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Dear Mizzou Family,
I hope this letter finds you well and you’re as excited as I am for the Fall sports season here at Mizzou! As you prepare to join us in Columbia this Thursday to kick off the 2024 football season, we’re also excited for the start of cross country, golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball. So, we thought this would be a good moment to share some updates on our department, the Memorial Stadium Improvements Project and the opportunities we see for the future of Mizzou Athletics.
Mizzou Relationships: Over the last four months since my family and I re-joined the Mizzou family, I have focused on developing and strengthening relationships with our university leadership, staff, coaches, student-athletes and our dedicated donors and fans. It has been encouraging and heartwarming to re-experience the unique culture that makes Mizzou so special. These many conversations have also provided a great deal of perspective as we begin to chart a future for Mizzou Athletics.
Athletics Leadership: I could not be more pleased about the Senior Leadership Team we have put together, which consists of highly experienced administrators who are also passionate about being a part of Mizzou’s future. To go along with the strong team of professionals already in place, I’m thrilled with the new members who have joined us, including some names that are familiar to many of our loyal TSF donors with the return of both Eric Morrison and Brad Loos.
Changing Landscape: As we navigate through the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics, it will be our priority to develop a comprehensive plan that positions Mizzou for sustained success in the years to come. Our staff is working diligently behind the scenes to develop a financial and operational model that will maximize our position within the evolving dynamics of revenue sharing, fair-market NIL opportunities and increased scholarships within new roster limits across all sports.
Resource Growth: Given these new dynamics, our future success will be highly dependent on our ability to secure additional resources to invest in our student-athletes and programs. We’ve had outstanding momentum and success, particularly in football, but we’re still at the bottom of the Southeastern Conference when it comes to football-generated revenue. That’s our reality. It’s essential we catch up to our peers in the SEC. Therefore, we are also working on a plan to modernize our fundraising structure and explore all possible revenue initiatives to ensure that we remain competitive in this new era of college sports.
Memorial Stadium Improvements: A critical aspect of this plan is the Memorial Stadium Improvement Project – and we are incredibly excited about this project’s ambitious pace and scope, which is a testament to the strong investment and support we have received from President Choi and the Board of Curators. This project represents our commitment to competing at the highest level in the SEC and significantly enhancing the game-day experience for our fans. While we are moving forward with tremendous momentum and remain on target to break ground at the end of the calendar year, we need to double-down on our fundraising efforts and we’ll need your support along the way.
Momentum & Opportunity: I want to express my gratitude for your unwavering support of Mizzou Athletics. Your passion, dedication and generosity are what make this all possible. The level of enthusiasm surrounding Mizzou Athletics is simply incredible. That momentum, combined with the investments we are making and the extreme changes we’re navigating in college athletics, present a unique opportunity for us to climb to competitive levels we have never achieved before. We are building something special here at Mizzou and your support is critical as we embark on future opportunities together.
Let’s Go! And, we are so looking forward to seeing you at this Thursday night’s home opener against Murray State! We can’t wait for you to experience the new North videoboard — it’s 50% larger! — and the stadium’s improved sound system. They’re just a few examples of the enhancements you’ll notice this season, including Thursday’s halftime drone show and the Chiefs’ Super Bowl trophy appearance on the North Concourse.
Of course, our excitement isn’t limited to football. Our volleyball, soccer, cross country, golf and tennis teams are beginning their seasons as well and we’re thrilled about the potential they have to achieve great things.
I look forward to seeing you at Memorial Stadium Thursday night and across all our venues this fall as we cheer on our Tigers.
MIZ!
Laird Veatch
Director of Athletics
University of Missouri
