From the Desk of Ross Bjork

Howdy!

I want to open this month by acknowledging and celebrating that February is Black History Month. It is a time in our country where we celebrate black history, heritage, culture and excellence. Over the past year, our country, and members of the black community, have faced many challenges and it is our duty to bring people together for the greater good of our community and university. Last summer I announced Texas A&M Athletics' petition on change.org to provide practical ways for the Athletics family to be a part of the solution and commit to getting better. In this petition we committed to:

1. Educate yourself on the history of our country, injustices and current events;
2. Engage in healthy dialogue in your community to learn about and empathize with others; and
3. Help Aggie Athletics provide opportunities of growth and learning for our student-athletes, coaches and staff.

I urge you to continuously work towards these goals, both during Black History Month and every other day of the year.

Congratulations to our incredible student-athletes who were named to the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll! Though they have faced challenges over the past year, they continue to make academics a top priority. Please see below for more details on this huge accomplishment.

There is so much excitement for what Coach Fisher and his staff are building here in Aggieland. The Aggies look to build upon their Orange Bowl winning season by hosting seven games at Kyle Field next season, highlighted by visits from SEC foes Auburn, Mississippi State, South Carolina and defending national champion Alabama. Our staff is already making preparations for the return of the full slate of activities that make gameday at Kyle Field such a special experience.

Season tickets remain the lifeblood that fuels Texas A&M Athletics and we can't say thank you enough to the season ticket holders who continued their loyal support through the adversity of the last year. We hope that you make plans to rejoin the 12th Man in full force this fall.

If you're a returning season ticket holder, and haven't done so already, I encourage you to renew your season tickets today. If you're not a season ticket holder, there has never been a better time than now to take your passion for Texas A&M to the next level and make sure you've got your seats for the next great moment in Texas A&M Athletics history.

To renew your tickets or find out all your options to attend a game this fall, contact the 12th Man Foundation at 888-992-4443 or online at 12thmanfoundation.com.

Recently, we have had to postpone sporting events due to the impacts of COVID-19. This is never the outcome we desire, however we must focus on the positives. Since the start of this academic year, we have completed 90% of our scheduled athletic events. That is a HUGE accomplishment considering the unknowns that we faced last spring and summer, and we plan to continue this momentum as we move into the spring.

This time of the year always tends to be one of the busiest in college athletics. Winter sports are finishing up their regular season and looking towards post season competition, while spring sports are beginning non-conference games and matches and gearing up for SEC play. We currently have 9 of our teams ranked in the top 10 nationally. It is an exciting time in Aggieland and I hope you make plans to safely attend several of these events in support of our incredibly impressive student-athletes. No better way to spend your Valentine's weekend than supporting the home competition for women's tennis, equestrian, softball and women's basketball!

Gig 'Em!
Ross

Sport Updates

After an amazing season that saw the football team won their final eight games, including the 87th annual Orange Bowl, Coach Fisher and his staff inked another impressive signing class last week. The class ranked seventh according to the 247 Composite Rankings, and included an impressive 10 early enrollees that began classes in Aggieland last month. We look forward to starting spring practice in a couple weeks with the Maroon & White Game sponsored by St. Joseph Health scheduled for 2 p.m. on April 17.

Women's basketball is ranked No. 6 in the country with an 18-1 record. Jordan Nixon hit the game-winner against the Razorbacks for the second time this year, and pushed the team's win streak to six games. N'dea Jones is averaging a double-double with 12.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She is in the running for the Katrina McClain, Senior CLASS, Naismith Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Awards. Jones is also only 30 rebounds away from becoming A&M's all-time leader. The Aggies host No. 16 Tennessee this Sunday in Reed Arena at 2 p.m.

Men's basketball is currently 8-7 and assisted in the SEC's victory in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 30 with a 68-61 victory at Kansas State. Currently, there are three home games left on the docket with the Aggies hosting SEC-leading No. 10 Alabama on Wednesday and Arkansas on Saturday. Following a two-game road swing at Kentucky and Missouri, Coach Williams and the Aggies return to Reed Arena for the regular season finale against Mississippi State.

The women's track and field team is ranked No. 2 in the nation, while the men are No. 13. For the third consecutive week, an Aggie was named the National Athlete of the Week, and Tyra Gittens, Athing Mu and Devin Dixon were named to The Bowerman Watch List. The women's 400m relay is ranked No. 1 in the nation, while individually, Texas A&M has 11 marks ranked in the top five in an event. The Aggies travel to Fayetteville this week to compete in the highly-competitive Tyson Invitational. The Aggies compete in the SEC Championships on Feb. 25-27 before the NCAA Championships on March 12-13.

Baseball embarks on an exciting 56-game spring slate, including 34 games at Blue Bell Park, beginning Feb. 19 against Xavier. The Aggies are looking for their 14th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, the third-longest streak in the nation. Texas A&M expects to continue the success that has accounted for 234 wins since 2015, the fifth-best tally in the nation.

Softball saw its season-opening Aggie Classic cancelled and will now open the year in the Texas A&M Invitational next weekend. The Aggies return 18 letterwinners from last year's squad, including eight starters. The Maroon & White welcomed eight newcomers to the team, made up of seven freshmen and a graduate transfer.

The No. 17 women's swimming & diving team is set for championships season to begin. The women's swimming team will head to Athens, Georgia, while the entire diving team will travel to Columbia, Missouri for their respective SEC Championships, running Feb. 17-20. Seniors Jing Wen Quah, Taylor Pike and Camryn Toney will look to use their veteran experience to lead the Aggies in the pool. Freshman Chloe Stepanek aims to make her mark at conference championships, entering the week as a top-two seed in two of the three events she will compete in. Seniors Charlye Campbell and Kurtis Mathews will set the stage at diving. Mathews was named SEC Male Diver of the Year a season ago after becoming the first Aggie to sweep the springboards at SEC Championships, while Campbell qualified for NCAA Championships on both springboards for the first time in her career.

The No. 3 men's swimming & diving team enters championships boasting its highest ranking since the 2001 season. The Aggies will look to build on their second-place finish at SEC Championships a year ago. Junior Shaine Casas, who was recently named the No. 1 swimmer in the country according to Swimming World Magazine, was the top point-earner at the 2020 championships, bringing home the Commissioner's Trophy after a number of A&M and SEC record performances. Seniors Mark Theall and Tanner Olson aim for podium finishes as each swimmer has broken A&M school records and boast top three times nationally heading into the week.

Coming off the heels of this fall's SEC Regular Season Championship, soccer makes a push for their 26th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Aggies feature SEC Co-Defender of the Year Karlina Sample and SEC Freshman of the Year Barbara Olivieri as they embark on a spring slate that features four matches at Ellis Field.

Coach Steve Denton and the men's tennis team continue to play one of the toughest schedules in the country as three of their matches to date have come against ranked opponents earning wins away from home against No. 17 Ole Miss and No. 21 Pepperdine. The men's team will travel to Florida to get in a couple matches before starting conference action at home against No. 19 Kentucky next Friday.

The women's tennis team is off to a stellar start to the spring season as they entered the ITA Team Rankings this week at No. 24. Coach Mark Weaver and his team have a final weekend of non-conference action ahead of them beginning today against Utah at 3 p.m., before they begin a grueling four-match stretch to open SEC play at Kentucky, No. 15 Vanderbilt, No. 18 South Carolina and No. 22 Florida.

Volleyball kicked off its spring 2021 season at South Carolina with a pair of 3-1 victories that snapped the Gamecocks' five-match win streak. The Aggies' home opener is set for Feb. 26-27 against No. 3 Kentucky. Coach Bird's team is currently 6-4 and are led by seniors Camille Conner and Morgan Davis.

Equestrian opened the spring season with a thrilling tiebreaker victory over No. 9 Baylor and are set to host No. 1 Auburn at the Hildebrand Equine Complex tomorrow. Coach McKay's squad is currently ranked No. 5 in the country and are 2-2 on the season.

Coach Kortan's No. 7-ranked men's golf team gets its spring schedule started at the Cabo Intercollegiate, moved to San Antonio, on March 1. The Aggies return seven of the eight top scorers from last year's team, including a trio of PING All-Americans in senior Walker Lee, junior Sam Bennett and sophomore William Paysse. 

Women's Golf will tee off the spring in The Woodlands on Feb. 22 at the Icon Invitational. The Aggies are ranked No. 30 in the country after their performance in the fall.

Black History Month

An athlete's success on the field or court is the culmination of their training, individual identity, upbringing, culture, and education. To celebrate one piece without the others often tells an incomplete story. As an athletic department we have a large platform, and therefore a large responsibility, to tell the whole story.

Texas A&M Athletics strives to provide the most welcoming and safe environment for all of our athletes, while we also work to educate our fans and followers about the various worldviews and cultures that define them; especially ones that may be different from their own.

As you may know, February is Black History Month. This month, we wanted to highlight and educate about Black culture, history and the Black experience. At this point in the month, you have seen, or will see us:

• Reflecting on Black leaders who have paved the way before us
• Partnering with B.L.U.E.print to educate about the Black experience
• Elevating Black voices and stories on social media
• Celebrating Black excellence in the classroom and outside of the playing field
• Identifying the work that is still to be done in the fight for racial equity and justice

But the work doesn't stop on March 1st. Black history is always in the making, and we can all be a part of positive change.

BTHO Breast Cancer

Women's basketball, in partnership with St. Joseph Health, hosts its Beat The Hell Outta Breast Cancer Game on Feb. 18 at Reed Arena as the Aggies host Missouri at 7 p.m.

Fans have the opportunity to raise funds to benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the Pink Alliance, a local non-profit in the Brazos Valley that serves as an advocate for breast cancer support. The official 2021 BTHO Breast Cancer t-shirt can only be purchased online this season for $10 here with mail delivery and gameday pick-up options.

Assistant coach Bob Starkey will donate $1.00 for each shirt sold between the Kay Yow Cancer Fund ($0.50) and the Pink Alliance ($0.50).

Thus far, we have raised almost $2,000 just in shirt sales, and I know we can do more.

If you are unable to attend, fans have the opportunity to support virtually by submitting photos to be played on the videoboard during both games. For more information on how to submit your photo, visit 12thMan.com/BTHObc.

"This is Aggieland"

It is hard to fully capture the essence of the Spirit of Aggieland but Chris Sabo from 12th Man Films certainly got as close as possible with his 'This is Aggieland' video. If you haven't seen the 13-minute production, you can watch it above, and it is worth every second.

SEC Fall Honor Roll

Our academic success was on display Tuesday as 77 student-athletes were named to the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll. This is the second-most honorees in school history for the fall semester, coming within one of last year's record mark of 78. The 2020 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll includes student-athletes from cross country, football, soccer and volleyball.

I am proud of our student-athletes for excelling during this unique and challenging fall semester. Out student-athletes and Academic Center have done an excellent job in adapting and overcoming the challenges that have been created from online learning.

Sustainability

Sustainability is often defined as the “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Do you know about the three pillars of sustainability? They are environmental, social, and economic. Environmental sustainability refers to natural resource use, pollution prevention, and biodiversity. Social sustainability refers to our standard of living, education, jobs, and equal opportunities. Economic sustainability refers to growth, profit, cost savings, and research and development.

Texas A&M's Office of Sustainability is working in all of these areas to improve our University's impact both on and off campus. Check out their Sustainability Master Plan here.

Super Bowl Champion

A very special congratulations to Aggie All-American Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on winning Super Bowl LV last Sunday. Evans and Tampa Bay defeated Kansas City, 31-9. This season, Evans caught 70 passes for 1,006 yards and hauled in 13 touchdowns.

On behalf of Texas A&M Athletics, congrats Mike! We hope to celebrate with you soon at Kyle Field.