Dear Trojans and Friends,
Today marks one year since I returned home to serve as the Director of Athletics at Virginia State University.
This place is personal to me. I walked this campus as a student-athlete. I wore the Orange and Blue with pride. And now, to lead this department at my alma mater is both an honor and a responsibility I carry every single day.
Over the past year, our focus has been clear: elevate the student-athlete experience, strengthen our competitive profile, and define what it means to be a Trojan.
We have expanded championship opportunities for our programs in meaningful ways, positioning men's lacrosse in the Peach Belt Conference as the first HBCU to compete in the conference in lacrosse, and women's lacrosse in the Gulf South Conference as the first HBCU member in any sport. We also joined the United States Collegiate Athletic Association for baseball, women's soccer, and men's soccer. These strategic moves not only provide access to championship opportunities, but also expand our institutional footprint, enhance national visibility, and create new recruiting pipelines for Virginia State University.
And our teams delivered.
Women's Soccer captured the 2025 USCAA National Championship, setting a standard of excellence and showing what is possible when preparation meets opportunity.
We also made key leadership hires across several programs. We hired Millette Green as our head women's basketball coach, who led the team to 17 wins in her first season. Kaitlyn Scroggins was named head volleyball coach and led her team to a Northern Division Championship. We also hired Elizabeth Allen as our head cross country and track and field coach, marking the first time in school history that a woman has led this program.
We also created something new. While the CIAA does not currently sponsor soccer, we launched the inaugural CIAA Soccer Cup, bringing together member institutions to compete, connect, and build identity. Both our men's and women's programs rose to the occasion and claimed championships, reinforcing our commitment to innovation and leadership within the conference.
We honored our legacy while building our future. This year, we inducted the most diverse Hall of Fame class in university history, spanning gender, generations, and sports, while highlighting some of the greatest to ever represent Virginia State University. We also recognized our CIAA Football Championship teams of 1945, 1970, and 1995, and celebrated the 2016 CIAA Men's Basketball Championship team, reminding us that excellence has always lived here.
At the same time, we have been intentional about telling our story and strengthening our brand. We introduced Paint the Town Blue, a community engagement event where we took buses of student-athletes into downtown Petersburg to connect with local businesses, engage with residents, and distribute football game tickets and schedule cards. It was important for us to show up in our community, build relationships, and ensure that VSU Athletics is visible, accessible, and that being a Trojan is embedded in the city we represent. We also hosted alumni meet and greets in conjunction with football and basketball media days, creating intentional opportunities for alumni to connect directly with our head coaches and student-athletes and re-engage with the program. We also launched a historic partnership with The Museum DC, co-owned by former VSU men's basketball student-athlete LeGreg Harrison, who also served as a corporate sponsor of our men's basketball program, further strengthening the connection between our alumni, our brand, and our future. In that same spirit of innovation, we created the CIAA Championship Baseball Series, recognizing the importance of providing a championship experience in a sport not currently sponsored by the CIAA. We are proud to host this inaugural event on our campus May 5 to 8, further positioning VSU as a leader within the conference. We elevated our facilities and game environments. We proudly placed the women's version of the Trojan logo on the court in the Multipurpose Center, for the first time in university history the women's logo now appears on a permanent fixture on campus. Because representation matters, and our commitment to equity must be visible.
We also invested in the total student-athlete experience, chartering a chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, the national honor society for college student-athletes, to recognize academic excellence, with our first induction class this spring, while continuing to align our work with our goal of being academically prominent and athletically dominant.
As we prepare to host new championship events and continue to position VSU Athletics on a national stage, I remain committed to leading with purpose, empowering our staff, and creating opportunities for our student-athletes to succeed in every area of their lives.
And today, on the final day of Women's History Month, VSU Athletics hosted its inaugural Brunch and Bloom, bringing together the women who work in athletics alongside our boosters, donors, and supporters for a shared brunch and bouquet-making experience. It was a moment to intentionally give the women who support VSU Athletics their flowers, both figuratively and literally.
On a personal note, being home has meant more to me than I can fully express. I have received the warmest welcome from both the campus and the local community, and I do not take that for granted. This profession has taken me across seven different states, and while I am grateful for every experience, it has come with sacrifices. I have missed family birthdays, milestone celebrations with my line sisters, and simple moments with my closest friends. Being back has given me the gift of presence. I have been able to reconnect, show up, and experience a level of work-life integration that I have never known before. For that, I am deeply grateful.
This first year has been about building momentum. The next will be about sustaining excellence.
Thank you to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni, and supporters who believe in what we are building.
Greater Happens Here. And at Big State, we are proud to build on a legacy that was established long before us and one we are honored to carry forward and elevate.
Tiffani-Dawn B. Sykes '01
Associate Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics
Virginia State University
