Bulldog Fans,
Fall is upon us, and our Athletics Department is in full swing as we serve and support our student-athletes in fall competition season. All our teams have picked up where we left off last year as a department, they all are at or near the top of their conference and in position to claim championships, while thriving in the classroom and making a difference in our community.
We also cannot lose sight that our winter and spring sports seasons are not far away, nor is the 115th running of the Drake Relays. As we head into our cross-over season - the busy weeks this time of year where our fall and winter sports overlap - I want to provide some updates on the advancements being made in Drake Athletics, thanks in large part to our generous supporters, fans, and alumni.
To start, I want to draw attention to a recently created flyer that outlines the many ways anyone can support our Drake Bulldogs, Des Moines' Hometown Team.
This document was created in response to questions I've received from our alumni, community members, donors, and fans about the variety of opportunities that exist to impact and advance Drake Athletics.
As you'll read in this document, there are many ways for our fans and supporters to continue to invest in our student-athletes and coaches. New this year, and outlined in the flyer, are benefits donors to our DU Great Collective will receive from Drake Athletics. I welcome your questions and feedback on these opportunities, especially in this ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics.
A timely opportunity to support our Bulldogs is to purchase Drake Basketball tickets before our season openers in a few weeks. If you have already purchased Drake Basketball tickets, thank you! Please encourage your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors to do the same. We need to pack the Knapp Center all season long. Thank you for helping us make the Knapp Center a tough place to play for our opponents.
We are also currently putting a capstone on Elevate the IX, our three-year initiative to celebrate, promote, and raise funds for our nine women's athletic programs. This program began with the 50th anniversary of the federal Title IX legislation and culminates this year with the 50th anniversary of women's sports at Drake, including our women's basketball game against Iowa on November 17th. Gifts to Elevate the IX go directly to the women's sports programs and serve to meet individual program needs, including:
· Enhanced nutrition, strength and conditioning, and recovery programs
· Provide efficient and comfortable travel to competitions
· Ability to schedule marquee non-conference opponents and postseason play
· Performance equipment and apparel that reflects the excellence in our programs
Women's sports at Drake have been a hallmark of the model Drake student-athlete for decades - high achieving in competition, in the classroom, and in our community. As we celebrate 50 years of women's sports at Drake, I encourage you to join me in making a meaningful contribution to honor our past student-athletes, and at the same time, continue to advance our women's sports at Drake for the next 50 years.
Last, I want to share a few other updates regarding our Athletics footprint:
1) Drake Athletics continues to operate as a proud partner with Des Moines Public Schools on Mediacom Stadium, which is now in its second fall season as the home community football stadium for Des Moines Lincoln, North, Hoover and Roosevelt High Schools, and as a new home for Drake Soccer. I've witnessed amazing crowds this fall at the many exciting competitions being hosted at Mediacom Stadium. If you have not experienced a game at Mediacom Stadium yet, I encourage you to do so before the fall sports season ends in a few weeks. And, if you're interested in learning about opportunities to partner with Drake and DMPS in Mediacom Stadium, please reach out to me so I can share the exciting ways to support our transformational community asset.
2) As I mentioned in an earlier message, the Knapp Center experienced improvements over the last year, including a center-hung video ring, a new sound system, and upgrades to the weight room and the Cathy and Steve Lacy Sports Medicine Suite. Thanks to a leadership gift from the MidAmerican Energy Foundation, we will be re-designing and upgrading the main atrium and concourse of the Knapp Center this fall. The Knapp Center atrium is the front porch of Drake Athletics and I'm pleased to be able to showcase a revitalized and refreshed concourse that will highlight the accomplishments of past and present Drake student-athletes, and also celebrate our donors to the Knapp Center campaign. You will see part of the project completed by the middle of November and the remainder of the changes in January 2025.
3) Hopefully many of you saw the exciting news that Drake is hosting the 2028 Men's NCAA Basketball First and Second Round Tournament, along with our partners at Iowa Events Center and Catch Des Moines. Drake Athletics is thrilled to once again be hosting one of our country's most exciting sports events.
As I've mentioned, there have never been so many ways to support and advance Drake Athletics. I welcome your questions and comments about how we can continue to position our student-athletes, coaches, and staff together to pursue sustained excellence and raise the bar even more. In today's ever-changing college athletics landscape, donor support is more critical than ever, and we are grateful that Drake nation has helped get us here.
Thank you for your belief in and support of Drake Athletics. It is a truly remarkable time to be a Bulldog!
Go Bulldogs!
-Brian Hardin
