Letter from the AD: August 2023 Edition
8/10/2023 12:00:00 PM | General
Dear Bobcats,
I hope you enjoyed this beautiful Montana summer as much as my family and I did. As bittersweet as it is to say goodbye to the long, warm days, Fall can only mean one thing… Bobcat sports are back! I couldn't be more excited to kickoff another semester and to welcome our 350+ student-athletes back to campus. We've officially begun our quest to continue the "Year of the Bobcat" for a third straight year and we're thrilled to have you along for the ride.
Before we move ahead to the 2023-24 athletic year, let's take one final look back at the "Year of the Bobcat 2.0" as the Bobcats:
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Earned a GPA of 3.37 |
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Claimed Montana State's third Big Sky Conference Presidents' Cup, signifying the best combined success in athletics and academics during an academic year in the league, while finishing 76 in the national Learfield Directors' Cup competition among all NCAA Division I programs |
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Earned MSU's second straight Big Sky Conference Men's All-Sports Trophy, the seventh in school history |
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Captured the Brawl of the Wild Series trophy, which counts all qualifying athletic competitions against the University of Montana, for the seventh straight year |
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Won 12 football games for the second straight year, matching the most in program history, while advancing to the FCS Semifinals for the third straight season, which includes an FCS Championship Game appearance in 2022 |
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Captured the Big Sky Men's Basketball Tournament Championship for the second straight season, marking back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in history |
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Grabbed a share of the Big Sky Women's Basketball regular season crown, the third season in the last four the Bobcat women have won the league's regular season or tourney title or both |
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Won Big Sky Conference team championships in football, men's basketball and women's basketball |
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Finished second in the women's competition at the 2023 College National Finals Rodeo |
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Broke the Big Sky Volleyball single match attendance record with 6,457 fans |
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Raised more than $3 million for the Bobcat Club Annual Scholarship Fund |
Individual accomplishments during the "Year of the Bobcat" sequel included senior distance runner Duncan Hamilton earning All-America honors at the 2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing second in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Paige Rasmussen cemented her place as a Bobcat rodeo legend by capturing the goat tying national championship at the 2023 College National Finals Rodeo, while Tayla Moeykens finished as reserve champion in the barrel racing. In 2022-23, 15 Bobcats compiled 17 All-America honors, and and five student-athletes combined for six individual Big Sky Championships.
Competition begins this weekend when Bobcat Volleyball hosts the Bobcat Blackridge Invitational on Friday and Saturday, which you can buy tickets to here. The volleyball program is thriving under new head coach Matt Houk and I know this is going to be a special year for this team. Another date to circle on your calendar for the volleyball season is Friday, October 27th when we'll host the Griz again the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. We broke the Big Sky Conference attendance record last season and need your help to break it again. All tickets are just $5, which you can purchase here.
Bobcat Cross Country hosts the Bobcat Twilight at campus on Friday, September 1. You can click here for their full schedule.
Bobcat Football is looking to defend their Big Sky Conference Championship title and their 20-game home winning streak, beginning at home with our annual Gold Rush game on September 2. For the second straight year, reserved seats are sold out before our first home game, but you can still purchase standing room only tickets for most games here. Get your official Gold Rush t-shirts before September 2 at the MSU Bookstore or Universal Athletic.
Basketball season ticket renewals and new business ticket sales are live now. Both teams are looking strong and are eager to compete for conference championships again this season.
Please save the date for our annual Blue & Gold Gala, presented by Security Title. We'll gather in the Fieldhouse on Friday, October 13th to raise critical funds for the Bobcat Club Annual Scholarship Fund. As expenses continue to climb each year, your support of the Bobcat Club and of our student-athletes is more essential than ever. As always, you can donate to the Bobcats here.
Bobcat Athletics is experiencing historic successes in the classroom and competition, and that is a direct result of the people within and around the Bobcat program. As always, thank you for your continued and support of our Bobcat student-athletes, coaches, and staff. We believe we have the best TEAM and our goal is to make it even better. Here's to another, "Year of the Bobcat!"
Go Cats Go!
Leon Costello
