Friends of Niagara Athletics,

Thank you for visiting and welcome to our new alumni and development section of the site. We have revamped the site to better tell the story of Niagara University, our donors and our Purple Eagles in an interactive way. I know you will feel more connected to us as you browse through the new sections.

We hit a record number of donors during the 2007-08 academic year and their support helped us excel academically and athletically. Our men’s ice hockey won the CHA title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in our 12-year history. Several of our senior student-athletes capped their careers in brilliant ways, including swimmer Pat Garvey winning two MAAC Championships and an ECAC Championship, soccer player Brittany Bisnott being named Verizon First Team Academic All-America and earning an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and tennis player Walter Garcia winning MAAC Player of the Year honors. Lastly, our men’s basketball team won the Cable Car Classic and beat St. John’s University on the road for the first time in 44 years.

And our athletic success parallels our academic achievement. Our 307 Purple Eagles combined to post a cumulative grade point average of more than a 3.2 in each semester. Fifteen of our 17 teams notched over a 3.0 in the spring of 2008 and 68 student-athletes achieved a 4.0 in either semester. Your support is helping our student-athletes play the sports that they love while they earn a Niagara University degree and prepare for their careers.

Niagara University Athletics is on the cusp of becoming an elite program at the Division I level and we have made progress because of our alumni, donors, parents and friends. Join us today and improve the experience of more than 350 student-athletes and coaches. You can restrict your gift to your favorite sport, the athletics general fund or a specific capital project like the Kiernan Center Renovation which is planned for the spring of 2009. With our university’s capital campaign in full swing, “The Promise of Niagara: The Next 150 Years”, your support will help to change the face of Niagara University and its athletic department.

I encourage you to join the Purple and White Club today and be a part of history during the most exciting time ever on Monteagle Ridge. I hope to see you on campus soon and Go Purple Eagles!

Sincerely,

Ed McLaughlin

Director of Athletics