April 21, 2005
TO: Fans, Friends, and Supporters of LSU Athletics
FROM: Skip Bertman, LSU Director of Athletics
The Cox Academic Center for Student-Athletes recently held its annual Academic Gala at the LSU Union, and it was a great opportunity for all of us to reflect on the academic successes of the young men and women who regularly make headlines for their athletic prowess.
Under the lights of athletic competition, our Tigers are often recognized for what they do on weekends in our stadiums and arenas. But often what they accomplish on a day-to-day basis in the classrooms on the LSU campus are taken for granted.
You will be proud to know that LSU placed the third most student-athletes on the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll among all 12 league schools. This is just another measuring stick for the continued academic success of your Tigers in all sports.
Allow me to share with you a few other accomplishments of LSU’s 435 student athletes from our most recent academic report:
- 49.4 percent of our student-athletes recorded a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the fall
- 88 student-athletes had a GPA of 3.5 or higher
- 22 student-athletes had a perfect GPA of 4.0
- 10 of our 16 teams currently have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
We are proud of the performance of our Tigers in the classroom.
LES MILES ON TOUR
Les Miles may soon be coming to a town near you. Coach Miles is embarking on a 15-city regional tour, thanks to the Tiger Athletic Foundation and the LSU Alumni Association.
Coach Miles will be meeting and greeting fans throughout Louisiana, with stops in Mississippi and Texas, beginning the first week in May. The LSU Tiger Tour 2005, sponsored by the Tiger Athletic Foundation, will go to nine cities that will include receptions and buffet dinners for Tiger fans.
Coach Miles will also be making appearances at six LSU Alumni Association functions in the coming months.
For a complete schedule of events, go to www.LSUsports.net or www.lsutaf.org for dates, times and prices.
MIKE THE TIGER
Mike V will be moving into a new home this fall on the LSU campus. Mike is spending his time at the Baton Rouge Zoo while his cage is being renovated into a modern tiger habitat.
You can monitor the progress of the construction, and contribute to its future expansion, by visiting a new website set up by the TAF at www.mikethetiger.com.
Young Tiger fans can learn LSU cheers and songs from a virtual Mike the Tiger mascot, can have their picture made with Mike and can send e-mails to their friends.
I hope you’ll take a minute to visit www.mikethetiger.com and learn about our famous Tiger mascot.
GIFT CENTER UPDATE
Look for more and higher quality merchandise in the near future from the LSU Tiger Gift Center. We are working to improve our inventory to give you a wider range of merchandise from which to choose.
Our regular store in Tiger Stadium has been closed since last fall due to the construction project in the west stadium parking lot. But you can visit our smaller gift store next to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, or our temporary trailer at the site of the old Special Olympics Pool on Skip Bertman Drive. This is a popular location on baseball game days.
For the most convenience, visit www.LSUtigergifts.com for our full array of great gifts and apparel.
CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
Three of our athletic teams are in championship competition this weekend. The LSU gymnastics team is competing today in the first round of the NCAA Championships at Auburn, Ala. A total of 12 teams are competing in two sessions today. The top three in each session will advance to the Super Six for the national title tomorrow night.
The LSU men’s and women’s tennis teams are competing in the SEC Championships beginning today. The men are in competition at Athens, Ga., while the women are playing at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Follow the action of all of our teams online at www.LSUsports.net.
We welcome your comments, so write to us at LSUvision@etigers.net. Although we cannot promise a response to every e-mail we receive, please be assured that every letter will be read. Thank you for your continued support of Tiger Athletics.