Dear Bear Fans-
To say the least, this fall has been an exciting one!
Our football team kept us entertained with one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. An undefeated home season for the first time in 18 years, three wins over ranked opponents, two wins over playoff teams, and a pair of narrow overtime losses defined our season.
Our women's soccer team finished second in the MVC regular season race and second in the MVC Tournament with a narrow overtime defeat in the finals. Congratulations to Coach Rob Brewer and the team!
The men's soccer team had its unbeaten streak of 14 straight conference games snapped late in the season, but still finished a very strong second in the MVC.
Dawn Callahan and the women's field hockey squad improved significantly and showed great strides throughout the season. I want to thank Dawn for her service to the university as she takes a new direction in her life to better facilitate her family needs.
Our women's cross country team finished third in the MVC despite battling through some key injuries.
And finally, our always-powerful women' volleyball team finished fourth in the MVC regular season and made it to the NCAA tournament for the ninth time. Congratulations to Coach Stokes and the team for a fantastic year!
In all, we had a very successful fall: one of the best in recent years. It is one of our departmental goals to win the MVC All-Sports Trophy, and we are currently in the lead after the fall season. No Missouri State team that competes in the Missouri Valley finished lower than fourth place in the league standings, giving us a real shot at the award this year as we look ahead to the winter and spring sports.
I know we are all thrilled about the pre-season rankings of our men's and women's basketball teams. I'm very encouraged by the progress we are making in both programs. I hope you have purchased your season tickets. We have many ticket options available in all price ranges and have worked very hard to have something for everyone.
As we continue to struggle in these difficult economic times, I ask you to consider becoming a Bears Fund member, if you aren't already. Revenue from the Bears Fund goes to help scholarships and our overall athletics budget. These dollars are critical to our success. If we are going to consistently compete for conference championships, which then allow us to compete on a national level, we need your support more than ever.
We also need to grow our fan base, especially locally, so I encourage you to bring a friend or colleague to a game and encourage them to be a part of Missouri State Athletics year round. There are season ticket packages and single-game ticket promotions to fit every budget. Kids are always free to basketball games on weekdays, and increasing our attendance should be a priority for every fan to keep JQH Arena as one of the toughest places in America to play.
Although it is a couple months away, the MVC Men's Basketball Tournament ticket and hotel information needs to be submitted to the conference. I strongly urge you to order your tickets now. The more seats we order the better seat location we receive. In addition to the Valley Tournament, March 3-6, St. Louis will be hosting its annual Mardi Gras celebration in the Soulard district which brings more than 200,000 visitors to the city. This will create a shortage of hotel rooms during the Valley Tournament, so I recommend you make your plans now to call the Marriott Union Station and reserve your room.
I look forward to seeing you at the "Q" throughout the men's and women's basketball season as we compete for a Valley regular season championships. If you can't make it out, catch the games on Bears Live through MissouriStateBears.com, or listen on radio at KTXR 98.7 FM or RadioSpringfield.com.
Thanks to the generosity of Great Southern Bank, St. John's Hospital, Bass Pro and the Chevy Dealers of the Ozarks, all of our men's road conference games, and many of our women's games will be televised on KY3, Inc., including The Ozarks CW, KY3, and Bears TV affiliates Charter Cable in St. Louis, and Metro Sports in Kansas City.
As the holidays approach, on behalf of Leeann and myself, I wish you and your families a safe and blessed holiday season. As always, Go Bears!
Kyle Moats
Director of Athletics
