A Message from John Wildhack

Greetings to each and every one of our Syracuse Orange friends and family. During this time of great uncertainty, and as we come together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to take a moment to thank every student-athlete, parent, coach, staff member, alumnus, donor, and fan for your dedication to Syracuse University Athletics. It is times like these when we most need to draw upon our values. Chiefly, our sense of community and our responsibility to student-athlete welfare.

From my family to yours, I wish you and your loved ones good health and safety. I recognize that these times are difficult for many. Over the past month, my top priority has been to safeguard the wellbeing of each and every member of our Athletics community. I assure you that each time we receive new information to help us in this fight, we will communicate with you.

Our Orange community is special. While most of our student-athletes have returned home and resumed their studies online, I'd like to share a couple of examples of what our coaches, staff, and student-athletes are doing to make a difference in the community and to Syracuse University as a whole.

Our coaches and administrative teams have offered our services to assist Admissions in solidifying the incoming class of 2020. We are preparing to make calls, write letters, and reach out through social media channels to impact Syracuse University in a positive way.
Coaches Boeheim, Babers and Hillsman taped Public Service Announcements stressing the importance of following proper social distancing and health protocol. Those are airing on local TV stations throughout the region.
Coach Boeheim and I taped a similar message that is being distributed on radio and audio platforms throughout Central New York.
If necessary, we will make the Field House a triage area to support our local health care professionals.

I am proud how our department is responding in the face of this crisis to fulfill our mission, which is to create and foster a culture of academic and athletic excellence which prepares student-athletes as leaders in our global society. Here are just a few of many examples of tremendous work our department is doing.

The Stevenson Educational Center Academic team is working diligently to keep our student-athletes engaged, learning, and on track in their academics during this unprecedented time. The staff is adapting and working to meet the needs of our more than 600 student-athletes in a new remote-learning environment.

Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine Brad Pike is leading daily video conferences with the Sports Medicine and Strength and Conditioning staffs, focusing on continuing education and enhancing best practices. The meetings have included alumni from the Syracuse University Sports Medicine Department who are in the profession, including athletic trainers from the NFL, NBA, and XFL.

The Office of Student-Athlete Engagement continues to connect with our student-athletes through virtual office hours and consultations on leadership, career development and preparation, and educational efforts through social media for mental health, creative and fun workouts, healthy eating tips, and recipes.

We are also preparing for the future. With so much still unknown, I can tell you that we are working to create a business model for Syracuse University Athletics that is sustainable, will support our goal to provide a great academic experience for our student-athletes, and allow them to compete at a championship level.

To our student-athletes and their parents, I send a simple but important message. We will continue to support your academic and athletic journey to the best of our ability. We will also help the overall Syracuse University community in any way we can.

To our donors and season ticket holders, please know we recognize the stress many of you are facing. Our representatives are prepared to work with you regarding ticket deadlines and payment structures. We take a long view of our relationship with you. You too are part of our Athletics family. Together, we will weather this storm.

Please stay connected to Syracuse University Athletics by following us on social media. Check out highlights from legendary 'Cuse games, explore the fun at-home activities for kids, and hear from our student-athletes and coaches.

In true Orange spirit, we look forward to our future. If 150 years of Orange history proves anything, it is that Orange is strong -- incredibly strong, incredibly resilient, and fiercely loyal to one another. We will come back from this strong. Please stay healthy, and stay safe. I look forward to the day when we will once again come together as a campus and as a community to experience great victories, celebrate the success of our student-athletes, and cherish how special it is to be Orange.

Syracuse University Athletics

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