Dear Owl Fans,

I hope that you've been able to enjoy this holiday season with loved ones. Let me be one of the first to wish you a joyous and prosperous New Year!

As I type that, it is remarkable to reflect on how incredible 2023 was to Florida Atlantic University and our Department of Athletics. From joining the American Athletic Conference, to an epic Final Four run, to continued academic success and record-breaking levels of fundraising and ticket sales. I am also so very grateful, first to our coaches and student-athletes, who continue to win at a high level, while doing it with integrity and passion both on and off the field.

We announced a pair of transformative gifts in the last 13 months that will help change the face of FAU Athletics for years to come -- $7.5 million from Eleanor R. Baldwin to kickstart renovations to our basketball facility and $5 million from the Hagerty family to create the Hagerty Family Athletics Village, which includes the Hagerty Family Track and Field Complex, the Tom Oxley Athletic Center, Abessinio Court at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, the Kimberly V. Strauss Tennis Center, FAU Swimming Facility, FAU Softball Stadium, FAU Soccer Stadium, FAU Baseball Stadium, and FAU Beach Volleyball Complex.

Thanks in part to those two generous contributions, multiple projects are in progress or recently completed:

**A nearly $1 million investment was made at the Hagerty Family Track and Field Complex to install a state-of-the-art track that was completed last month.

We ushered in a new era of Florida Atlantic Athletics this fall with our entry into the American Athletic Conference. We said in July we were ready for the opportunity, and I credit our coaches and student-athletes for rising to the challenge. The volleyball team enjoyed one of its most successful seasons on record by going 20-13 overall, 12-7 in the AAC, and earning the program's first postseason appearance with a berth in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The team was consistent all season long and was in the running for the AAC East title until the final week of the season. 

Both of our soccer teams reached the semifinals of their respective AAC Tournaments, each knocking off in-state rivals in the quarterfinals. The men found their rhythm late in the season, winning four of the final seven matches, including a thrilling 1-0 shutout of No. 23 FIU in the quarters. The women's exciting run to the AAC semifinals included a 1-0 victory over USF.

The football team was in contention for a postseason berth until November, winning its first two AAC games – 20-17 over Tulsa and an impressive 56-14 victory at USF. Although the season did not end the way we would have liked, head coach Tom Herman and his staff are building something special and welcomed a highly-rated incoming class on Signing Day in December.

With a successful fall in the books, we turn our attention to the winter as conference play begins on the basketball courts. Our swimming & diving teams are preparing for the championship portion of their schedule in February, with track & field, baseball, softball, tennis and golf not far behind in preparing for their seasons to begin.

We all witnessed one of the great stories in college basketball last season as Dusty May led the men's basketball team on a historic run to the Final Four. The Owls have continued to energize our fan base and garner national media acclaim with an amazing start this season that has included impressive wins over Arizona, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Butler to name a few. 

Just last week, after the thrilling overtime win over No. 4 Arizona in Las Vegas – the highest-ranked opponent FAU has defeated, the Owls made history again by jumping to No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 – the school's highest AP rank all-time.