A lot has happened since our last correspondence, and Missouri State Athletics is on the move!
 
The Missouri Valley Conference has added a familiar foe to the league membership in Valparaiso University. During our site visit to Valpo, it was obvious they really wanted to be in The Valley and were committed to making the necessary investments to be a strong contender in our league in a variety of sports. One of the most impressive stats is the school's 82-percent home winning percentage in men's basketball, which will certainly add yet another quality basketball venue to our conference.
 
On the MVC basketball front, I believe the league is wide open. I fully expect MSU to be a contender in the title hunt, and I want our fans to have those same expectations! We readily accept that challenge with the full understanding we need ALL of our fans supporting us. With the addition of our newcomers, we have an impressive team that should be considered one of The Valley favorites.
 
How can you help?  We need our fans to rally behind our team and support the hard work of our student-athletes. Our players recognize and appreciate when we have great, enthusiastic crowds and support in the community. The time to turn the corner is right now, and The Q needs to be more of a home court advantage. You make a difference by your attendance. Sitting on the sidelines doesn't help us get to where we all want to be, which is winning the league and getting to the NCAA tournament. 
 
I have met with many fans and supporters this spring (and plan to meet with more) to better understand the wants and needs of our fans.  Based on those conversations, you can expect more opportunities to interact with our team, more involvement from our spirit groups and affordable ticket opportunities.
 
Many of you have asked about our non-conference schedule in men's basketball. We realize you want a better quality of teams coming to The Q.  A couple of factors exist in making this a reality. Dates have to match up, finances have to be right, and opposing coaches have to be willing to come to Springfield. We are continuing to work hard to improve this aspect of our program, and I think you will be pleased.
 
Earlier this spring we were directed to reduce our budget by a little over $1 million. This was done by restructuring scholarships, reducing operating budgets, personnel and apparel and eliminating our field hockey program. I want to personally thank Catherine Ostoich and the entire field hockey team for their hard work, dedication and passion for Missouri State Athletics. Nearly every area of MSU Athletics was effected by the decision to reduce our budget, and the personal toll of losing a program was hard on everyone.
 
More than ever we need you to participate in BearsFund. It is imperative we supplement our recently-reduced budget with private money from our loyal supporters.  In addition to donating to the BearsFund, you can help by buying a t-shirt from the bookstore, purchasing a season ticket, attending a single game or donating as little as $25 to become a BearsFund member. It all helps us achieve the success you expect. For more ways to assist contact our BearsFund office at (417) 836-4817.
 
We won four team conference titles this year and won numerous individual national honors. I want to congratulate our volleyball, women's swimming, women's golf and baseball teams on bringing home MVC titles. I also want to congratulate our 67 all-conference athletes and our 64 academic all-conference performers as well as our numerous conference and national players of the week, players of the year, Elite 18 recipients and many more.  All-Americans like Lily Johnson, Dylan Cole, Artur Osvath, Jeremy Eierman and Jake Burger made us proud this year!
 
I'm always proud to report that our academic standards continue to be top of the line.  My appreciation goes to our coaches, student-athletes and the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Academic Achievement Center staff for making academics a priority.  This year our teams exceeded the national APR averages, four programs -- men's golf, men's swimming and diving, softball, women's tennis and volleyball – received NCAA public recognition awards, and nearly half of our athletes boasted a 3.2 GPA or better. This is always a primary focus of our department, and we are happy to be frontrunners among the league's public institutions.
 
As we enter into the summer, we will continue to move forward on facility projects to improve our venues and help our teams be more competitive. The Turner Family Practice Facility in Hammons Student Center has been resurfaced and painted to give it a new look for our basketball teams. The Jim D. Morris Strength Center in HSC has also been renovated, and our volleyball team recently painted the HSC lobby, hallways and walls to give it a newer more updated look. We must continue to make improvements to maintain our position as the best athletic facilities in the Missouri Valley Conference. We will host four MVC Championship events in 2017-18 – cross country, women's soccer, women's tennis and women's golf – and that is a testament to that position.
 
Congratulations to Coach Keith Guttin and the MSU baseball team for so many crowning achievements this year and advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals for the second time in three years. We have a true TOP 25 program with our baseball team, and I hope our fan base and support continues to grow as they represent Missouri State proudly every spring.
 
Finally, I want to thank our coaches, staff, student-athletes and fans for your support this past year.  It has been a challenging year on a number of fronts.  We will persevere and come out of this year smarter, leaner and more strategic as we enter the new academic year. I look forward to a banner year for our department. Have a safe and relaxing summer, and Bear Up!!
 
Go Bears!
 
Kyle Moats
Director of Athletics