2019 | 20

Welcome

A letter from the director of athletics

Dear Friends of Tufts Athletics,

In a typical year, my letter lauds our Jumbo student-athletes for their exceptional accomplishments in competition and in the classroom. And there is certainly a lot to be proud of again this year. But as we all know, the 2019–20 academic year was anything but typical.

Even as February turned to March, it was inconceivable to me that our basketball teams would have their NCAA Sweet 16 games canceled at the last minute; that our track and field teams would fly home from the NCAA Indoor Championship meet the day before it was to start; that the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship meet would be canceled just days before our teams were to compete for top 10 team finishes; or that all of our very promising spring sport seasons would end before most had begun.

But by mid-March, COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the winter and spring seasons, and an extraordinary year was cut short.

John Morris
Director of Athletics

EIGHT NEW SQUASH COURTS.
ONE RELENTLESS COMMITMENT.

Facilities

Goal Reached. Facility Built. Legacy Reborn.

Thanks to the generosity of 19 donors, including alumni, parents, and friends, the Jumbos now have a sparkling new squash home to call their own. The $6 million Tufts Squash Center opened in February when the Jumbos’ men’s and women’s teams swept Connecticut College in the first matches played in the new facility. The win is just a sign of things to come as we begin to reclaim the once prominent place Tufts Squash held nationally. Equally important, community access to the new center furthers our commitment to Medford and Somerville and opens up opportunities to develop squash programs for youth in both cities.

Jumbo Appreciation

“We are deeply grateful to everyone who so generously stepped up to give our squash program this beautiful new on-campus home. It will be a true game changer in terms of attracting the best and brightest student-athletes and hosting high-level competition at Tufts. From a broader perspective, this facility is also just another example of how philanthropy is helping us meet critical priorities for Tufts Athletics and give everyone in the Tufts community first-class options to pursue fitness, health, and wellness.” —John Morris, Director of Athletics

Benefits of Our New Squash Center

• Positions Tufts to recruit top student-athletes and compete for both NESCAC and national championships
• Helps our student-athletes balance academics and athletics by eliminating the need to travel off campus to train and compete
• Increases visibility for Tufts by enabling us to host NESCAC and regional intercollegiate, high school, and club tournaments
• Provides another fitness resource for the university and local communities

Jumbo Vision Taking Shape

Thanks to support from alumni, parents, and friends, the Athletics Facilities Master Plan—part of the university’s $1.5 billion Brighter World fundraising campaign— has already realized significant improvements that help set the collegiate standard and have a positive impact on our student-athletes and broader community. Completed projects include Daniel Ounjian Field (field hockey, fall 2016) and the Tufts Squash Center (February 2020). Our Athletics Campaign Committee continues to raise funds for a new Aquatics Center, while our Baseball Stadium Project Committee has its sights set on a new baseball stadium with lights and synthetic turf. Fundraising is also in process for improvements to the Ellis Oval Complex and for construction of an ice rink. For highlights on our key projects, visit our new website at go.tufts. edu/supportathletics.