Here is the body of the email, in its entirety:
"The 2018-19 sports year is behind us, and it was an unprecedented run of success by Marshall Athletics. Now, the busy summer months have arrived, and there is plenty to be done before our student-athletes start racking up the accomplishments again starting in August.
First, a look back. As we know, the football program continues to bring home bowl trophies. Doc Holliday and the Herd, with the most wins of any Conference USA football team since 2014 (43), have led a program that now has seven consecutive bowl wins – the longest streak in the nation – and is a perfect 6-0 since Holliday became the head coach. That was the first "postseason" win by our athletic department this past year, but it was not the last. Our men's basketball program won the CIT championship, the women's basketball program advanced in the WBI and the softball program captured three wins in the NISC. That's four programs with wins beyond the regular season or a conference title game or conference tournament. You know how many other athletic departments had those four sports win postseason games? Two: Kentucky and Minnesota. That's an extremely exclusive list for Marshall to be on.
This is truly an exciting time to be associated with Marshall Athletics. This fall's football schedule has everyone buzzing, with a challenging road trip to Boise State and non-conference home games against nearby rivals Cincinnati and Ohio. We have a rare seven-game home schedule, which is a treat, and we need the Joan C. Edwards Stadium home-field advantage that we've always enjoyed. More name opponents will visit Huntington in the coming years, including Pitt and Boise State next season, and Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Appalachian State, Navy, Liberty and Western Michigan down the road. We can lure quality opponents to our backyard because of our fan support. The purchase of season tickets is an important part of that process.
There will be additional incentives for season ticket-holders in the future, too. In 2022, Marshall will head to Notre Dame for a non-conference game in one of the most historic venues in college football. This will be one of the most anticipated games in school history, and put our football program on the biggest stage in the sport. Tickets for that all-time matchup will be VERY limited, and being a season ticket-holder, Big Green member and contributor to the Herd Rises campaign will give you priority to purchase tickets for the game in South Bend. It will be here before you know it.
In the more immediate future, we will soon be announcing another home-and-home football series with one of the most well-respected and storied programs in college football. Stay tuned for that.
Also, I want to applaud Conference USA for its latest broadcast deal with the NFL Network. This is a positive step for exposure for the league and will benefit recruiting, even though Marshall will not appear on the network during the 2019 season. The Marshall brand is coveted when it comes to broadcast opportunities, so all our games have been chosen for television this season. But the deal with NFL Network is beneficial for our program and our league on a national scale.
Meanwhile, the chief task on my desk has to do with raising funds for our next major facilities upgrade, which includes a state-of-the-art baseball stadium. The location has been secured, which is a major component to the process, but we want this baseball stadium to be the envy of everyone. We have an ambitious schedule we are trying to keep, so we need everyone to help us pull and claw to get this done. Based on my time in this chair, I know we have the people to make our dreams come true.
As our student-athletes show us every year – anything is possible.
Go Herd!
Mike Hamrick
Director of Athletics
Marshall University"
