Dear Pirates Nation, There’s no way around it. The 2019-20 Seton Hall Athletics year will forever be remembered as bittersweet and incomplete. On March 12 as people began to understand how serious the COVID-19 pandemic had become, the NCAA canceled its winter and spring championships, bringing collegiate athletics to a grinding halt. This was a gut punch. Our men’s basketball team was just days away from receiving a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament and beginning what we all thought could be a special March Madness run. Our women’s basketball team was gearing up to hear its name called for a national postseason bid for the sixth time in seven years. All of our spring sports were just starting to hit their stride. I was heartbroken for our studentathletes. For many of them, this was their last opportunity to play the sport they love. They not only relish the opportunity to play for championships, but they enjoy the journey that comes along with it: workouts and practices that help them get better, the comradery with their teammates, the travel that takes them to
places they’ve never been before. It’s all a part of the college athletics experience, and it was taken from them. I said that this past year was bittersweet because despite the unfortunate end to the athletic portion of our season, we still have plenty to be proud of and to celebrate here in this annual report. As you’ll read in the following pages, we continue to boast some of the best and the brightest in the country. Our studentathletes once again combined to deliver a record-high department cumulative grade point average, and that is in spite of having their spring semester upended and moved into remote education for the final nine weeks. Our men’s basketball team, which reached as high as No. 8 in the country, had won the BIG EAST regular season championship and was in a position to captivate fans in March. Our women’s basketball team finished the BIG EAST regular season in third place and was poised to do some damage in the WNIT. Our men’s swimming & diving team won six races at the BIG EAST Championship to continue its run as one of the best programs in the conference. Women’s golf’s No. 54 national ranking in the fall is a program-best, and the team was a
favorite to capture the spring conference championship. All of our continued success in the classroom and on the field gives us hope for 2020-21. There is still much uncertain about this world right now, but whenever we return to active competition, I am certain that we will be once again celebrating great accomplishments in next year’s annual report. No matter what happens this upcoming year, please know that your support of our student-athletes and this department is vital to our success. We need every fan, alumnus(a) and donor to remain engaged with us. Our mission as always is to provide the best possible studentathlete experience and maximize their potential in preparation for life after college. We cannot do that without you, Pirates Nation. GO PIRATES!
Bryan Felt Director of Athletics & Recreation
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