From the desk of Chad Weiberg

Hello from Cowboy Country!

Before we turn the page on the sports year calendar, let's first reflect on the accomplishments of our student-athletes, coaches and staff from the 2022-23 seasons. Oklahoma State took home six Big 12 team titles in men's and women's cross country, women's indoor track and field, equestrian, women's golf and baseball. In addition, Cowgirl Softball made its fourth consecutive appearance in the Women's College World Series, while men's cross country finished second and women's cross country finished fourth in the nation. All of these accomplishments and more resulted in a top-25 finish in the Learfield Directors' Cup for the third consecutive season. Meanwhile, our student-athletes did great work in the classroom, setting program records in the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate. It was, indeed, a good year and congratulations to our dedicated student-athletes who make it all happen. But we are not satisfied and are looking forward to the coming 2023-24 year.

This season will mark the entry of four new members of the Big 12 Conference. We welcome BYU, Cincinnati, UCF and Houston and look forward to competing with them and hosting their fans in Stillwater. In addition to the new conference members, we also welcome to Stillwater the defending Big 12 Champion K-State Wildcats and a historic Bedlam game with the Oklahoma Sooners. We are anticipating capacity crowds in Boone Pickens Stadium again this year so, if you haven't already, make plans to join us.

The new Big 12 Conference is a reminder of the shifting landscape of college athletics. Building the OSU brand through winning and championships is as important as it has ever been and we continue our diligent work to put our student-athletes and coaches in the best possible position to compete.

The Athletics Facilities Vision Plan that we announced in February is taking shape. The first visible elements are the upgraded seating on the north side of Boone Pickens Stadium and the significant upgrades taking place at Karsten Creek Golf Course. The legacy of Pickens himself continues to thrive, as the T. Boone Pickens Foundation made a $25 million gift to support OSU's Human Performance Innovation Complex, which will enhance the health and wellness among students, OSU athletes and the broader Oklahoma community. The facility will house the Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute (HPNRI) and the new Cowboy Football Center.

We continue our efforts to stay ahead in the ever-evolving space of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). We are grateful for the work being done by Pokes With A Purpose, the collective supporting the NIL activities of our student-athletes. Likewise in the past year, Barry Hinson and Haneen Rashwan were hired as our NIL director and assistant director, respectively, and continue to coordinate with the Brand Squad to help identify NIL opportunities for OSU student-athletes. The work being done by all of these dedicated supporters and staff is representative of how we are evolving to stay ahead in the NIL space.

Of course, none of this is possible without you – our fans, season ticket holders and POSSE members! This is a great place! We have a proud history and tradition and great things continue to happen here! Be unapologetically proud! Represent this to our new members of the conference as we welcome them to the league. Continue to proudly wear Orange and put that star on your car. And please be here to cheer on the Pokes!

Thank you for making it all possible. We look forward to seeing you here in Stillwater this fall!

Go Pokes!

Chad Weiberg
Director of Athletics

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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