February 5, 2004
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of LSU Athletics
FROM: Skip Bertman, LSU Athletics Director
I hope by now many of you have had a chance to visit our magnificent Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes in the heart of the LSU campus. This building was made possible by the Tiger Athletic Foundation and its many supporters who contributed in both manpower and financial backing.
This facility has already been a linchpin in our recruiting of new student-athletes to LSU. Both Nick Saban and John Brady have been vocal in their praise of this building in helping attract high caliber student-athletes to campus, and our other coaches have told me the same thing.
There is another component to the Academic Center that is important, and that is the people who staff it. The building is just bricks and mortar, but the people within it make it a successful program. Our academic support staff has done an exemplary job of making the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes one of the most successful programs in the nation.
The fall semester at LSU was particularly successful for our academic efforts. While the football team was grabbing the headlines during its outstanding season, the Academic Center staff and all of our student-athletes were producing one of the finest academic semesters in a very long time.
A total of 202, or 47 percent, of our student-athletes had a grade point average of 3.0 or higher during the fall semester. That’s nearly half of our student-athletes who scored 3.0 or better! That is simply outstanding.
In all, 78 of our student-athletes were named to the dean’s list of their respective colleges, and 29 of our young men and women recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA to earn Chancellor’s Honor Roll status. Our congratulations to these Tigers.
We enjoyed academic success throughout our 20-sport athletics program. Seven sports averaged 3.0 or better, led by the women’s golf squad that posted the highest team GPA at 3.37. Our men’s golfers had the highest average GPA among the men’s teams at 2.919.
The national champion women’s track team showed the most improvement of any of our teams from the Fall of 2002 to the Fall of 2003, posting an impressive team GPA of 3.11. More than half of the Lady Tiger track team finished with a GPA of 3.0 or better, with two scoring a perfect 4.0.
While the football team was performing on the field, you need to know that they were getting their work done in the classroom, too. Three Tigers had a perfect GPA while 32 percent of the squad had a GPA of 3.0 or better for the semester. In all, 25 football student-athletes made the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
I specifically mention these statistics from the national champion football and track teams because I believe it drives home the point that our young people are committed to being the very best both athletically and academically, and it is a goal that can be achieved. Our Tigers have proven it.
And let me recognize our coaching staff as well, because if our coaches were not firmly behind our academic support program, it could not be successful. Our coaches, in every one of our sports, are committed to seeing our young people graduate, while giving them every opportunity to be successful in their athletics careers.
This is a story of true teamwork by dedicated people. Beginning with the renovation of the Academic Center by the Tiger Athletic Foundation, followed by the tireless work of the staff in the Academic Center, along with the support of our coaches in all sports, plus the commitment and dedication of our student-athletes, I think you’ll agree that the fall semester at LSU was a championship season in more ways than one.
We’re going to work hard to stay on the cutting edge in the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes. We are currently raising funds to improve the interior design of the building and future needs will include technology replacement, additional staffing, special events and new program development. These areas are critical to the continued success of our academic support program.
Many people write to us and ask how they can help keep this momentum going in our athletics program, and the Academic Center would certainly be a worthy cause. If you would like to join the hundreds of Tiger fans who have already given to our academic support program, simply write a check to the Academic Center Fund in care of the Tiger Athletic Foundation. Help us stay on the cutting edge.
You can be proud of what is happening in your athletics program in the area of academic support, and we are committed to continuing this very important facet of LSU Athletics.
We welcome your feedback, so write to us at LSUvision@etigers.net and tell us how we can make LSU Athletics better for you. I cannot promise a response to every letter we receive, but I can promise that each one will be read.
Thank you for your support of Tiger Athletics.