| Dear Jayhawks, The 2024-25 academic and athletic year has officially launched! And in just two days, Kansas Football will kick off its long-awaited season at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. This is among my very favorite times of the year as it represents what I love about college athletics – endless possibilities – and I am incredibly excited about the opportunities that exist for our Jayhawks student-athletes and programs. We start this season with an almost-unprecedented optimism coming off a 2023-24 athletic season that I believe will be a foundational building block for what’s to come this year. We saw football, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, track and field and men’s and women’s golf make postseason appearances. We made tremendous progress in baseball and softball. We celebrated All-Americans and Academic All-Americans and we were just one of two schools nationally to win a bowl game and have men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball make the NCAA Tournament. We added an exceptional new leader for our soccer program in Nate Lie, whose early tenure is off to an exciting undefeated start. Our student-athletes throughout the department set a program record for grade point average in the fall and then tied it in the spring, while having the most honorees on the spring Big 12 All-Academic team. At a time when many are criticizing the current collegiate athletic model, Kansas continues to make student-athlete development a priority and prepare our young people for life after sport. We extended the contracts of elite leaders in Bill Self, Lance Leipold, Brandon Schneider and Lindsay Kuhle and continued to put the pieces into place for Kansas to be a leader nationally and in the Big 12. To that end, Lance Leipold’s football ‘Hawks are ranked in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls (#22 and 24, respectively), our volleyball program is ranked #13 in the country and is the preseason pick to win the Big 12 Conference, women’s basketball features a young nucleus led by one of the best players in the conference in S’Mya Nichols, and men’s basketball has reloaded under the soon-to-be all-time winningest coach in Kansas Basketball history, Bill Self.We are grateful for the accolades and optimism but, make no mistake, we are hungry to capitalize and show the rest of the nation that the momentum is REAL in Lawrence. |
| None of this is possible without our incredible fanbase and donors. There is no other athletic department in the country investing more into its student-athletes than Kansas. Between the Gateway District and upgrades to Allen Fieldhouse, we are committing more than $500 million to ensure we have best-in-class facilities that provide our student-athletes with every resource needed. Led by our outstanding development team, and in partnership with KU Endowment, we have secured gifts and commitments totaling nearly $235 million toward those two projects thus far. Last fiscal year (July 2023 – June 2024), Kansas Athletics shattered previous records by raising more than $150 million and gained 1,972 new donors. The support from so many generous donors is inspiring! But now, more than ever, is the time for ALL Jayhawks to go “all in”. No longer is it impactful enough to just wear your gear, watch our games on TV and be a fan from afar. Now – during this incredible time of evolution – is when we need YOU. What does that mean? It starts with showing up. Our football program will play all six of its home games in Kansas City and it is imperative that our team experiences a TRUE home field advantage. While 2024 will be a year of transition as David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium undergoes a transformation, we must take another step forward in terms of how the program is supported. The excitement and optimism are warranted – 30 hard-nosed, battle-tested, talented seniors with an exciting mix of new additions and young talent. You’d have to go back 15 years to find this much optimism for KU Football and the nation is watching. We must strike on this opportunity and fill the stands with passionate Jayhawk support – four-game Arrowhead packages are available and donors, season ticket holders and alumni are able to purchase single-game tickets as well. Visit our ticket website or call 1-800-34-HAWKS. Continued investment in Name, Image and Likeness remains at the forefront in our ability to retain world-class student-athletes. I’m proud of our progress in this space but we have work to do. Please visit https://massstnil.com/ to learn more and be a part of this game-changing movement. We also encourage you to be part of the next chapter by purchasing premium seating at the NEW David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, which will open in less than one year. You’ve heard about this generational project and the exceptional fan experience it will provide – now is the time to cement your place by visiting kugatewaydistrict.com or by filling out this form. Surrounded by a second-to-none university and athletics leadership team, some of the very best head coaches in the country, and elite student-athletes, there has never been a better time to be a Kansas Athletics supporter. Please join us as we take the next step in elevating the University of Kansas “To the Stars”. Rock Chalk! Travis |
