The 2023-2024 year was record-breaking for Stetson Athletics, marked by significant milestones in on-field achievements, national media exposure and revenue generation.

The Hatter baseball, men’s basketball and women’s tennis teams each won an ASUN conference championship. The baseball team won a share of the regular-season title and the ASUN Championship tournament at Melching Field at Conrad Park, then advanced to the Tallahassee NCAA Regional. 

The men’s basketball team won the ASUN Championship, defeating Austin Peay at home, to advance to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. 

The women’s tennis team posted a perfect 10-0 mark in league play, won the ASUN Championship and advanced to the NCAA Regionals in Gainesville. Travis Sandlant was honored as ASUN Coach of the Year. 

The men’s golf team, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Regional for the first time in program history, improved almost 200 spots in the national ranking over the past two seasons. 

Finishing 12-4 in ASUN play, Stetson women’s basketball, led by 2024 ASUN Coach of the Year Lynn Bria, earned a berth in the WNIT in Miami.

In the classroom, Stetson student-athletes earned a combined 3.24 GPA, including 45 student-athletes with a 4.0. In all, 17 teams recorded an overall 3.0 or higher.  

Along with team successes came increased visibility and significant national media exposure across various platforms.

Stetson received more than 54,000 media mentions in 2023-2024 with a total publicity value of $120 million, according to Cision media monitoring. The men’s basketball team enjoyed widespread national coverage with its first NCAA tournament appearance, including a live interview from campus with CBS Sports. During March Madness, Stetson received 8,000 media mentions with a publicity value of $20.3 million, according to Cision.

In addition, Stetson Athletics experienced substantial growth in revenue generation, achieving new heights in several areas.

Fan attendance at athletic events resulted in record-breaking numbers and ticket sales. 

The baseball and men’s basketball programs both set individual attendance records during the season on their way to title runs. Baseball beat No. 4 Florida on Feb. 27 in front of a crowd of 2,986 fans, while men’s basketball hosted 2,328 fans for the ASUN Championship win over Austin Peay. New school records were set for regular and postseason ticket sales.  

With the increase in athletic success and exposure, corporate support of Stetson’s nearly 500 student-athletes is at an all-time high. During the past three years, corporate sponsorship revenue has increased by more than 100%, due largely to exclusive partnerships with AdventHealth, Insight Credit Union, Watson Realty and Pepsi.

A new fundraising milestone was also reached with philanthropic support of athletics, growing 221% from the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Annual giving rose 11% along with major gift commitments designated to athletic scholarships, operational expenses and facility projects.

The unprecedented fundraising year was largely attributed to gifts and pledges directed to the renovation of Edmunds Center, home of the Stetson men’s and women’s basketball and indoor volleyball teams. Phase One of the Edmunds Center renovation project — encompassing new arena seating, a new sound system, new lobby restrooms, and enhanced locker rooms for the men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, cheer, and volleyball programs — is scheduled for completion prior to the start of the fall semester. Fundraising for Phase Two of the Edmunds Center renovation is on-going.

Stetson also assisted student-athletes in the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) space with Influxer, a company that assists student-athletes in selling personalized NIL merchandise. The most recent sales report ranks Stetson as the 12th highest selling athletics department on the platform.

Stetson will look to continue its ascent when the Hatter Athletic Fund hosts its fall sports annual giving campaign, Aug. 12-16. Hatter fans can support Stetson fall sports by visiting www.gohatters.com/haf.

For more information about Stetson Athletics, visit www.gohatters.com.