Howdy! As we are in the season of counting our blessings, I'm proud to share with the Aggie Family that as I enter my 129th day on the job, I cherish the opportunity to work here at Texas A&M alongside the best and brightest in college athletics. While we join together in our efforts to continually improve what we do to serve our student-athletes, former students, donors, staff and faculty, we have a lot of positive indicators that we remain on the right track toward becoming the best collegiate athletic department in the country.
We are proud to welcome Michael Thompson to the Aggie Family as Deputy AD for External Relations and Business Development. Michael comes to us from Ole Miss as an exemplary leader and innovative member of the executive team during my time with the Rebels. He will lead efforts in making sure we maximize opportunities to effectively communicate the message originating from Texas A&M Athletics. In addition to oversight of all communication efforts, Michael will work closely with our Texas A&M Ventures team in revenue generation and with the ticketing and development arm of athletics, the 12th Man Foundation. Wife Leslie Ann and children McLean, Adams and Camille will join Michael at the end of the year. Please join me in welcoming Michael Thompson to the Aggie Family!
Texas A&M volleyball continues to improve, making their move toward becoming a perennial SEC title contender, and focusing on a strong finish during the final stretch of the season. Though falling in a hard-fought battle with LSU Sunday, our congratulations go to Coach Bird Kuhn and this incredible team for believing in each other.
Coach Jimbo Fisher and the Fightin' Texas Aggie football team are once again bowl eligible with some incredible games still on the schedule. After this past weekend's football games, Texas A&M could very well play three number one teams in one season; perhaps unprecedented in College Football, but when joining the SEC, this is what we signed up for - being part of the best and becoming the best. No doubt the Aggies will be in the spotlight for these final games of the regular season. See you at Kyle Field on Saturday!
Texas A&M men's and women's basketball have tipped off the season and Coach Williams is setting the foundation for rebuilding the program to compete for championships. Coach Blair's team is 2-0 and ranked No. 6 in the country! For the first time in program history, they've been picked to win the conference championship in the pre-season poll. Both teams need your support and your attendance at Reed Arena.
Coach G and Women's Soccer continue to be one of the nation's most respected programs, and will once again host an NCAA Tournament match at Ellis Field as the Texas Longhorns take on Texas A&M.
WOW, DID THIS REALLY JUST HAPPEN?
It has been a goal of mine to meet as many athletic department employees as possible. Along the way, there were some who decided to nominate me to become a namesake for an upcoming Howdy Camp. Thank you to the committee for surprising me in my office with a cake decorated especially for me, announcing the namesake. "Camp Bjork" welcomes transfer students for the spring semester. I am humbled to have the camp named in my honor and it is my hope to connect and make an impact during Camp Bjork. I look forward to meeting these new students as they join the Aggie Family.
Congratulations to those who received their Aggie Rings this past week during Ring Day. This included a number of our student-athletes. These ceremonies remind all of us that graduating from Texas A&M is only the beginning. Indeed, you are a life-long member of the Aggie Family.
Progress continues with the addition and improvements to our swimming facility. We continue to thank our donors for their belief in our vision, and for the 12th Man Foundation for the work they do. Truly, there is no group of former students, donors, or dedicated professionals like those who have embraced the Spirit of Aggieland.
I'm truly grateful for each of you, and I believe our best days are ahead of us. In the words of Coach Buzz Williams, the message is simple. Every day, "Get Better."
Gig'Em!
Ross
A NOTE FROM MICHAEL THOMPSON
Howdy!
Everyone says it, but I'm beginning to understand this unique greeting and how it encapsulates the amazing culture and tradition that permeates this campus. While I have only been part of this Aggie family for a short amount of time, it feels like home.
I already had a deep respect for the incomparable and dedicated Aggie spirit, but to have the opportunity to lead our External efforts is humbling and exciting. My family will join me in Aggieland over the holidays, and we look forward to becoming an active part of the Aggie family. Thank you for the warm welcome, and BTHO South Carolina!
Gig 'Em!
Michael
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Big Weekend Ahead
It's a big weekend in Aggieland.
Coach Guerrieri and the soccer team were selected as one of 32 NCAA first-round hosts and face off against Texas at 6:30 p.m. Friday evening. Then, Coach Williams and the men's basketball team take on one of the nation's toughest teams by hosting Gonzaga--who reached the Elite Eight a year ago--at 8 p.m.
Saturday is the last chance this season to see Coach Fisher's squad at Kyle Field in our Military Appreciation Game at 6:30 p.m. as we welcome South Carolina. Visit 12thMan.com/Military where we invite businesses, season ticket holders and fans across the state and nation to support our military by purchasing $30 tickets that can be given free of charge to men and women in the military. Additionally, all active duty, reserves, retired and veteran military personnel are invited to request complimentary tickets to the game by visiting here.
While not at home, our cross country team competes in the NCAA South Central Regional Friday at 12 p.m. in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Best of luck to all of our teams competing this week. I hope to see all fans out in full force this weekend. There is nothing like the power of the 12th Man.
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Aggies CAN Food Drive
A tremendous job by our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as they received enough support through the annual Aggies CAN Food Drive to make possible a donation of over 51,000 meals to the Brazos Valley Food Bank, far surpassing their goal of 30,000. Canned foods and cash donations were collected at several events on campus including volleyball, soccer, equestrian, men's and women's basketball and football.
It is amazing to see how our student-athletes impact this great community through the Aggies CAN food drive, the largest student-athlete volunteer-run food drive in the nation.
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NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Social Media Campaign
From October 22-25, Texas A&M partnered with the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the second-annual Diversity and Inclusion Social Media campaign.
We are proud of our diverse student-athletes and what binds us together, and we are proud of the fact that our student-athletes represent 25 countries over six continents.
This campaign creates a dialogue on diversity and inclusion and is a great testimony to the powerful voices student-athletes can have on important topics. Special thanks to participating student-athletes and to 12th Man Productions for their work in bringing their message to life. You can see the four campaigns here, here, here and here.
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Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Everyone loves game day in Aggieland, and throughout the year, there is extensive discussion on how we can improve the overall game day experience for all fans. Without a doubt it is one of the most unique experiences in all of college football.
However, I haven't met one person in my career who likes dealing with game day traffic, especially at a university and venue as large as Kyle Field at Texas A&M. Coordinating traffic and pedestrian flow in and out of campus on game day is almost a science. Our thanks to our friends at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute for developing a video that is incredibly intriguing to watch.
After seeing this explanation, you will once again be proud of how teamwork is the driver behind finding sustainable solutions to challenges we can experience on game day. Please click here to see the video.
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Team Pinnacle Award
The United Soccer Coaches (USC) recently announced its Team Pinnacle Award winners and the Aggies were the only NCAA Division I program to receive this new award. A total of 17 collegiate women's soccer programs earned the award for the 2018-19 academic year for achieving a high level of fair play, educational excellence and success on the pitch.
To be considered for the, squads had to earn the USC Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award and the USC Team Academic Award as well as register a winning percentage of .750 or higher during the respective season.
Last season, the Aggies were honored for their character and integrity, earning the USC Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Bronze Award. Of the 64 NCAA Division I Championship participants, only three were recognized with an ethics and sportsmanship award -- Hofstra, Texas A&M and South Carolina. The Bronze Award is granted to any team that accumulated yellow cards numbering between 31-50% of the games played.
Texas A&M then earned the USC Team Academic Award, in which a team must have a composite team GPA of at least a 3.0 for all members who appeared on the official NCAA roster for the season. Coach Guerrieri's squad earned the team award for the eighth consecutive year and the 10th year overall, logging a 3.20 GPA for Fall 2018 and Spring 2019.
Congrats to Coach G and the soccer team on this great honor!
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Team USA in Aggieland
A special thank you to the United States Women's Basketball National Team for playing an exhibition game against Coach Blair's team last Thursday at Reed Arena.
Chennedy Carter put on a show as she set the collegiate scoring record against Team USA with 34 points! The previous record was set in 1996 and stood for 8,678 days. Congratulations to Chennedy! While we didn't win, this was a great opportunity for Coach Blair and the team to challenge themselves, learning from professional athletes how our team can improve. It was also unique to offer fans the chance to see some of the world's best players representing women's basketball.
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1A FAR Academic Excellence Award
Four track and field athletes -- Kristopher Grimes (Economics), Nathan Hite (Mechanical Engineering), Kaitlin Tanner (Turfgrass Science) and David Torkington (English) along with equestrian's Madison Malsch (Human Resource Development) and football's Braden White (Marketing/Master of Science Marketing) received the 1A FAR Academic Excellence Award.
The honor distinguishes student-athletes who participate in athletics at NCAA Division I institutions and have been awarded their Bachelor's degree between the Fall of 2018 and Summer of 2019. The award recipients must also graduate with a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 or higher and have participated in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics.
Our six recipients are the second highest total our department has achieved in the past five years.
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CoSIDA Academic All-District
Last Thursday, three of our soccer student-athletes were named to the Academic All-District 8 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Sophomore midfielder Macie Kolb was named to the Academic All-District 7 First Team. Senior defender Callyn Walton and junior midfielder Jimena Lopez were tabbed as Academic All-District 7 Second Team representatives. Kolb boasts a 4.00 grade-point average as a Biomedical Sciences major, Walton owns a 3.51 GPA as a Health Education major, and Lopez sports a 3.46 GPA as a Psychology major.
The academic all-district teams are to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. First Team honorees advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America distinction.
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Lobo Award
Pat Henry was honored by his alma mater, New Mexico, last month as he was the recipient for the Lobo Award, which honors a UNM graduate distinguished by professional achievement or dedication to the betterment of the University.
Coach Henry's record speaks for itself as he has totaled 36 NCAA Division I national team championships during his career including nine here at Texas A&M. The winningest coach in NCAA track and field history, Coach Henry is currently the active leader for national team titles in any NCAA sport.
Congrats to Pat on this great achievement and adding to his trophy collection!
Thanks & Gig 'em!
Ross
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