Over the course of its long life, William & Mary Athletics has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to competitive excellence, integrity, and success on and off the field – W&M prides itself in doing athletics right. And like the university, W&M Athletics is never complacent. We are in a constant, iterative process of improvement, refinement, and renewal – pushing ourselves to be the best we can be.
In the modern era, W&M Athletics has conducted four comprehensive strategic reviews of its programs, including 1975, 2006, 2015, and 2018. In the 1970s, W&M Athletics promoted an atmosphere of pride for the vital role sport plays in the exceptional academic experience offered at William & Mary. Today, we strive to achieve uncompromising excellence that will propel W&M to the highest level of national pre-eminence in intercollegiate competition. Below is a snapshot of each review and a link to each report.
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After a major examination of the Athletics program, William & Mary recommitted to Division I athletics, providing students the opportunity to compete at the highest levels on the field and the court, and launched an aggressive fundraising campaign.
“Whenever you have a winner - in the sense of being excellent - then it rubs off on everything.”
--R. Harvey Chappell ’48, Rector 1972-1976
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The year-long study affirmed William & Mary's balanced emphasis on excellence in academics and athletics. Recognizing the importance of intercollegiate athletics to the overall academic mission, the report called for increased revenue to the program through annual giving and endowment income.
“William & Mary could well serve as a national poster college for how to integrate achievement in academics with success in athletic competition.”
--P. Geoffrey Feiss, Provost 2003-2009
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This report, released months before the launch of the university-wide For the Bold campaign, highlighted the need for significant philanthropic support to provide W&M Athletics with resources commensurate with its CAA peers, allowing the program to enhance its competitive profile.
“When a varsity program has pervasive integrity, an unswerving commitment to its athletes as students who run on the same rigorous academic track as everyone else, and coaches who genuinely care about their players and know how to win, the results for campus and alumni morale can be striking.”
--W. Taylor Reveley III, President 2008-2018
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Led by athletics experts the PICTOR Group and W&M’s Strategic Review Working Group, this study established a bold vision, strong mission, and ambitious goals for W&M Athletics. It renewed W&M's commitment to the CAA and recommended aligning resources with strategic priorities to accelerate excellence.
“Athletics is a valuable asset to William & Mary and we must ensure that our program achieves the same level of excellence that we expect of all of our academic units. A vibrant athletics program advances the university’s mission, enhances its visibility and reputation, extends its outreach, and builds great pride within the community.”
--Katherine A. Rowe, W&M President
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In its strategic plan "Tribe 2025," William & Mary Athletics presents the results of a two-year collaborative process that included Athletics staff, coaches and student-athletes, as well as faculty, community members and university leadership. The 23-page plan identifies overall goals for the program and focuses on six key areas for William & Mary Athletics: academic excellence, competitive success, financial stability, fulfilling student-athlete experience, uncompromising ethics and excellent facilities.
“This strategic plan reflects William & Mary’s commitment to advancing excellence throughout the entire institution. It sets an ambitious vision for Athletics to provide the very best experiences for our students. Student-athletes will develop the capacities for leadership, risk-taking, team-work, and resilience – learned through striving together. We are excited to see what the next five years will bring.”
--Katherine A. Rowe, W&M President
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