VISION: MISSION: To be the preferred destination for student-athletes, staff Through developing leaders and inspiring champions, and fans to pursue championships in sport and in life. we create Sooner Magic. 2017-18 OKLAHOMA ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 5 OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES 23 20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE 8 OUR SPORTS PROGRAMS 24 OUR STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS 21 OUR STAFF 28 FINANCIALS The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department 2017-18 Annual Report was produced under the supervision of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione and Senior Associate Athletics Director Kenny Mossman with writing assistance from Director of Publications Debbie Copp and the Athletics Communications staff . The report was designed by Director of Graphic Design Scott Matthews. This publication was printed by University Printing Services and distributed at no cost to the taxpayers of Oklahoma. Photo Credits: Photos courtesy of Stacey West, Travis Caperton, Hugh Scott, Shevaun Williams & Associates, Ty Russell and Candid Color. This publication was printed at no cost to the taxpayers of the state of Oklahoma. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo (August 2018). OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS As we celebrate another wonderful year of achievement and look ahead to new seasons of opportunity, I want to thank you for creating the environment in which we flourish. FROM THE DIRECTOR Because of your continued belief in us, we have the ability to offer the ultimate collegiate athletics experience. When we combine the talents of our outstanding student-athletes, coaches and staff with your ongoing support, special things are possible. At Oklahoma, those possibilities become Heisman Trophy winners, major conference award winners and top draft picks in football, men’s basketball, softball and baseball, all in one year. JOSEPH R. CASTIGLIONE Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs – This report reviews the year past and gives each of us another opportunity Director of Athletics to reflect on special moments we cheered together. Just as importantly, it chronicles our record-setting academic performance and the fiscal integrity for which our department is known. We want to share these highlights with you and that is the primary focus of our annual report. This report has a special meaning for me as I completed my 20th season as the director of athletics at the University of Oklahoma, an anniversary I am very proud to have celebrated with you. You are part of our team, an integral part. Join us in celebrating what we have done together … succeed as Sooners, enhancing one of the great collegiate sports programs in the country. With Great Appreciation, 4 2017-18 ANNUAL REPORT ACADEMICS Oklahoma student-athletes cumulative GPA for Spring 2018 is 3.13. This is a record, and it extends the streak to 13 semesters with a student-athlete cumulative GPA of over 3.00. Academic Progress Rates (APR) Scored above the required minimum of 930 for the 10th consecutive year by all sports programs Had three programs – women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, and women’s tennis - earn a perfect 1,000 multi-year APR score (4-year average). Had five programs earn a perfect Celebrated 13 consecutive semesters 1,000 single year APR – women’s Had 15 of 19 programs earn a with a cumulative GPA above 3.00. cross country, women’s golf, women’s cumulative GPA above a 3.00 for the gymnastics, women’s tennis and Spring 2017 and 13 of 19 programs do Had 325 student-athletes named to women’s volleyball. that for the Fall 2017 semester the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for Spring 2017 (term GPA above Academic Performance Graduation Rates 3.00) and 313 in Fall 2017 … Included Celebrated 130 graduates for 2017-18, Has achieved consistent improvement 144 student-athletes who received a including 122 undergraduates and 8 in our NCAA Graduation Success Rate 4.00 term GPA during the year (71 in master’s degrees. with the current GSR at 83% the spring and 73 in the fall) 5 OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES ACADEMIC HONOREES Paige Parker Jenny Carmichael Yuriko “Lily” Miyazaki Softball Track and Field Women’s Tennis CoSIDA Academic NCAA Walter Byers NCAA Elite 90 ACADEMICS All-American for a third Scholarship. Was also a consecutive year and Division 1 finalist for the 2017-18 Big 12 Scholar- becomes the first ever 2017 NCAA Woman of the Athlete of the Year three-time Academic Year Award Big 12 Prentice Gautt All-American and four-time Postgraduate Scholarship National Fastpitch Coaches Recipient Association All-American at OU. Paige Welch Griffin Pierce Maggie Nichols Soccer Men’s Golf Women’s Gymnastics 2017-18 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete 2018 Big 12 Prentice Gautt Arthur Ashe Courage of the Year honors Postgraduate Scholarship Award (to be presented at Recipient the 2018 ESPYS) Study Abroad Have had 120 student-athletes study abroad in the last six years, including a record 31 from 10 different sports in 2018 … Destinations include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Myanmar, Norway, Peru, Scotland, Spain and Thailand. 6 2017-18 ANNUAL REPORT Community Relations Recorded 4,103 hours of volunteer work from student-athletes, coaches and spirit squads Helped raise $53,816 for the OU Children’s Hospital Had a 270% increase in Sooner Jr. Kids Club membership Visited more than 25,000 Oklahoma students through the Sooner Jr. program Joined with PDQ Chicken to honor and award $12,000 to deserving Oklahoma teachers Donated more than 1,500 pounds of food and school supplies to Oklahoma Public Schools STUDENT-ATHLETE PROGRAMS - COMMUNITY SERVICES PROGRAMS - COMMUNITY STUDENT-ATHLETE SAIL Leadership Institute • Emergent Leaders – Sophomore SAIL (Student-Athlete Innovative Student-Athletes participated in and Junior student-athletes Leaders) was formed by joining Leadership Institute, which was developed and enhanced their the former SAAC (Student-Athlete programming created to develop leadership skills by receiving Advisory Committee) and Bridge current and future leaders. leadership training, focusing Builders groups. SAIL represen- on critical skills and developing tatives from each team were active in Programs include: insight. engaging the student-athlete body • M.A.G.I.C. Values Program – and greater Oklahoma community. Freshman student-athletes • Captain’s Table – Seniors or Team They also worked to improve the learned about the MAGIC Values, Captains were educated by “What student-athlete experience by partici- developed their identity and Drives Winning” creator Brett pating in education and rule formation self-awareness, built relationships Ledbetter and Athletic Director for the Big 12 Conference and National with other freshman student- Joe Castiglione. The sessions Collegiate Athletic Association athletes, and created a foundation involved interactive and engaging (NCAA). of leadership. content that helped build their personal and team-leading skills. 7 OUR SPORTS PROGRAMS Claimed its 11th Big 12 Championship (no other program has more than three) FOOTBALL and third straight by going 8-1 in regular season league play and beating TCU 41-17 in the Big 12 Championship Game in Lincoln Riley’s fi rst year Qualifi ed for the College Football Playoff (No. 2 seed) for the second time in the last three seasons Finished No. 3 in the AP and Amway Coaches top-25 polls, marking the third straight season it fi nished in the top fi ve of both Set single-season school records for total off ense (579.6 ypg; led FBS), yards per play (8.3; second all-time in FBS), passing yards per game (361.8) and completion percentage (.714; led FBS) Had four Sooners named fi rst-team All-Americans including Mayfi eld, tight end Mark Andrews, off ensive tackle Orlando Brown and linebacker/ defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo … Three, Mayfi eld, Andrews and Brown, unanimous All-Americans, making OU the fi rst team to produce three unanimous All-Americans on off ense in the same season BAKER MAYFIELD Quarterback Baker Mayfi eld became the most decorated player in program history, winning OU’s sixth Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and was named Player of the Year by the AP and Sporting News. He joins the ranks of other OU Heisman winners including Billy Vessels (1952), Steve Owens (1968), Billy Sims (1978), Jason White (2003) and Sam Bradford (2008). 8 2017-18 ANNUAL REPORT Soccer Freshman goalkeeper McKinley Crone Fourteen Sooners were named to recorded three consecutive shutouts Academic All-Big 12 team, including 12 in a stretch that saw opponents unable first-team selections, marked the 14th to score a goal for over 350 minutes … season that at least five Sooners had Marked the first shutouts for OU since been included on the first team 2015, her three consecutive were the first since 2014 Saw Kaylee Dao, Joran Hobart, Lizzie Luallin and Marisa McMahand earn recognition with 4.0 GPAs from their last two semesters Dao, who led the team with four goals on the year, including two game winners, earned All-Big 12 first-team honors, becoming just the seventh player to earn multiple Big 12 honors in her career Volleyball Finished the 2017 season with a 7-22, COUNTRY SOCCER/VOLLEYBALL/CROSS including a 4-12 recorded in Big 12 play. Welcomed Lindsey Gray-Walton as the head coach of the Sooners’ volleyball program after spending the least eight seasons on Craig Skinner’s staff at Kentucky as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Assistant Coach of the Year at the 2017 NCAA’s Final Four Added Jake Barreau and Megan Added two NCAA All-Midwest Cross Country Pendergast as assistant coaches for Collected four team victories - three Regional honorees, Sarah Scott and her inaugural season, set to begin in for the women and one on the men’s Wallace, for top 25 finishes August 2018.