2017-18 Annual Report Rising to the Occasion 3All-Americans NCAA Tournament 3Appearances for WBB since 2014 Individual Big West 5Champions Conference89 All-Academic Team Awards Student-Athletes honored at Varsity N 87 Big West 2Championships 48Student-Athletes earn All-Big West honors Big West Players 5of the Year Highlights Core Values Six core values guide and govern our actions at all times: Service We approach all our relationships with a spirit of service. Accountability We are personally accountable for our actions and are thoughtful with the use of Mission our resources. In alignment with the mission of CSUN: Discovery We are continuously learning and growing. We empower our student-athletes and staff to Education is the cornerstone of our decision achieve comprehensive excellence. making. We provide a diverse and inclusive educational Diversity & Inclusion experience for all members of our department We strive for diversity in opinion and and campus community. background. We look to include all voices in advancing our department. We engage and partner with the greater San Fernando Valley to make CSUN rise. Sportsmanship We conduct ourselves with character, on and off the field. Integrity We know the right thing to do is the only thing to do. Marketing n Branding - Introduced the new CSUN, CA logo. The CSUN, CA campaign uses the hashtag #OneMatador to signify that all CSUN Athletics Division I programs and student-athletes are united as one. Nineteen sports programs together make one team with one goal as One Matador strives for comprehensive excellence. n Attendance – Continued to increase at home games during the 2017-18 season over the previous season (2016-17). Increases were highlighted by baseball which boasted a 32% increase in overall attendance. Men’s volleyball had an 18% increase in overall attendance while women’s basketball posted a 15% increase in attendance. n Game Day Environment - CSUN Athletics Marketing and Event Staff introduced the new on-field Red Rally Student Section at men’s soccer. The Matadors, in partnership with Student Clubs and Orgs, introduced the CSUN Rally Squad to the game day experience. n Events – Both the Fall Season Kick-Off and Basketball’s Matador Madness saw an increase in sponsorship/partner participation. n n CSUN Athletics entered into a Community Outreach – The CSUN Athletics Marketing Academic Department increased their community outreach efforts, multifaceted partnership with Dignity Health Northridge Hospital Medical bringing more youth to home sporting events which Center. Designated as the “Official touched over 3,500 youth in the surrounding communities. Success Community Health Partner of the CSUN Efforts included team days, campus tours, a partnership Matadors” Dignity Health Northridge with LAUSD-Beyond Bell, Cub Scout Days and Read with the n In the Spring, 104 CSUN student-athletes Hospital Medical Center spans campus Matadors elementary school reading program. were Scholar-Athlete Award recipients with wide throughout CSUN Athletics, the a 3.5 GPA during the Fall 2017 term. n University Student Union, the Student Campus Support - The CSUN Athletics Marketing Rec Center, the Soraya Valley Performing Department continued to support campus initiatives n 166 CSUN student-athletes were named to Arts Center, and the Alumni Association. with staff members working on the 2018 Grand Reunion the Commissioner’s Honor Roll. (Homecoming 2018), New Student Orientation, Freshman n CSUN Athletics began a partnership with Convocation, Housing Move-In Day, Explore CSUN, n 87 student-athletes earned a cumulative Freebirds World Burrito in Granada Hills Winter and Summer Celebrations. The CSUN Athletics GPA of 3.2 or higher during the Spring and to enhance the food variety and a local Marketing Department also offered assistance to the Fall 2017 academic terms. location offered to the CSUN community. University Deans and Chairs Retreat and the Oviatt Library Freebirds receives signage in multiple Student Appreciation event. n All nine full Big West Conference member CSUN Athletic facilities, printed program institutions posted impressive All-Academic ads and social media ads along with numbers, with CSUN leading all schools multiple on-site Athletics spirit night with 65 representatives in the Spring. food giveaways for the CSUN students and fans. n The 2018 Varsity N ceremony honored 33 repeat honorees and 48 new inductees. n CSUN Athletics inclusion of digital partner ads on GoMatadors.com and n Highest Female GPA’s (4.0): the CSUN Athletics App provides easily Women’s Water Polo, Shannon Hovanasian accessible click-throughs to partner’s & Vivian Talamage webpages for discounts, specials, Women’s Tennis, Scout Shutter and services available to the CSUN Women’s Soccer, Jenna Koziol community. Women’s Golf, Alice Duan n Highest Male GPA: Baseball, Nolan Bumstead (4.0) n Corporate Men’s Team GPA: Men’s Volleyball – 2.87 n Women’s Team GPA: Women’s Soccer – 3.38 Partnerships n Dick Enberg Post-Graduate Scholarship for Academic Excellence – Scout Shutter 6 CSUN Athletics 2017-18 Annual Report 7 Development CSUN n Major Commitments This year: n Kennedy’s #40 is now prominently • $100,000 for the Men’s Volleyball Locker displayed on the center field fence at Sports Room Renovation. Matador Field. • $50,000 to the Sam Winningham Spirit Plaza n CSUN Athletics inducted Heather Hafner Network (Volleyball), Thor Lee (Soccer), Ofa n Following the generous lead gift from Tulikihihifo (Basketball) and the 1984 n In its third year, the CSUN Sports Network Irv Zakheim, broke ground on the new CSUN Baseball Team into the Matador Hall continued to expand the reach of CSUN baseball entry plaza. of Fame at a ceremony in February. Athletics through live streaming and feature video content. n CSUN Athletics continued to grow their Hospitality events at men’s soccer, men’s n The CSUN Sports Network live streamed a basketball and baseball. record 84 Matador athletic events in 2017- 18, which amounted for more than 300 n CSUN Baseball retired the jersey of hours of live content. alum Adam Kennedy. n The CSUN Sports Network streamed a full schedule of Matador men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball in the Fall, men’s and women’s basketball in the Winter and baseball, softball and men’s volleyball in the Spring. n The CSUN Sports Network utilized the talents of nearly 50 student crew members, ranging from Cinema-Television Arts to Music majors. n CSUN Sports Network broadcasters Jose Avalos (Men’s and Women’s Soccer), Eduard Cauich (Men’s and Women’s Soccer), Ghizal Hasan (Men’s Basketball), Eric Kaback (Women’s Basketball, Softball), Brandon Marcus (Softball), Ross Porter (Baseball), Darren Preston (Men’s Volleyball), Kevin Strauss (Women’s Basketball) and Alan Zinsmeister (Men’s Social and Women’s Basketball) continued to call games and provide expert commentary while advocating for CSUN Athletics. Media n The CSUN Sports Network live streamed the introductory press conference n Created a consistent handle for CSUN announcing the hiring of Mark Gottfried as Athletic accounts across all platforms. CSUN Head Men’s Basketball Coach. n Increased following by more than 15% n The CSUN Sports Network continued to add on all @GoMatadors accounts. new camera angles and graphics to its live in-game production package in 2017-18. n The Student-Athlete AD video was the highest viewed video ever on n In addition to live video streams, the @GoMatadors Twitter. Event CSUN Sports Network produced live audio broadcasts for various men’s and women’s n For the first time ever provided live social basketball, baseball and men’s volleyball coverage of Big West Championships, Management contests. including Women’s and Men’s Golf and n n the Track and Field Championships. CSUN Athletics successfully hosted numerous Big Implemented new entrances and procedures for n CSUN Sports Network crew members West Conference events in multiple sports, including Matador Soccer Field and The Matadome to improve produced numerous in-game videos and n Integrated animated graphics and gifs Men’s and Women’s Soccer Tournaments and the guest flow. highlight reels for on and off campus into game day coverage, that led to a Big West Track & Field Championships. events. 25% increase in engagement over the n CSUN Athletics introduced a Code of Conduct for n last year on all platforms. CSUN Athletics successfully hosted more than 177 our student staff, which not only holds our students n Several CSUN Sports Network student crew competitions at Matador athletic venues over the accountable for their game day responsibilities but members interned with ESPN and the Big n Made a conscious effort to highlight course of the 2017-18 season. also management in terms of formal discipline. West TV crew throughout the 2017-18 game day experiences and fan season. engagement on Instagram stories to n Trained all staff in being TIPS certified in order to show fans how much fun it is to attend a adjust to the introduction of alcohol sales in all CSUN athletics event. venues. 8 CSUN Athletics 2017-18 Annual Report 9 New Hires & Promotions n Nkosinza Balumbu was hired as Track & n David Lopez was hired as Athletics Event Field Assistant Coach. Manager and Game Operations Manager. n Chris Caden was hired as Assistant Sports n John McElfresh was hired as Associate Performance Coach. Director, Social Media & Feature Production. n Danae Delfin was hired as Assistant Athletic Trainer. n Matt Monroe was promoted to Associate AD/Sport Communications. n Jeff Dunlap was hired as Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach. n Amy Olsen was hired as Women’s Water Polo Assistant Coach. n Tanner Fowler was hired as Assistant Athletic Trainer. n Hayley Paxton was hired as Compliance Coordinator. n Ronnie Garcia was hired as Director of Marketing. n Ronnie Robles was hired as Sports Medicine Insurance Coordinator.