Dear Cougs,
 
As we head into the summer months, now is a great time to take a breath, reflect on the past year and continue planning for the future. So much has occurred over the past year; monumental shifts in the collegiate landscape, the new Pac-12 Conference, revisiting old rivalries and starting new ones, an Apple Cup victory in Seattle, and so much more.
 
Looking forward, there is great excitement for what lies ahead within Washington State Athletics. As mentioned in my last letter to Cougar Nation, we continue to direct our efforts to an improved fan experience for our home events, from improved in-venue amenities to enhanced community activities surrounding Cougar Football weekends.
 
For now, however, I would like to highlight our student-athletes and the tremendous work they put forth in their academic pursuits. So often the attention is centered on their athletic endeavors and rightly so. We have amazing student-athletes who continue to shine within their individual sports. To this point in the year and with the NCAA Track and Field Championships concluding later this week, our student-athletes, athletically, have combined for six All-America certificates, 45 All-Conference selections, three Conference Athlete of the Year awards,19 individual conference champions, and 13 of our programs have been represented in the postseason.
 
While those headlines are very much deserved, what has occurred in the classroom this past year is equally impressive. With the academic year complete, the list of achievements is staggering:

• For the 2024-25 academic year, 67 student-athletes earned degrees (61 bachelors, six masters) and eight will graduate in Summer 2025
• For the Fall 2024 semester, 54 student-athletes recorded a 4.0 grade point average while 51 did so in the spring semester
• There were 282 student-athletes named to the President's Honor Roll, 147 in the fall and 135 for the spring
• At the conclusion of the 2024-25 academic year, all student-athletes had a combined 3.36 GPA, also the highest in program history

 
Each of our sports programs has seen great success academically as well. This past semester, football (3.11), men's golf (3.44), swimming (3.58) and women's track (3.52) all earned or tied their highest team average cumulative GPA. Baseball (3.36), men's basketball (3.29) and tennis (3.69) posted their highest cumulative GPAs in the fall. What stands out the most to me, however, is the fact that at the conclusion of the spring semester, all WSU Athletic programs recorded a cumulative GPA over 3.00 for the first time in program history.
 
That does not happen by chance. It requires a dedicated staff of people working tirelessly for our student-athletes, an amazing academic facility which we have with the Champions Center, and mostly, wonderful student-athletes who realize and value the educational opportunities they have at Washington State.
 
Collegiate athletics has seen great change over the past few years, with the focus being on name, image and likeness (NIL), conference realignment, and revenue sharing, to name a few. Washington State has felt that impact, but it has not deterred us from our mission of providing a world-class education, ensuring our student-athletes are cared for as students, athletes, and people, departing Pullman prepared for life after graduation. 
 
We appreciate all the support Cougar Nation continues to provide our student-athletes as they fulfill their academic and athletic dreams. From purchasing tickets or donating to The Next Chapter of Champions, your help is positively impacting the lives of our 400-plus student-athletes, and for that we thank you. See you in the fall.
 
Go Cougs!
 
 
Anne McCoy
WSU Director of Athletics