BY: GRACE LORCH

The W&M Sports Blog is entering a new era—wider sports coverage, more content, and a larger roster of dedicated writers—and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. The entire WMSB team is excited to kick off our expansion, but it begs the question: where should we begin?

There is so much that we could report on as we broaden our horizons. W&M athletics has earned countless accolades and produced plenty of successful athletes, but any media outlet could write about that. As WMSB transforms, we want to emphasize what makes our platform unique—the Tribe! We take pride in amplifying your voices; you play a large, often unrecognized role in W&M athletics. We want to capture the essence of our community—one that has united athletes, coaches, students, alumni, and local residents for 130 years. With this in mind, I immediately thought back to September 3rd, 2020—the day of the scandalous open letter.

At exactly 4:00 PM, President Katherine Rowe, Provost Peggy Agouris, and Athletic Director Samantha Huge announced the cancellation of seven athletic programs. I wasn’t even a student at W&M yet, but my father is a graduate of the class of ‘85, so I watched the situation unravel through his eyes. I read dozens of angry and confused threads from the Tribe on different platforms, ranging from my father’s college buddies’ group chat to articles published by WMSB. You spared no expense in voicing your outrage and advocating for the canceled programs. What started as chatter from upset fans grew into large-scale fundraisers, stern letters, and a Title IX lawsuit that administrators could no longer ignore. The college reversed the decision, all removed programs were reinstated, and AD Huge resigned.

That’s where the story as the public knows it ends. A fanbase faced with an upsetting announcement banded together to protect their sports teams. There were no more updates from major news outlets, little mentioned by school-affiliated publishers, and barely any further acknowledgment by the college administration. But the story is far from over. What happened to the programs that were disrupted? They had to recover from the major setback and prove their worth to administrators that deemed them expendable. The effects of the event still linger today, all of which has gone untold, until now.

WMSB is proud to introduce a new article series detailing the aftermath of the open letter: From Removal to Reinstatement. Throughout this series, I’ll be discussing the journeys of the seven targeted sports—Women’s Volleyball, Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field, Men’s & Women’s Gymnastics, and Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving. All of these programs are new territory for the WMSB, so we are thrilled to give them the spotlight. Over the next several weeks, we’ll examine the struggles and triumphs each program has faced and look forward to what lies ahead.

You all fought hard to make sure these underappreciated programs remained a part of our family. It’s time to see what they’ve accomplished since you stood beside them in times of distress, starting with Women’s Volleyball.

LET’S GO TRIBE!