Greg Christopher Reaches Out To Xavier Nation

Dear Xavier Nation,

As the calendar flips to August, we are just weeks away from our fall sports teams returning to action for another exciting year of Musketeer Athletics. Before the 2026-27 sports year kicks off, I wanted to reach out to alumni and fans with both updates and gratitude.
Whether providing financial backing or cheering on our teams in the stands, your loyalty and generosity fuel our 300+ student-athletes. Your support has a meaningful impact on our 19 programs – feeding success in competition, in the classroom, and throughout our community. As we reflect on the 2025–26 academic year and look ahead to the opportunities before us, I am deeply grateful for all you do to strengthen Xavier Athletics.
With all that is going on at Xavier and in college athletics, this year's summer update letter is more extensive than usual, because there's a lot of ground to cover.

A glance back…

This past year was one of the most successful in recent memory, defined by excellence across every dimension.
Our student-athletes once again demonstrated their commitment to academic achievement, continuing Xavier's proud tradition of success in the classroom. More than half of Xavier's student-athletes achieved Dean's list status, and the overall student-athlete GPA last year was an impressive 3.49. Beyond academics, our teams logged nearly 1,200 hours of community service, embodying our Jesuit values through meaningful engagement in the Cincinnati area.
In competition, Xavier captured five Big East Championships with titles in women's soccer, women's golf, men's golf, women's tennis, and baseball. Additionally, volleyball earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament after its record-breaking 26-5 season.

In addition to these team accomplishments, 43 Xavier student-athletes achieved All Big East honors, including standout individual achievements worth highlighting:

Christy Pfeffenberger and her staff earned Big East Coaching Staff of the Year honors in volleyball.
In women's soccer, Samantha Erbach was named Big East Midfielder of the Year, and Natalie Bain repeated as Big East Defensive Player of the Year.
In women's golf, Stephanie Young was named Big East Coach of the Year, Madison Reemsnyder earned Big East Golfer of the Year honors, and Ashley Kirkland was Big East Freshman of the Year.
Brian Arlinghaus was named Big East Coach of the Year in men's golf, and Cayce Morgan winning both conference Golfer of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
And in women's tennis, Doug Matthews and his staff won Big East Coaching Staff of the Year and Abby Nugent earned unanimous honors as Big East Player of the Year.

On the basketball front, both of Xavier's teams experienced uneven seasons. While injuries contributed to their frustrating finishes, the reality is that Xavier's basketball teams were under-resourced compared to our Big East peers relative to their team revenue sharing payrolls.
And while that last sentence may be jarring for some fans, it is the new reality in which we operate. A decade ago, successful programs were built around three areas: a great coach, a first-rate facility, and the necessary operating resources to run the program. While those are still important, today's environment has added a fourth priority: a competitive revenue sharing payroll for the players.

Marching forward…

As we built this year's University and Athletics Department budgets, increasing resources for Richard Pitino and Billi Chambers was imperative. Xavier Basketball is one of the most visible aspects of the University, so everyone involved in Xavier's leadership – including the Board and President Hanycz – is committed to the success of our basketball programs.
Thanks to the generosity of Xavier Nation, both our men's and women's basketball programs have been active in recruiting and the transfer portal, positioning themselves to take steps forward in the Big East and to compete nationally.
Department-wide, we welcome two new head coaches to Xavier as the school year begins. Katy Etelman is being promoted to head coach of the women's soccer program. And we just introduced Adam Cohen as our new Director of Tennis, leading both our women's and men's programs.

Navigating a volatile landscape…

While we remain laser-focused on the success of our student-athletes in competition and the classroom, we also play an active role the conversation shaping the future of college athletics, during a time of complete disruption and transformation.
Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities, the transfer portal, and the move toward direct revenue sharing are reshaping how programs operate and compete. At Xavier, we are embracing this new era with clarity and purpose – committed to remaining nationally competitive while staying true to our Jesuit Catholic mission, prioritizing the full development of our student-athletes.
Nationally, President Hanycz now represents Xavier and the Big East on the NCAA's Board of Directors, and we have been in dialogue with Ohio's elected Congressional representatives on proposed legislation for college athletics. Whether through Congressional action or eventual structural shifts like collective bargaining, it is clear change is required for long term stability in college athletics.
Although sharing revenue with the student-athletes who create the revenue is new, Xavier's leadership philosophically supports the concept while acknowledging the need for reform. Areas that need to be stabilized include the transfer portal, which erodes the legitimacy of education for some student-athletes; limited antitrust protections to nationalize NIL regulations instead of a patchwork of varied state laws; and the finalization of eligibility rules.

Thank you…

Your support is more important than ever. Whether through the All For One Fund, your presence at competitions, or your continued advocacy for Xavier Athletics, you are directly contributing to the success of our student-athletes. The energy you bring to the Cintas Center and our other athletic venues creates an environment that is truly second to none.

Looking ahead to 2026–27, there is tremendous momentum across our programs. Our teams are recruiting at a high level, our student-athletes are preparing for new opportunities, and our department is positioned to build on last year's success. We are excited about what lies ahead and confident in the direction of Xavier Athletics.

Thank you again for your unwavering support; our student-athletes could not achieve their full potential without you.

Enjoy summer's homestretch. We are excited for campus to come to life again in the coming weeks with more than 1,000 new freshmen and transfers joining the Xavier community. And we look forward to welcoming you back to campus to cheer on our student-athletes.

As always, thank you for all that you do to support Xavier.

Let's Go X!

Greg Christopher
Vice President and Director of Athletics

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