Dear Furman Athletics Family,

I hope this letter finds you doing well and enjoying the New Year! We are grateful for your continued support of Furman Athletics. I know the past two years of the COVID pandemic has been challenging for our entire community, but your constant support, optimism and cheers have enabled our athletics department to proceed forward with courage and strength. In spite of the obstacles, 2021 was a banner year for Furman Athletics. Since you are a big part of what we do, I want to share with you a quick look back at some of the notable events and achievements in 2021.
 
Furman Athletics: 2021 In Review

For the first time in the history of college athletics, all of our varsity teams competed during the spring semester, which was a true testament to the hard work and resiliency of our student-athletes, coaches and staff. And none of our varsity teams missed a competition due to a confirmed positive COVID test, a remarkable accomplishment by all of our teams.

Athletics continued to demonstrate its commitment to academic excellence by posting a 93 Graduation Success Rate (93%), with 10 perfect scores of 100, and a 990 Academic Progress Rate (APR) out of 1000.  

A record 69 percent of Paladin student-athletes earned recognition on the SoCon Academic Honor Roll and our student-athletes posted a collective 3.26 overall grade point average for the 2020-21 school year.

Furman Athletics won the SoCon Commissioners Cup for men's sports for the first time since 1991 and narrowly missed winning the SoCon Germann Cup for women's sports.  

Furman finished #1 in the prestigious LEARFIELD Directors' Cup national standings (comprehensive on-field success) among Southern Conference schools for the sixth consecutive year. 

Furman won seven SoCon Championships, appeared in six NCAA Championships, produced six All-Americans, and Gabbi Jennings from Women's Cross Country and Track & Field was named the SoCon Female Athlete of the Year.

Athletics successfully launched the "Furman Athletics Fund" which led to record-breaking fundraising and donor participation with more than $10 million in commitments to Athletics.    

As a result of donor funding, men's and women's golf opened the Davis & Faxon Training Facility at the REK Center, football added a new turf field and stadium enhancements, and men's and women's basketball transformed their offices, locker rooms and video rooms in Timmons Arena.

Additionally, Chris '78 & Andrea Borch and the Borch Foundation donated the largest gift in Furman Athletics history to fully endow existing athletic scholarships for men's & women's cross country and track & field with the intent to grow the program.  

Our fans returned to Paladin Stadium this fall for Furman Football games and experienced significant changes and upgrades in the game-day experience via the Furman Fan Zone and Student Tailgate area which led to a 60 percent increase in pre-COVID football attendance. 

On a broader scale, 2021 also saw significant changes within the NCAA model that impact the student-athlete experience and our teams. These legislative changes included the increased use of the transfer portal; the approval of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL); and additional years of eligibility due to COVID seasons. In addition, major changes are on the horizon to the NCAA structure. Our department leadership is working to provide opportunities for our student-athletes and teams that fit within the mission, vision and values of the university and we will continue to be responsive to these changes by engaging our student-athletes, educating our alumni and fan base, and pushing forward with creative new ideas and opportunities in the future.
 
Most importantly, I wanted to say thank you for everything you do to support our Paladins. We are blessed with phenomenal student-athletes, great teams and talented coaches. The success of our programs is built upon a commitment to excellence by our administration, faculty and staff. And that commitment is supported by the generosity of our donors, alumni, parents, season-ticket holders and fans. For that, and for so many other reasons, our athletics department is grateful and honored to serve you and our student-athletes each and every day.
 
In the weeks ahead, we look forward to sharing our Furman Athletics Strategic Plan with you, which will serve as the framework for the direction of the athletics department in the years ahead. In the meantime, we wish you all the best and are excited to see you soon!
 
Go Paladins!!!
 
Sincerely,
Jason Donnelly