MISSOURI ATHLETICS

MIKE ALDEN
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Mizzou football’s rise to the top of the Bowl Championship Series standings is just one of the many recent successes of the University of Missouri Department of Athletics. The MU football team, which was ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings Nov. 24-

Dec. 2, will be competing in its third-straight bowl game and its fourth in five years when it takes the field at the 2008 Cotton Bowl.

In seven years under Head Coach Gary Pinkel, the Missouri football team has put together an impressive list of accomplishments, which includes the No. 1 ranking and the 2007 Big 12 North Division Championship.

The football program is not alone in its success. In 2006-07, 16 of Mizzou’s 20 sports qualified, or had individuals qualify, for the NCAA postseason, highlighted by the wresting team’s third-place finish at the NCAA National Championships.

Last year also saw first-year head coach, Mike Anderson lead Mizzou Basketball to an upper-division finish and helped lead MU to a school-record three consecutive sellouts of Mizzou Arena. Mizzou Baseball and Track and Field programs each hosted an NCAA Regional for the first

time in school history.

MU student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom, as Mizzou has regularly ranked among the Big 12’s elite in graduation rates, leading the Big 12 in Academic Progress rates in each of the past two years. The Tigers led the Big 12 in 9-of- 20 sports in 2006-07 and four of Mizzou’s programs earned recognition from the NCAA for their APR grades.

The Missouri Department of Athletics has also seen tremendous growth in its facilities over the past decade. Among the recent projects finished is the Mizzou Athletic Training Complex. The $16 million project included improvements to the strength and conditioning, sports medicine center, academic and dining services areas, along with new lockerooms for football, soccer, baseball and softball and new coaches’ of-

 

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fices for football, soccer and softball.

Missouri also boasts one of the nation’s premiere on-campus basketball arenas. The $75 million dollar Mizzou Arena opened prior to the 2004-05 basketball season.

Other facility improvements include a new press box at Memorial Stadium, field turf installation on Faurot Field and in Devine Pavilion, a new baseball stadium, tennis center and aquatics center, and upgrades to Walton Soccer/Track & Field Stadium and University Field.

Mizzou’s athletics and facility success has also spilled over to the MU campus-scene as well. Asked to generate $60 million of a larger $600 million campus-wide campaign, Tiger Athletics has gathered an extraordinary $130 million toward the campaign.