Dear Shocker Nation,
 
Good day to you, we hope this letter finds you and your family well and on behalf of Shocker Athletics, we wish you all peace and joy. 
 
As you know, we have recently completed our 2023-24 men's and women's basketball seasons, the firsts for both Terry Nooner and Paul Mills. First and foremost, our athletics program will always be one that expresses gratitude and thanks for the blessings that fuel our success. We want you to know how much we appreciate all your support, knowing that the investments of your time, talent and treasure fuel our mission and are critical to our success.
 
Shocker Athletics' mission is simple, "we exist to develop young people and programs, through first-class service to our student-athletes, coaches and Shocker Nation." The "Shocker Way" is our north star, it represents a sustained commitment to our core values, a specific student-athlete development process and competitive excellence. Through the "Shocker Way" we will develop young people and programs of which you can be consistently proud. 
 
All of us maintain incredibly high expectations for our athletics program and it's no secret, alignment of championship-level resources is paramount to meeting championship-level expectations. Throughout the last year, Shocker Athletics has strategically invested in initiatives and services that are making a significant difference in our student-athlete experience. With your support, we have witnessed unprecedented success academically and from a community service standpoint. In the Fall of 2023, Shocker student-athletes set a second consecutive all-time program record, achieving an unprecedented 3.45 department-wide cumulative GPA. Additionally, for two consecutive years, your Shocker Athletics program has shattered its annual goal of 1,000 community service hours, achieving nearly 1,500 through February of 2024.
 
We firmly believe, the best way to navigate the transfer portal is to create a student-athlete experience in which the young people in our program strongly desire to participate and remain engaged. This approach requires us to make strategic investments to the student-athlete experience in critical areas such as Sports Medicine, Performance/Mental Health, Travel, Coaching Staffs, Facilities, Nutrition, Team Equipment/Gear, etc. Over the last 18 months, these investments are proving effective and our student-athletes are taking notice.
 
Through student-athlete programmatic surveys taking place over the last 18 months, we have seen remarkable results with respect to the student-athletes' perception of their experience at Wichita State. Results from Fall 2023 program surveys indicate Shocker Athletics is outperforming the national benchmark in 33 of 40 categories and having exceptional people as leaders in our program, has been the key to our success. From our student-athletes' perspective, Shocker Athletics has shifted its service framework and is now setting the standard among 100 Division I peers, 40 of which are Power 5 programs.


 
As we all know, the landscape of college athletics is shifting. The influence of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) is real…daily, it impacts our ability to recruit and retain elite "championship-level" talent. NIL is inseparable to daily recruiting and retention conversations, and its impact cannot be overstated. All of us – Shocker Nation included – aspire to the roster quality and continuity necessary to consistently win championships. The recruiting process hasn't changed, NIL's existence has established a "cost of admission" allowing our coaches/staff an entry point and the ability to recruit championship-level talent. NIL resources get us to the starting line in the recruiting and retention processes.
 
Through the efforts of you, and so many others, over the last year we have made significant strides in the NIL space and several of our sports have benefited from NIL this past year. Recently it was announced that Armchair Strategies has partnered with Blue Print Sports and rebranded The "Wheat Shock Collective" as Shocker Athletics Official NIL Collective. Our support of the Wheat Shock Collective is paramount, to fuel our shared championship aspirations.
 
To position all our sports competitively, we are announcing the Seed Sowers - 5K Shockers at $500 campaign. We need 5,000 members of Shocker Nation from around the globe, to support the Wheat Shock Collective with a $500 annual gift. That's $42 per month, from 5,000 members of Shocker Nation, to equip all our programs with the fighting fund necessary, to both recruit and retain championship-level talent.
 
These resources position all 16 of our sports programs at the starting line, as we pursue championships for Wichita State University, Shocker Nation and the City of Wichita.
 
The launch of Wheat Shock Collective streamlines NIL support for WSU student-athletes and includes a brand-new membership program for fans, supporters and alumni. Wheat Shock Collective members will gain exclusive access to content, events, merchandise and more. Additionally, the collective will also accept tax-deductible donations through a partnership with the BPS Foundation, a national 501c3 organization, and corporate sponsorship options for businesses looking to partner with student-athletes to promote a product or service.
 
Wheat Shock Collective supporters, alumni, and fans have three easy ways to contribute to the collective:

• Tax-Deductible Donations: Wheat Shock Collective has partnered with the BPS Foundation, a national 501c3 organization, to support WSU student-athletes. Student-athletes will partner with local nonprofits to work as advocates for charitable causes, including fulfilling that commitment personally with community service hours.
• Membership: Become a member of Wheat Shock Collective and receive exclusive member benefits, like meet-and-greets with student-athletes, autographed merchandise, and more. 
• Corporate Sponsorship: NIL allows local and national sponsors to partner with Wichita State student-athletes for endorsement deals, marketing campaigns, appearances, and other projects.   

Today, there are over 100,000 living alumni of Wichita State University and we're asking 5,000 of you to consider a $500/year contribution to fuel NIL at Wichita State University in our Seed Sowers campaign. Set up your monthly contribution to the Wheat Shock Collective today at www.wheatshockcollective.com or go to www.GoShockers.com/NIL for more information.
 
Our programs are accomplishing unprecedented achievements in the classroom and the community.  Now is the time for us to deliver the championships we all expect, by aligning resources to those expectations.
 
On behalf of our entire athletics department, thank you for your scholarship and annual operating support for our 16 sports programs, and the young people who develop within them. Moving forward, support for the Wheat Shock Collective is equally critical to winning championships.
 
We are thankful for you Shocker Nation and we look forward to building our programs together!  Thank you for your support during our winter seasons and we look forward to seeing you at our spring sports!
 
Go Shockers!
 
 
 
Kevin Saal
Director of Athletics