83 days.

It has been that long since the baseball team played its last game on May 28, ending its season and effectively placing a lid on the 2015-16 year for Stony Brook Athletics. It has been a long 83 days in between but the lid will finally be removed tomorrow night when the women's soccer team takes the field against Bryant at LaValle Stadium to officially kick off the 2016-17 competitive year.



I like to describe the start of each year as similar to strapping yourself into a roller coaster. There will be twists and turns throughout, but the ride promises to be thrilling.

Great Expectations

Our expectations as a department are higher than ever. The past 83 days have provided our coaches and staff with the opportunity to have substantive conversations and make the necessary decisions so that we get better and grow each day. There is a definite sense of urgency to reach the goals that we have set for the department. This is not about placing pressure on ourselves to win but rather to provide the greatest possible experience for our student-athletes. We believe that the more comprehensive resources we can provide to our student-athletes, the more successful they will be.

Here are just a few of the areas where investments are being made to benefit our student-athletes this year:

- Nutrition coach to work with our sports performance staff
- Increased hours when our general practice physician will be working directly in the athletic facilities
- Fueling station to provide nutritional snacks and supplements
- Hydrotherapy equipment that will increase the recovery time of our student-athletes as they rehabilitate from injury
- Facility maintenance projects in locker rooms, learning spaces and competitive venues that impact our student-athletes' overall experience
- Staffing in all student-athlete support areas (academics, sports medicine and sports performance)

The athletic department is a business, and our student-athletes are our core customers. Every investment and every decision that we make is to further our vision to positively transform the life of each student-athlete. We want you to be a part of it. Join us at SeawolvesUnited.com.

Thursday Night Football



The start of the 2016 Stony Brook football season is two weeks from today, and we need LaValle Stadium to be packed on September 1 when North Dakota comes to town for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

North Dakota enters the season ranked in the top 25 and will compete for the first time with their new nickname – the Fighting Hawks. We are excited about all of the enhancements that have been made to the gameday experience at LaValle Stadium. Although some of the new features will remain under wraps until September 1, I can tell you that we now offer an "all-inclusive" experience that includes tickets to the game, parking in Seawolves Town, food delivered directly to your spot as well as tables and chairs. We are also excited to unveil a concert series in Seawolves Town for select games.

You will have to come on September 1 to see all of the other exciting additions to gameday. I promise that it will be an amazing experience!

Road Trip!

The Seawolves will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Temple Owls on Saturday, September 10, and we need you to come with us! Temple won a school-record 10 games last season and are one of the top programs in the American Athletic Conference.

We need to spread the red at Lincoln Financial Field so please contact the Seawolves United office at 631-632-7705 or click here and join us for all of the weekend's events.

On Deck: Men's Soccer and Volleyball



Our men's soccer and volleyball teams have been hard at work preparing for their season openers next week. There is incredible energy around both teams, and I can't wait to see them in action.

Men's soccer opens the year next Friday night at LaValle Stadium against Hofstra. Last year, the guys scored their most impressive win of the year in a 3-0 road victory when Hofstra was ranked 17^th. Mark your calendar for August 26 when the battle of Long Island resumes.

Volleyball opens their season in the Sunshine State next Saturday at UCF. The team is very young and, despite not having a senior on the roster, is loaded with talent. Most importantly, the team is healthy after an injury bug hit the team hard a year ago.

Get ready for an amazing year. This is our time!

Together We Transform!

Warm regards,



Shawn