The Purple Circle Fund has been crucial to our athletics program for many years. These funds are necessary to demonstrate our commitment to our student-athletes and coaches. This commitment represents our intention to be the best athletics program at one of the finest institutions in our region. This can only happen with your assistance and is directly linked to the success of the Purple Circle.
or renovated in the last three years. Now in our most recent addition, we have the ultimate in luxury suites being built at Estes Stadium. A new weight room will be constructed attached to the Pepsi Center and new synthetic turf will be installed for football and softball. The recruiting budgets in all sports have improved to help our coaches find the best and brightest for our program.
Our programs accomplished so much during our transitional years. We are now a full member of the NCAA Division I and the successes which were evident during the transition will only get better. We see success resonating in all sports both athletically and academically.
We need all of our UCA alumni, fans, and friends to join our membership family. If you are renewing your membership thank you, but also please help us find other members to join at any level. If you have never been a member, I invite you to join us at any level in which you feel comfortable. The membership levels begin at $100 and run up to $10,000. Our goal is to increase the number of members and broaden our UCA family. I hope you will help us reach this goal.
The Purple Circle has been vital for our coaches and student-athletes. We have seen great improvements in facilities and recruiting. Every athletics facility has either been constructed
—Brad Teague Director of Athletics bteague@uca.edu
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We are proud to state that we have earned full membership in NCAA Division I and we want you to join us in this exciting journey with your support through the Purple Circle.
MISSION STATEMENT
The University of Central Arkansas Athletics Department will provide a NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics program for men and women committed to support the educational mission of the university. The department will achieve excellence within intercollegiate competition at the highest level while aggressively maintaining a commitment to fairness and integrity. The strategic vision of the Athletics Department is to become the preeminent program in the Southland Conference and to support and enhance the university’s educational mission and values while carefully operating within the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s principles and regulations. As the official support organization for UCA Athletics, we depend on the Purple Circle to help us in this regard.
Each year, your contribution to the Purple Circle provides critical funding to help offset the rising costs of operating an NCAA Division I athletics program. By investing in the Purple Circle, you have a direct and distinct impact on a student-athlete’s athletic achievement, academic growth and personal development. In the last year alone, numerous facility improvements have been made in an ongoing effort to provide our student athletes and fans with the best experience possible (see pages 4-5). Your support of our efforts to upgrade the program has been vital through the Purple Circle. You can be assured that as the quality of our facilities improves; the quality of our athletes will continue to get better. The quality of competition is helping bring us to the national stage. A look at the schedule in all sports will tell you that Central Arkansas has arrived in terms of top-drawer competition throughout the Southland Conference and our non-conference schedules. WHO AM I SUPPORTING?
Oklahoma State, Colorado, Ole Miss and Texas Tech can be found on the upcoming football schedules while men’s and women’s basketball have faced the likes of Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Alabama (which will come to Conway next season for women’s basketball) and other quality opposition. Baseball will play the University of Texas and softball brings Ole Miss to Conway for the second straight year. Central Arkansas volleyball has also been playing teams of this caliber including LSU, Virginia Tech, Missouri and TCU. We believe our coaches and student-athletes are doing much to provide a great entertainment product and excitement to the Central Arkansas area. Every contribution to the Purple Circle is an investment in the lives of the young men and women who represent UCA with talent, determination, and pride. Join us in this march and thanks for your support! If you have questions or would like to visit in person, please contact us. Maegan Dyson Development Associate mdyson@uca.edu - 501.852.7744
There are approximately 400 student athletes competing in 17 varsity sports and we are pleased to tell you that the group continues to exceed the average grade point average at the University which is among the tops in Arkansas. Many of those have been honored by the Southland Conference with close to 60% of the athletes earning a 3.0 GPA or better and an overall average of 2.91. Eight of our teams have a cumulative GPA of above a 3.0 and another seven are above a 2.5. Additionally, 66 of our fall sports student-athletes were named to the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Bill Johnson Development Associate bjohnson@uca.edu - 501.450.5837 Matt Jordan Director of Athletic Marketing mjordan@uca.edu - 501.358.8460
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HOW WILL MY DONATION BE USED?
As is the case at any athletics department – particularly at the Division I level outside the major conferences with billiondollar TV contracts – private funding is absolutely essential for developing and maintaining a strong, well-rounded program. One of the most critical elements, and a vital role played by the Purple Circle fund, is in athletics facilities. With our reclassification complete and beginning the era of competing as a full-fledged Division I institution, it is of utmost importance to ensure that our student-athletes are given access to the tools necessary to keep on par with our opposition as we strive to become the model program in the Southland Conference and a force in the region. Thanks in part to the generosity of our supporters, we have been able to make a number of improvements across campus in recent months and have more exciting plans for the near future. At the top of that list is the construction of a new strength & conditioning complex that will attach to the front of the Pepsi Center. Our current weight facility, housed inside Estes Stadium, is far too small to accommodate our nearly 400 student-athletes. With an expanded facility and modern equipment, scheduling conflicts will be vastly reduced and every student-athlete will be able to train harder and more efficiently. Athletes want to be stronger, faster and more durable, and strength & conditioning centers are always high on recruits’ priority lists. In addition to being a great showpiece for our university, this complex will serve as a tremendous recruiting tool as our coaches look to develop championship student-athletes and bring banners and trophies to UCA.
We are also excited about projects at baseball and softball. Bear Stadium received new turf this offseason, reducing the effect of the weather and increasing the amount of time our student-athletes can stay on the field both for practice and games. The durable surface will also allow us to showcase our facility to a larger audience through camps, high school games, legion games, summer tournaments, etc. New walls were built down each foul line, with family areas to be installed. Party Decks were constructed just beyond the outfield wall, and segments of the wall in front of the decks were removed to give a better viewing experience for our fans. At softball, an allnew grandstand will be unveiled during the 2011 season, and the entire field will be turfed for the 2012 season. Both facilities received new scoreboards in January as well.
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The buzz surrounding our basketball programs is growing with the success of our women’s program under Coach Matt Daniel and the excitement of a bright future for our men’s team under Coach Corliss Williamson. This has translated into improvements to the Farris Center that have turned it, nearly overnight, into the upper echelon of arenas and gameday environments in the Southland Conference. The men’s program was able to make some much-needed upgrades to its locker room area, and our women’s program was able to add a video room with theater seating and state-of-the-art interactive whiteboards. It is tools like these that maximize our
coaches’ and student-athletes’ ability to prepare and, in turn, succeed. And it cannot happen without the Purple Circle. The in-game experience has also been greatly enhanced in the Farris Center with the addition of the largest videoboard in the Southland Conference, new goals, a remodeled floor and other new scoreboards. Visiting coaches and ADs have commented publicly about the atmosphere in our arena, and we hope to continue to build upon that and establish the Farris Center as one of the toughest places around to play.
One area where we’ve already enjoyed a tremendous amount of success has been on the volleyball court, where the Sugar Bears have won the last two Southland Conference regular season titles with a 31-1 record. This year they just missed the NCAA tournament, falling to UTSA in the SLC tournament final. With the assistance of the Purple Circle, the facility has seen some major upgrades fitting of a championship program. Locker room improvements, a film area and lounge room for the student-athletes have made the player area an invaluable recruiting tool. Given the team’s success and rising popularity, capacity was increased in the Prince Center this year with new seating and a student area in the corner. More improvements are planned for the lobby area as well.
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WHAT BENEFITS DO I RECEIVE WITH MY MEMBERSHIP? There are many benefits to Purple Circle membership, varying with level of investment. Priority for premium seating and parking at events, sideline passes, access to hospitality rooms and UCA athletics apparel are just some of the benefits enjoyed by Purple Circle members. All donations made to the Purple Circle are tax deductible. Active members of the Lettermen’s Club in all sports continue to receive double credit for their gift in determining benefits.
BENEFITS
Gray Bear
Purple Bear
Purple Grizzly
King Grizzly
Director’s Circle
President’s Trustee’s Circle Circle
$100-299
$300-499
$500-999
$1,0002,499
$2,5004,999
$5,0009,999
$10,000 & up
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Tax Deduction Email/Newsletter Updates Purple Circle Car Decal Publication Recognition Invitation to Social Events Complimentary Basketball Season Ticket Packages (upon request) Courtside Seats at Basketball Games* Chairback Seats at Football Games* Priority Parking at Football Games
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Sideline Passes for One Football Game** Football Hospitality Room UCA President’s Club Membership UCA Logo Apparel Estes Stadium Pillar Recognition
* – Tickets for priority seating (chairback seats at football and courtside seats at basketball) are not included with membership donation. The number listed indicates the amount of seating that can be purchased at that given level. ** – Sideline passes will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Each donor will receive 2 passes to 1 home game.
Visit ucastore.com, the official online shop of UCA athletics, for all of your Bear apparel and accessories. Coming in late spring, PC members can enjoy UCA and PC-specific merchandise at a special member discounted price.
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LUXURY SEATING COMING TO ESTES STADIUM We were extremely pleased to make the announcement last November of last year that a first-class upgrade to the gameday experience at Estes Stadium would be coming for the 2012 season in the way of luxury skyboxes. The suites will be part of a $20-million project that also includes Bear Hall, the school’s newest residence hall. A total of 12 suites, each with seating for up to 20, will overlook the field from just above the East side stands, allowing fans a great view of the action from a great facility. Each of the boxes will feature both indoor and outdoor seating, flatscreen TVs, refrigerators, ice storage, and other amenities never before afforded UCA fans at Estes Stadium. The suite level – which will be accessible via an entranceway and elevator exclusive to suiteholders, separate from the residence hall – will contain restrooms, storage areas and a sports lounge area for patrons to visit in a common space. As of this printing, only one box remains. Each box leases for $25,000 per year with a 10-year commitment. Luxury accommodations such as these are another indication of our progress as a quality Division I athletics program. Not only will it enhance the viewing experience for our fans, it will also provide an additional revenue stream in the future and enhances the aesthetics of Estes Stadium – adding another asset for UCA in the recruitment of top-notch student-athletes and coaches. It is Purple Circle members who help make projects such as this one a reality. As we continually strive to improve as a Division I athletics program and put the best product possible on display to represent our university, our alumni and fans, each donation from $25,000 per year for a skybox to less than $9 a month at the Gray Bear entry level will aid us in that endeavor.
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