Hello Friends,
 
At USF, our student-athletes, teams and coaches give us plenty of opportunities to celebrate the start of a new year beyond the traditional January 1 holiday.
 
From a team's first meeting, its first practice, first game and first day of classes, each day provides its own sense of purpose, anticipation, excitement and opportunity. The ultimate finality of any season is short-lived, as the first offseason workout presents a new set of goals and challenges.
 
We recently welcomed back to campus our student-athletes who continue to be a tremendous source of pride for the entire University. Their energy, dedication, passion and commitment to Aim Higher! on the fields, courts, classroom and community enrich our lives and create a unique sense of spirit and unity within our campus community. I can't think of anything more personally satisfying than watching our student-athletes embrace our Four Pillars of Success and develop into confident young men and women who will undoubtedly achieve great success in their chosen fields and become leaders in their communities.
 
This year stands to be one of the most transformative years in the long history of USF Athletics. We have already seen tremendous growth and improvement in many of our teams in recent years to where they are positioned for national success. Our men's soccer team under the direction of second-year head coach Eddie Soto was picked to finish first in the West Coast Conference and our women's soccer program is off to a fast start behind one of the nation's best goalkeepers in senior Madalyn Schiffel. The volleyball team has won 10 straight matches to open the season and boast one of the top freshmen in the WCC in Madison Murtagh, who was a standout high school player at Sacred Heart Cathedral here in the City. The cross country teams under the direction of Helen Lehman-Winters always seem to peak at the right time in their quest to win the WCC Championship and advance to nationals.
 
Before you know it, our attention will turn to basketball season which will give way to our spring sports and more opportunities to embrace success.
 
A powerful synergy is created when key groups on campus are in fundamental agreement as to the direction and role athletics plays within our University. Thanks to the commitment and tremendous support shown by the University administration, namely President Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., Charlie Cross, Vice President of Business and Finance, Faculty Athletic Representative Jeremy Howell, Mike London, Associate Vice President of Facilities and Management, along with my tremendous staff, our teams are in a much stronger position to consistently compete for West Coast Conference championships, achieve postseason success and earn meaningful degrees from one of the nation's leading Jesuit institutions.
 
Success is truly a team effort. From top top-level administration to our nearly 250 student-athletes, coaches, administrative staff, alumni, donors, sponsors, university community, we are united as #Oneteam that generates enthusiasm, pride and visibility for the University of San Francisco in a manner and scope that is difficult to achieve by any other means.
 
If we expect our coaches and student-athletes to perform at their best, they should expect no less in the quality of facilities and services which are available to them. After years of due diligence and planning, our facility project is now in the action phase. In August, work began to transform Benedetti Diamond into one of the finest collegiate urban ballparks in the country. The project is on track to be completed in December and will be the first of many facility projects that will significantly impact the future of USF Athletics. We have plans to significantly upgrade War Memorial Gymnasium, build a practice facility for our men's and women's basketball programs and refurbish the Negoesco Stadium soccer facility. All of these initiatives are aimed to provide the best possible experience for our student-athletes and to position our programs to compete and win on the highest levels.
 
I am confident people will see a much-different USF Athletic Department over the course of the next few years. The transformation has already begun. However, our success will always be attributed to our student-athletes who aspire excellence, coaches who provide leadership and our many alumni and friends whose loyalty and support assist greatly in keeping our programs vibrant while providing increased educational and athletic opportunities to some USF's brightest young men and women.
 
While the face of USF Athletics is rapidly changing, rest assured our vision of developing a standard of performance characterized by integrity, achievement and honor remains the same.
 
Go Dons!
 
Scott Sidwell
Director of Athletics

Support the Dons
The University of San Francisco is committed to developing athletic programs of national distinction while providing our student-athletes with a world-class educational experience at one of the nation's leading Jesuit institutions. USF Athletics is built upon Four Pillars of Success that aim to develop young men and women in this tradition: Excel in the Classroom; Win at the Highest Level of Competition; Engage in the Community: and Become Leaders in the World. By investing in the growth of our student-athletes, you help guarantee a lifetime of victories beyond the playing fields. For more information on how you can support USF Athletics, contact Flynn Ginty (fpginty@usfca.edu) or visit usfdons.com.