We know what you are thinking. The Olympics are on, the Major League Baseball season is alive and well, and we even saw the return of the NFL this week after a long offseason. For many of us, Tribe Athletics may be at the back of our minds during the summer. But if you are like us, you cannot wait until the return of Tribe Athletics THIS MONTH. So what has happened in recent months? I am glad you asked. Let’s dive in.
Of course the biggest news surrounding the Green and Gold is the addition of Men’s basketball head coach Brian Earl. Earl joins the Tribe after a successful tenure up north in Ithaca, NY at the helm of the Cornell Big Red. Cornell had one of the better offenses in the country in recent years, and Brian Earl hopes that will translate to the Kaplan floor. With Earl’s arrival comes a roster overhaul that saw the likes of Trey Moss, Tai Hamilton, Charlie Williams and Jack Karasinski depart. On a positive note, arguably the Tribe’s best player last season, Chase Lowe, is still on the roster and will look to build on his successful sophomore campaign. Joining him on the floor is one of the best shooters in Tribe history, Gabe Dorsey. The sharpshooter is one of the most electric players to watch when he has the hot hand.
The most recent news in the Men’s basketball program is the announcement of the 2024-25 non conference schedule which will tip-off on November 4th with a home tilt against Dickinson College. The Tribe will face several in-state foes including rivals Old Dominion and Richmond, as well as Radford, VCU, and Virginia Lynchburg. The biggest matchup of the season will be against 2024 Final Four team NC State on November 22nd. We already have our season tickets. Do you?
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because we have football THIS MONTH at Zable Stadium. The Green and Gold return to the best stadium in the FCS on August 29th under the lights with a marquee matchup against the Keydets from VMI. The Tribe renews its old rivalry with VMI after a 13-year hiatus. William and Mary has not lost to VMI since 1985, having won the last 25 matchups between the in-state foes. The opener marks the first of three night games at Zable Stadium this season in what promises to be an electric environment under the lights.
Just this week Seniors Charles Grant and Bronson Yoder were named to the Walter Payton award watch list, as well as recognized as Preseason all-Americans. The Walter Payton award is given to the top offensive player in the FCS each year. Grant is certainly receiving some buzz as it pertains to the 2025 NFL draft and will look to continue the trend of Tribe offensive linemen at the next level, following in the footsteps of Chicago Bears guard Bill Murray and Detroit Lions Tackle Colby Sorsdal. Bronson Yoder returns to Zable a year after a scary injury in the fourth game of the season against Maine. We will always wonder what would have happened in the 2023 season had he not gotten hurt, but we are pumped he is back for one more year.
The summer is not over yet, don’t worry. But mark your calendars for August 29th and let’s pack Zable! We’ll see you there. LET’S GO TRIBE!
The William & Mary Sports Blog 