIONSHIPS.

We desire the BEST FOR and expect the BEST FROM each other.

We MAXIMIZE OUR POTENTIAL by ASPIRING TO GREATNESS

WE LIVE THE BULLDOG WAY.