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Lifelong Frog
The Buddie System
TCU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Buddie debuts his newsletter
Dear Horned Frogs,
Thank you so much for the incredibly warm welcome you have provided Traci and me upon our arrival to TCU and Fort Worth! Between traveling on behalf of TCU to visit with some of you across the country, Big 12 Conference meetings and an incredibly busy time of athletics competition with our crossover seasons, we're slowly making progress on unpacking the boxes at our house, but we'll get there eventually.
In just my short time on campus, I can already feel the momentum that defines the Horned Frogs. It's also what attracted me to this position. I can't thank Chancellor Boschini, President Pullin and our Board of Trustees enough for their belief in me and providing this opportunity.
When I was at Wake Forest and we were looking to upgrade our facilities, I made my first visit to TCU and was blown away by the attention to detail in every aspect of the buildings and grounds on campus. It made quite the first impression on me! With the rebuild of Amon G. Carter Stadium and other enhancements, TCU was a leader in its commitment to the student-athlete and fan experiences. If you were about to undertake a facilities project, you made sure to benchmark TCU because it was well known for not only having donor-funded projects but also having everything done in a first-class manner.
Upon returning to campus years later with Army West Point for the Armed Forces Bowl, it was so impressive to see how TCU continued to reinvest with additional projects, most notably the Legends Club & Suites. It's simply phenomenal to see the pride on campus and throughout Fort Worth for what TCU continues to accomplish while also having its academics and athletics missions mirror each other.
The TCU Athletics program is in great shape! It's why my predecessor Jeremiah Donati was coveted by South Carolina. I thank Jeremiah for all his outstanding work in having TCU positioned so well as a leader in the Big 12 Conference and nationally. With that said, my commitment is to take us to the next level in a new model of collegiate athletics that is upon us.
In addition to Jeremiah, I've known past TCU athletics directors Chris Del Conte, Danny Morrison and Eric Hyman. Each one speaks glowingly of their experience at TCU and was the right fit at the right time for us, and that's my goal in now serving you. Chris and I actually had lunch recently in Austin and he clearly enjoyed his time in Fort Worth.
During the process of pursuing this position, I studied TCU's Strategic Plan. With Athletics as one of the four priority pillars and the University participating at the maximum level in revenue sharing upon settlement of the House v. NCAA case, there is no better illustration of TCU's commitment to compete at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.
TCU is such a unique place with how academics and athletics complement each other. We strive to be a great partner on campus, knowing how the power of collegiate athletics provides an incredible stage to elevate an institution's visibility and academic profile – playing right into goals in our Strategic Plan.
I take pride in being accessible and look forward to connecting with as many Horned Frogs as I can. If you see me at a game or event on campus, please introduce yourself.
Read the rest at https://gofrogs.com/news/2025/3/19/general-the-buddie-report.aspx
