Together We Transform Thursday – Oct. 1, 2020
Now that the calendar has turned to October, we can all officially get excited about the imminent return to competition for our Stony Brook teams.
Although the realist in me understands anything can happen to throw a monkey wrench into our plans, the optimist in me says that we will be successful — starting with basketball in November.
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved shifting the first date of competition for basketball from Nov. 10 to Nov. 25, and our teams could not be more excited to get the season underway. From the time our teams returned to campus, progressing from individual workouts (one ball with one coach on one basket) to full-team practices, the energy has been off the charts. I can't wait for you to see what I have seen from our men's and women's teams inside Island Federal Arena — returners who have taken giant steps forward, along with transfers who have brought high levels of athleticism and edge.
Trust me, you will be excited by what you see.
We are in the process of finalizing our nonconference schedules, so we will be able to announce those dates and opponents very soon. It has been a mad scramble to rebuild the nonconference schedules, but everything is finally coming together. Sharing a state with a large number of Division I programs certainly has provided tremendous scheduling flexibility.
I do expect a decision to be made very soon regarding the America East schedule. There has been a great deal of dialogue among the ADs, especially around the issue of state travel restrictions. Somehow, some way we will be back on the court soon. Stay tuned, but definitely get excited!
The goal remains the same: two teams dancing in March. As you will soon see, we have the talent to do it.
Focus on Football
The CAA announced on Wednesday that the football schedule will feature six conference games, with each team having the opportunity to add two nonconference games. Our intent is to play a "full" eight-game schedule beginning Feb. 20, with the final regular-season game taking place on April 17. The schedule will be announced soon, and it's exciting to think about our team getting back on the field!
We will conduct "fall ball" beginning Oct. 12, with practices on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through Nov. 14. This will replace the spring practices our team missed in April. Our coaches have done an incredible job keeping our team on track and providing exceptional structure. I also have to give a huge shout-out to our doctors, athletic trainers and strength coaches for all of the work they have put in that will allow us to be successful.
Town Hall on Oct. 7
I hope that you will join me next Thursday at 7 p.m. for our Believe In The Seawolves Town Hall on the Stony Brook Athletics Facebook page. I'll answer your questions live from Island Federal Arena and share details about all that is happening behind the scenes to get our teams back to competition. Feel free to submit your questions in advance. I might even share a few surprises, so be sure to tune in!
Next Thursday also will mark the launch of our Believe In The Seawolves campaign, an important fundraising initiative in which I hope you will choose to participate. Our financial challenges are very real, but so is our resilience! We can emerge from this stronger than ever, but we will need significant support from our extended Seawolves family.
Thank you for your constant support. I'm so proud of how our department has responded, and I believe that it will result in a lot of winning over the next few months!
Keep believing!
Shawn
