Shocker Students,

Welcome back and welcome to our new students! You are a part of something special here at Wichita State. This year will be one filled with great accomplishments, as well as a variety of other items that will afford you a special experience and give us an outstanding year to share together.

Your participation as fans and your support of your peer student-athletes makes a huge difference in how our teams compete. We compete as a NCAA Division I institution and put 15 sport teams on the field to compete, while also being students.

• Baseball

• Men’s and women’s basketball

• Men’s and women’s cross country

• Men’s and women’s golf

• Softball

• Men’s and women’s tennis

• Men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field

• Women’s volleyball

One of the school’s points of pride is Charles Koch Arena, home to Shocker Athletics, and the competition site for volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball. Charles Koch Arena was brought about by the partnership of key supporters whose names adorn the building and areas inside the building. You as students were also integral in contributing to the reconstruction of Charles Koch Arena, and for your support we thank you.

We are proud to provide students free admission to Shocker athletic events as a part of this partnership. In addition, we provide the first 1,000 students admission to men’s basketball games with a student ID and a ticket picked up in advance. The environment in Charles Koch Arena for men’s basketball is electric, in large part as a result of your active participation. Please take advantage of the opportunity to attend all of our activities.

In addition, I want to encourage all of you to join the Shocker Maniacs, our student booster group, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook. There are a multitude of ways for you to become an active member of the Shocker Nation, and I encourage you to do so. Please call the Wichita State Office of Marketing and Promotions at (316) 978-5499 for more information on joining.

Shocker Athletics is focused on excellence both on the field and in the classroom. In 2011-12, Wichita State won four Missouri Valley Conference titles, including championships in men’s basketball, women’s outdoor track and field, women’s tennis, and men’s golf. WSU also has a colorful and successful history, winning a conference-best 18 Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Trophies.

Shocker Athletics wins championships, but also graduates student-athletes while producing excellence in the classroom. The graduation rate for all Wichita State student-athletes who complete their eligibility is above 90 percent, which ranks among the top schools in the country. Last year, the average GPA for your peer student-athlete was 3.2, which is getting it done there as well.

The 2011-12 school year brought many, many Shocker individual and team accomplishments, but one of the most impressive accomplishments was the 2,387 hours of community service Shocker teams completed over the course of the school year. Wichita State athletics has given back to the community through a conscious effort that began close to 20 years ago, and has grown to the level it is today where it is an integral part of the student-athlete experience. It is really about engaging in and supporting a campus and community that gives so much to us in Shocker Athletics.

As always, thank you to the returning students who help make the atmosphere at Shocker athletic events what it is, and to the new students on campus, we hope you put Shocker Athletics on your calendar of events this year.

Thanks, and have a Shockeriffic year!

Eric L. Sexton