Sycamores,

Happy Homecoming week! I am excited to take in my first Indiana State Homecoming. The university and athletics department has a lot of activities scheduled for our students, alumni, donors, fans and community. We hope you all take this opportunity to celebrate our community, university and our athletics programs.

It has been 114 days since I began my tenure as the Director of Athletics here at Indiana State. To say I am excited about the 2024-2025 academic year would be an understatement. My family and I have been welcomed with open arms, and it has been a joy to connect with so many people thus far.

The fall sports season is well underway. Women's Soccer has had a great season thus far as they are currently 8-5-5, which is the most wins in a season since the 2013 season. Their last regular season home game will occur this Sunday at Memorial Stadium as they take on Belmont.

For the first time in nearly 20 years, our volleyball program had the opportunity to play in the Hulman Center back in early October. They are coming off a victory over Evansville this past Monday and with four home games left (two of those in the Hulman Center) - take this opportunity to support our volleyball student-athletes.

Cross Country is preparing for the Missouri Valley Championship which will take place on November 1 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Emma Greshman has been crushing records as she has broken three school records this season. We also recently announced that Indiana State University will host the 2026 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. We are thrilled to be able to bring this event back to Cross Country Town USA!

The Missouri Valley Football Conference continues to be a battle each week, but our football student-athletes are up to the test this weekend! Homecoming is always one of those games that our guys get excited about because they know Memorial Stadium will be filled with a sea of Blue! Let's make sure those Salukis from Southern Illinois can hear all of you this Saturday!

As we approach the winter sports seasons, there is a ton of excitement around all the programs. Swimming and Diving have a lot to be thrilled about with the start of their season and being selected second in the Missouri Valley Conference pre-season polls!  

Then on the hardwood, last week we hosted Tip Off in the Forest which was a huge success and was a great opportunity for our fans to see our women's and men's basketball teams for the first time this year. President Godard and I enjoyed the opportunity to interact with our students and fans. Men's basketball season tickets sales continue to climb as we have the most season tickets since the 2011-12 season. Take advantage and secure your season tickets today!

Being a part of the community is not only important to me, but also our coaches and student-athletes. Our programs have been busy this fall semester taking in different opportunities within our campus community but also the community at large. One of our biggest highlights for student-athletes has been the High Five Fridays at the Vigo County School Corporation. We look forward to continuing that partnership and it has been a joy seeing the kids excitement! 
 
Most importantly, our student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom at a very high level. In the near future, we will be able to publish some impressive academic numbers, and we should all be extremely proud of their accomplishments.

Thank you for your continued generosity as every ticket purchased, gifts to the Sycamore Athletics Fund, or contribution to the Crossroad of Champion helps our student-athletes reach their dreams. Financial support is critical to our success as an athletic department, and it will take all of us to elevate Sycamore Athletics.

Thank you again, for all that you do for Indiana State Athletics. I hope to see you at one of our many upcoming Sycamore events!

March On!

 
Nathan Christensen, Indiana State Director of Athletics