From the Desk of Tulane AD Troy Dannen
Aug 1, 2022 | General
Dear Tulane Fans and Friends,
I hope that this message finds you and your family well and that you are enjoying your summer. I write today to share some thoughts on where Tulane Athletics is headed in 2022-23 and to provide you with some insight on potential changes ahead in college athletics.
Today, I am as enthusiastic about the future of Tulane Athletics as I have been since my arrival in 2015. The foundation for success is built by our coaches and staff, relying on the talent and commitment of our student-athletes, and rests on the shoulders of our passionate and generous supporters. I am confident that we will exceed expectations across the board in our sports, and that includes on the fields, courts, pool and tracks of competition as well as in the classroom and in the community.
Our excitement and expectations are high in several other areas as well. You can continue to expect incredible academic achievement from our student-athletes, with 13 consecutive semesters of improved academic performance, a record-high department Academic Progress Rate and a graduation rate of 93%, ranking among the highest in the nation.
Expect facility improvements in the year ahead, as we project the new tennis facility to be completed in the spring. In addition, significant fund-raising has been completed for a next-generation sports medicine facility that will be located near the Hack Shack, down the left field line of Turchin Stadium. Construction on that project is slated to begin later this academic year.
We have so much to be proud of and to look forward to in 2022-23, and your support of our student-athletes and coaches is a big reason. And while Tulane Athletics continues to pursue excellence, the world of intercollegiate athletics is quickly becoming unrecognizable.
Despite these changes—and ones to come in the months ahead—something that will not change at Tulane is our emphasis on student-athlete welfare and the student-athletic experience. Our alignment at the institutional level and inside the department to ensure we remain student-centric is absolute. We will not lose sight of our North Star, and our student-athletes are our North Star.
As all of you know, the past three years have been challenging in many ways for all of us. The late winter and spring of 2020 brought the pandemic, which continued to impact us throughout the next year. Tulane University and Green Wave Athletics were at the forefront of student-athlete, coach and staff welfare, with more than 120,000 COVID tests administered just over the past year. And then, as we began to move past the pandemic last fall, Hurricane Ida hit one week before our first football game in September. It is hard to believe that our seniors will begin this year hoping for their first full year of "normalcy" at Tulane!
The greatest challenge we have in the upcoming year after three consecutive years of disruption, is to reunite the Green Wave community. But I am confident we will do just that. Our strength comes from our togetherness. Our student-athletes, staff and coaches, University leadership, donors, fans and friends will empower the success of the Wave and I could not be more excited for what lies ahead.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and I can't wait to see you this fall on campus.
Roll Wave,
Troy Dannen
Athletic Director
I hope that this message finds you and your family well and that you are enjoying your summer. I write today to share some thoughts on where Tulane Athletics is headed in 2022-23 and to provide you with some insight on potential changes ahead in college athletics.
Today, I am as enthusiastic about the future of Tulane Athletics as I have been since my arrival in 2015. The foundation for success is built by our coaches and staff, relying on the talent and commitment of our student-athletes, and rests on the shoulders of our passionate and generous supporters. I am confident that we will exceed expectations across the board in our sports, and that includes on the fields, courts, pool and tracks of competition as well as in the classroom and in the community.
- With the significant Hurricane Ida displacement behind us and a strong core of returning players and recruits, Football looks to begin a new bowl game streak this fall.
- Volleyball will begin a new chapter under new Head Coach Jordana Price, who joins the Green Wave from Florida State and has brought with her excitement and momentum.
- Men's Basketball will enter the season with three All-AAC underclassmen on the roster and has post-season expectations.
- Women's Basketball replaced significant senior leadership but quickly rebuilt the roster and also enters the season with championship goals.
- Jay Uhlman recently took the helm of our Baseball program, and with two of the top freshmen position players in the country returning to the diamond, the possibilities are limitless.
- Sailing won a National Championship last year, and Coach Higgins returns a strong roster seeking a repeat of that amazing accomplishment.
- Women's Tennis advanced a doubles team to the Second Round of the NCAA Championship and has its eyes set on winning the AAC championship in 2022-23, while Men's Tennis will once again be in the championship hunt.
- Women's Golf returns essentially the entire roster from its AAC Championship season in 2022.
- Beach Volleyball moves to Conference USA for the 2022-23 season with expectations of our first NCAA appearance in the sport.
- The running programs are poised for great things under second-year Head Coach Adrian Myers with the strongest roster we have had in years.
- Swimming and Diving is coming off a historic performance at the AAC championship meet, including the first team relay win in the 800 freestyle, and accolades for the AAC Swimmer of the Year. The team is excitedly awaiting completion of major renovations to our natatorium which are currently underway.
- Bowling is seeking unprecedented success after qualifying for the USBC national championships last season.
Our excitement and expectations are high in several other areas as well. You can continue to expect incredible academic achievement from our student-athletes, with 13 consecutive semesters of improved academic performance, a record-high department Academic Progress Rate and a graduation rate of 93%, ranking among the highest in the nation.
Expect facility improvements in the year ahead, as we project the new tennis facility to be completed in the spring. In addition, significant fund-raising has been completed for a next-generation sports medicine facility that will be located near the Hack Shack, down the left field line of Turchin Stadium. Construction on that project is slated to begin later this academic year.
We have so much to be proud of and to look forward to in 2022-23, and your support of our student-athletes and coaches is a big reason. And while Tulane Athletics continues to pursue excellence, the world of intercollegiate athletics is quickly becoming unrecognizable.
- Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) wasn't on the radar a few years ago, but today is the talk of collegiate athletics. Donor and fan collectives didn't exist twelve months ago.
- The transfer portal continues to create opportunities for student-athletes but also chaos as coaches try to manage rosters. Last year, more than 25% of Division I men's basketball and football players entered the transfer portal, the first full year in which they could change schools without losing a year of eligibility.
- The United States Supreme Court issued a ruling in the Alston case last summer that changed the way we govern ourselves, leading to deregulation of a highly regulated environment.
- Last summer and now this summer, we have seen major schools announce their departure from one conference to another, rearranging the composition of several conferences.
Despite these changes—and ones to come in the months ahead—something that will not change at Tulane is our emphasis on student-athlete welfare and the student-athletic experience. Our alignment at the institutional level and inside the department to ensure we remain student-centric is absolute. We will not lose sight of our North Star, and our student-athletes are our North Star.
As all of you know, the past three years have been challenging in many ways for all of us. The late winter and spring of 2020 brought the pandemic, which continued to impact us throughout the next year. Tulane University and Green Wave Athletics were at the forefront of student-athlete, coach and staff welfare, with more than 120,000 COVID tests administered just over the past year. And then, as we began to move past the pandemic last fall, Hurricane Ida hit one week before our first football game in September. It is hard to believe that our seniors will begin this year hoping for their first full year of "normalcy" at Tulane!
The greatest challenge we have in the upcoming year after three consecutive years of disruption, is to reunite the Green Wave community. But I am confident we will do just that. Our strength comes from our togetherness. Our student-athletes, staff and coaches, University leadership, donors, fans and friends will empower the success of the Wave and I could not be more excited for what lies ahead.
Enjoy the rest of the summer and I can't wait to see you this fall on campus.
Roll Wave,
Troy Dannen
Athletic Director
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