WELCOME BACK 2023-2024 JAGUARS!
Over 200 GSU student-athletes and 14 men's and women's sports teams will compete this academic school year with the Jaguars starting year #9 in NAIA Athletics and the CCAC Conference! Fall sports team open practices August 1 and the scheduled games, tournaments, events and soccer matches start later in August.
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"Team Effort For US At GSU" - GSU's Athletic Director Tony Bates - talking about 2022-2023 CCAC Athletic Director of the Year Award.
CHICAGO --- Tony Bates, the architect of the Governors State University athletics program, has been named the 2022-23 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Athletic Director of the Year, the league office announced on Tuesday. He was selected by a vote of the 14 CCAC athletic directors.
Bates built the Jaguars program from the ground up, initiating athletics in 2015 after the school transitioned from a two-year program to a four-year institution. The current athletics program is made up of 14 sports with more on the horizon.
"Tony possesses a rare combination of strategic vision, exceptional organizational skills and a deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of student-athletes," said Paul McGuinness, Governors State Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. "He has a way of reaching young men and women and inspiring them to become student leaders."
Bates oversees a staff of 30 individuals for a program that saw six of its squads earn NAIA Scholar Team recognition (team gpa of 3.00 or higher for the 2022-23 academic year) and 31 student-athletes garner CCAC all-academic status (3.25 or higher cumulative gpa) this past year.
Each of GSU's student-athletes take part in a minimum of two service projects per year, which includes an annual department-wide service day each November. Other service opportunities have included preparing meals for Feed My Starving Children, assisting with mobile food banks and raising donations for families affected by an apartment building fire in Chicago Heights.
"Coach Bates serves as a role model for our student-athletes, encouraging them to achieve excellence not only on the field, but also in the classroom and in their personal lives," added McGuinness. "Tony is an exceptional leader, whose passion, vision and unwavering commitment to athletic excellence have had a transformative impact on our athletic program."
Bates has been a key piece to the growth of the Governors State program, which will add women's bowling and men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field to its sports ledger in 2023-24. That will push the student-athlete enrollment up to 250.
One year later, Governors State is slated to sponsor softball followed by baseball in 2025-26. The five-year growth plan also includes developing additional facilities to host more athletic events on campus.
Besides his athletic director responsibilities, Bates has also served as the only men's basketball coach the program has ever known and was named CCAC Co-Coach of the Year in 2017-18 when the Jaguars advanced to the NAIA National Tournament and earned a No. 14 national ranking. This past winter, he earned his 100th coaching victory at the school.
"Tony is a positive voice for our conference," said CCAC Commissioner Jeff Schimmelpfennig. "In a time in our country when people are quick to complain, Tony has a positive attitude every day."
"I am blessed, humbled, and honored to receive this prestigious award on behalf of my team. We have worked hard over the last 8 years to go from 3 to 14 varsity sports. We will be welcoming over 225 Student-Athletes this Fall. This is a great accomplishment for Jaguar Nation ! Thanks to the GSU administration for all the support and resources to make this a reality for the Jaguars," said Tony Bates.