Found this in my email when I got home. Thought it was pretty good. Many of you likely got the same but for those that didn’t.
____________
April 13, 2020
Dear Fellow Cougs,
On behalf of Cougar Athletics, we thank you for all you are doing to flatten the curve, practicing social distancing and doing our civic duty to get our state and country in a healthier place. It's encouraging to see Cougs all over the world respond to the daily challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We want to take this opportunity to give you a few athletics updates.
On March 24, we lost one of our own, Bryce Beekman. Since that day, we have been working hard to stay connected with all of our student-athletes as we mourn his passing. Two weeks ago, Coach Rolovich and I were able to meet with Julie, Bryce's mother, in Pullman. Julie displayed an incredible amount of strength and courage in her visit to WSU. We ask that all Cougs keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.
Bryce's impact on Washington State was felt in many ways and his spirit will continue to be a part of our program. One of his teammates, Dallas Hobbs, has created a project to help support the Beekman Family. If you feel compelled, here is how you can help: https://bit.ly/3dVwtmi.
As we have gathered feedback from our student-athletes, coaches and academic support staff, rest assured that our university was well prepared to shift to distance learning. During these unique times, the extraordinary leadership of President Kirk Schulz has been on full display. On behalf of the Department of Athletics, we say "thank you" to Kirk and all the system chancellors, the interim provost, vice presidents and deans for their great work during this period of transition. Like many, we have adapted to home offices, virtual meetings and new ways to be productive. Our athletics team continues to stay focused on our primary goal: to provide our student-athletes with a world-class experience and help them achieve their academic and athletic goals.
We know many of you had planned to attend events on our campus this spring, including our home athletic events, the Crimson and Gray Game, Mom's Weekend and the Crimson and Gray Gala to name a few. We are sorry we couldn't get together as we look forward to those events as much as you. We will be ready to host these and many more events next spring.
The full economic impact of this pandemic is still yet unknown. In the near term, we are factoring in a reduction from our NCAA distribution and preparing for a potential reduction with our Pac-12 distribution. Furthermore, the NCAA has granted an additional year of eligibility for our spring sport student-athletes. We have a number of seniors who have communicated their desire to return for an additional year of competition. As of today, we are estimating an additional $300,000 in athletic grant-in-aid costs for FY21.
As the most fiscally efficient athletic department in the nation, revenue reductions and added expenditures such as these are very significant. We're in the process of defining cost containment measures for the upcoming years. Rest assured, all WSU coaches and staff members are committed to our student-athletes and furthering the mission of our great institution.
With that in mind, we are implementing the following initiatives:
These are challenging times but we will persevere; Cougs always do. There is no greater alumni and fan base in the nation than Washington State University, and we appreciate your continued support of our programs and student-athletes.
We look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when all Cougs can watch their beloved WSU Athletics teams on the most beautiful campus in the country. You will find your way "Back Home" and we will be here to welcome you.
Be safe, stay healthy, and Go Cougs!
Sincerely,
Patrick Chun
Director of Athletics
____________
April 13, 2020
Dear Fellow Cougs,
On behalf of Cougar Athletics, we thank you for all you are doing to flatten the curve, practicing social distancing and doing our civic duty to get our state and country in a healthier place. It's encouraging to see Cougs all over the world respond to the daily challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We want to take this opportunity to give you a few athletics updates.
On March 24, we lost one of our own, Bryce Beekman. Since that day, we have been working hard to stay connected with all of our student-athletes as we mourn his passing. Two weeks ago, Coach Rolovich and I were able to meet with Julie, Bryce's mother, in Pullman. Julie displayed an incredible amount of strength and courage in her visit to WSU. We ask that all Cougs keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.
Bryce's impact on Washington State was felt in many ways and his spirit will continue to be a part of our program. One of his teammates, Dallas Hobbs, has created a project to help support the Beekman Family. If you feel compelled, here is how you can help: https://bit.ly/3dVwtmi.
As we have gathered feedback from our student-athletes, coaches and academic support staff, rest assured that our university was well prepared to shift to distance learning. During these unique times, the extraordinary leadership of President Kirk Schulz has been on full display. On behalf of the Department of Athletics, we say "thank you" to Kirk and all the system chancellors, the interim provost, vice presidents and deans for their great work during this period of transition. Like many, we have adapted to home offices, virtual meetings and new ways to be productive. Our athletics team continues to stay focused on our primary goal: to provide our student-athletes with a world-class experience and help them achieve their academic and athletic goals.
We know many of you had planned to attend events on our campus this spring, including our home athletic events, the Crimson and Gray Game, Mom's Weekend and the Crimson and Gray Gala to name a few. We are sorry we couldn't get together as we look forward to those events as much as you. We will be ready to host these and many more events next spring.
The full economic impact of this pandemic is still yet unknown. In the near term, we are factoring in a reduction from our NCAA distribution and preparing for a potential reduction with our Pac-12 distribution. Furthermore, the NCAA has granted an additional year of eligibility for our spring sport student-athletes. We have a number of seniors who have communicated their desire to return for an additional year of competition. As of today, we are estimating an additional $300,000 in athletic grant-in-aid costs for FY21.
As the most fiscally efficient athletic department in the nation, revenue reductions and added expenditures such as these are very significant. We're in the process of defining cost containment measures for the upcoming years. Rest assured, all WSU coaches and staff members are committed to our student-athletes and furthering the mission of our great institution.
With that in mind, we are implementing the following initiatives:
- Football Head Coach Nick Rolovich, Men's Basketball Head Coach Kyle Smith and I will join President Schulz in voluntarily taking a five percent salary reduction through the end of the 2020-21 academic year.
- All WSU coaches and I will join President Schulz in voluntarily foregoing all bonuses and/or incentives through the end of the 2020-21 academic year.
- A freeze in season ticket prices for all sports.
- A freeze in the price of student sports passes for the 2020-21 academic year.
- We will continue to be flexible with football season ticket renewals and payment plans.
These are challenging times but we will persevere; Cougs always do. There is no greater alumni and fan base in the nation than Washington State University, and we appreciate your continued support of our programs and student-athletes.
We look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when all Cougs can watch their beloved WSU Athletics teams on the most beautiful campus in the country. You will find your way "Back Home" and we will be here to welcome you.
Be safe, stay healthy, and Go Cougs!
Sincerely,
Patrick Chun
Director of Athletics
