Shocker Athletics Friends and Family,

Greetings on behalf of the student-athletes, coaches, and staff at Wichita State University! Our mission is to develop young people and programs through first-class service. Together we aspire to establish a bold path in support of that mission, casting an inspirational and invitational vision. In partnership with you, we can achieve a consistent and comprehensive excellence in which Shocker Nation can be proud.
 

We are incredibly grateful for your support. Many of you have reached out with thoughtful questions and encouraging words following recent updates regarding our men's basketball program and specific revenue needs. While we want to mobilize Shocker Nation to meet these challenges in a timely manner, we also want to develop efficient and clear processes to accommodate your support.  
 

This communication outlines the next steps in our journey – highlighting a new, fan-centered ticketing and donation structure launching May 1. These changes derive from your feedback and are designed to enhance your comprehensive experience with Shocker Athletics.
 

What We Heard from You:

You've been honest, and we've listened. Through numerous engagements, donor calls, listening sessions, and other sources of feedback from fans and season ticket holders, we've learned about your needs and expectations:
 

• You want a more personalized, flexible approach as it relates to your support of Shocker Athletics.
• You desire clarity, consistency, and transparency throughout Shocker Athletics' service framework.
• You expect a high-quality experience that reflects your investment in Shocker Athletics.
• You want your support to directly impact winning programs and student-athlete success, all while building deeper relationships with the student-athletes and coaches you support, on a more genuine and authentic level.

What We're Doing:

Based in large part on your feedback, beginning May 1, we are launching a restructured experience intended to serve you in a more consistent first-class manner. This incorporates:
 

• A new annual ticketing and donation model across all ticketed sports. This includes a larger variety of price points for men's basketball gamedays including pricing decreases.
• A clearer and better aligned donor-level system inclusive of consistent benefits, enhanced experiences and valuable recognition, integrated across all sports.
• A centralized, simplified, and more accessible service framework, making it easier to manage your account (online or in person) including but not limited to ticketing, annual renewals, and donor benefits.
• Customizable giving options, allowing you to make your impact in ways that matter most to you.
• Expanded tax-deductible opportunities for your contributions.

Our new approach will simplify, clarify, and elevate your experience.
 

The New Shocker Athletics Experience

This initiative extends beyond a simple adjustment, it's intended to usher transformational change and intended to benefit you through a transparent donor guide with updated benefits and experiences. To be accessed via print and online, this guide will specifically outline the various elements of your experience including but not limited to: benefits, engagement opportunities, pricing, parking, priority points, revenue sharing, and much more.
 

• Mobile-friendly account access with real-time information (invoices, ticket transfers, donor status, and more).
• All-in-one online platform for:
  • Ticket renewals and payments
  • Donations and giving
  • Donor benefit management
  • Electronic ticketing

We're making it easier to understand and simpler to support at every level, when and how it works best for you. Most importantly we are reinforcing and elevating our customer service. All members of our development and ticketing team will be able to directly service your account in a meaningful way – whether your preference be in-person or online.
 

What's Next?

In the coming weeks, expect personalized transparent communication from our team. We're committed to aligning your passions with the needs of our student-athletes and programs. We also know that transparency is key to earning and maintaining your trust.

Your support fuels momentum. Through your feedback, we understand the need for greater service and clarity, and we hear your concerns: rising costs, shifting priorities, and the demand for results. Please know that your investment in Shocker Athletics is making a significant difference. Quietly, consistently, and powerfully, it's fueling growth within our 16 sports programs and the 270+ young people who develop within them. The truth is your continued support is changing lives and enhancing infrastructure for our programs.

Here are just a few recent milestones your generosity has made possible:

• Men's Basketball improved with a 19-15 record, won the most non-conference games in 5 years, and returned to postseason play for the first time since 2021, earning an NIT bid under Coach Paul Mills in just his second season—marking a new chapter of competitive resurgence.
• Wichita hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball First and Second Rounds at INTRUST Bank Arena, with over 14,000 fans packing the venue for peak games. More than 50 WSU students, faculty, and staff helped coordinate a first-class tournament experience for eight participating teams. The AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League) unveiled the schedule and locations for its inaugural regular season, which launches with Opening Day on Saturday, June 7 in Wichita and Chicago.
• Women's Bowling advanced to the NCAA Final Four in its very first season as an NCAA program. The team won the Conference USA title, earned a No. 1 seed (No. 4 overall) in the NCAA Tournament, and reached the Final Four. Coach Holly Harris was named both C-USA and National Coach of the Year and the entire Shocker Bowling Team earned Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honors, while four were named All-Americans.
• Wichita State Volleyball returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 after winning the AAC Championship by sweeping Tulsa, top-seeded USF and Florida Atlantic. WSU hosted the AAC Championship and a crowd of 1,439 watched the Shockers clinch the automatic bid. Senior middle blocker Morgan Stout earned tournament Most Outstanding Player honors.
• Track & Field has several event groups as well as individuals consistently ranking in the USTFCCCA's weekly top 10 rankings including – Women's Heptathlon, Men's Decathlon, and Men's Triple Jump. Yared Kidane recently made his best outdoor 800-meter run at 1:46.73, the fastest time in the history of the AAC.
• Shocker Tennis teams wrapped up solid seasons in the AAC Championships. The men's team finished the spring 12-13, its most wins since 2022 and best win percentage since 2021. They also recorded their first AAC Championship win since 2021. Their ITA computer ranking of No. 75 in March was the program's first appearance since 2022. The women's team went 13-10 with wins over three ranked opponents, in addition to Kansas State and Kentucky. WSU ended the season No. 63 in the ITA computer rankings after peaking at No. 47 for its highest ranking since 2019.
• Women's Golfer Kate Tilma earned All-AAC honors after finishing seventh in the AAC Championship. She is the second Shocker to finish in the top 10 at the conference meet, preceded by Taryn Torgerson's championship in 2018.
• Wichita State student-athletes recorded the highest semester cumulative grade-point average in school history with a 3.53 for the Fall 2024 semester. It was also the 39^th-consecutive semester of earning higher than a 3.00 cumulative grade-point average department wide. Of the 237 student-athletes on the honor roll (above a 3.0), 53 earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, while 176 were named to the Dean's List (3.5 GPA) and 219 were named Shocker Scholars (3.2 GPA).  Eighty-six percent of student-athletes were above a 3.0 GPA. 
• WSU Cheer brought home a national championship—winning the NCA title in the Intermediate Large Co-ed Division I category, with the fourth-highest score out of nearly 300 teams. Meanwhile, our dance team reached the Division I Pom finals and finished 11th in the nation.

Through your valued connection, together we are building programs, pride and purpose. We are supporting Wichita's growth as evidenced in Shocker Athletics $50 million of direct economic impact in our community/region. We look forward to engaging with you in the weeks and months to come, as We Fight For Wichita!
 

In Partnership,

Kevin Saal