Dear Stags Family,
At the beginning of the academic year, we selected Compete, Every Play, Every Day as our theme for the year. As I reflected this summer, I brimmed with a great sense of pride and admiration for our Stags TEAM. They embraced that mindset with passion, positive energy and a relentless commitment, as 450+ student-athletes, as 20 programs and as one department; resulting in truly remarkable outcomes and a memorable 2023-24 season.
We achieved many milestones during the year – more than 200 wins overall in a journey that saw four MAAC Championships, five NCAA appearances, seven Regular Season Conference Titles and two nationally-ranked teams – all culminating in Fairfield's first MAAC Commissioner's Cup in more than a decade.
As accomplished as we were in competition, we displayed exceptional effort and acumen in the classroom, producing a 3.53 department GPA with 62 percent of student-athletes awarded Dean's List honors, resulting in a flourish of University awards bestowed upon our senior Stags as they gathered on Bellarmine Lawn in their red stoles, "Built for Life", ready to explore the world beyond Fairfield.
While we celebrate the aforementioned successes, we do so with humility and a recognition that these are both a validating benchmark and a progressive step in our aspirational program development. Most importantly, we acknowledge that these impressive accolades are by-products of a consistent mindset that fosters the continued pursuit of personal and collective best. I am honored to be in the daily presence of close to 600 student-athletes, coaches and staff who pursue excellence in all that they do with a tireless work ethic and a contagious enthusiasm.
The 2023-24 Annual Report is undoubtedly a capstone narrative of our Stags TEAM and their exceptional achievements. While it puts a time stamp on an amazing year, it captures what makes the Stags Athletics experience unique and provides a glimpse into what is possible as we look forward to 2024-25 and beyond. Go Stags!
With gratitude for your support,
Paul Schlickmann
Vice President for Athletics
