Teal Nation,

Something special is happening at Coastal Carolina.

You can feel it in our stadiums, across our campus, and throughout our community.

This isn't accidental. It's intentional. And it's accelerating.

That momentum has been on full display this spring at Springs Brooks Stadium.

Our baseball program continues to build on its national reputation, competing at the highest level despite early-season adversity. With key injuries, including National Preseason Pitcher of the Year Cameron Flukey, Kevin Schnall and his team have continued to respond, currently ranked No. 11 in the country and having set a new Sun Belt Conference record with 32 consecutive wins over league opponents.

Coastal Carolina Baseball has established itself as a national program and one that expects to compete on the sport's biggest stage in Omaha.

More importantly, the energy around this program is real. Since last May, eight of the top 10 largest crowds in Springs Brooks Stadium history have come to support Chanticleer Baseball. It has become one of the premier environments in college baseball and a place our fans, our players, and our community take pride in.

That momentum is not staying in one place. It is expanding.

Recently, we hosted the Banana Ball World Tour at Springs Brooks Stadium, selling out two dates and welcoming a new audience to our campus. It was more than an event. It was a statement about the energy, creativity, and growing national appeal of Coastal Carolina.

That momentum carried throughout the week as we partnered with Snapback Sports and digital influencers to showcase our campus, our student-athletes, and the Coastal experience to a national audience. In less than a week, that content generated more than 5.18 million impressions across social media.

The week culminated inside Brooks Stadium, where Snapback Sports hosted a 7 on 7 flag football game following our spring game, giving fans and a national audience a firsthand look at the type of experience we are continuing to build at Coastal Carolina.

That mindset was established this past fall.

We redefined the football game day experience by becoming the first program in the country to offer free concessions, putting our fans first and creating a more accessible and inclusive atmosphere. We introduced drone shows, brought history to life with themed in game experiences, and created one of the most talked about moments in college football with our glow in the dark Halloween uniforms featured on SportsCenter.

The result has been undeniable.

Over the past two seasons, Brooks Stadium has hosted eight of the top 10 largest crowds in program history, including three this past year alone. Our average attendance has increased 16 percent, reflecting a fan base that continues to show up and create one of the most unique environments in college football.

And as we continue to build this momentum, we have also been intentional about positioning our programs for what comes next. That includes our recent partnership with Playfly Sports, the sports industry's leading revenue maximization company. Through this multi-year multimedia rights agreement, Playfly will work alongside our athletic department to drive revenue while creating new opportunities to elevate the Coastal Carolina brand nationally.

That same approach has guided key decisions across our department. This offseason, we reset and strengthened key areas of our department with the hires of Ryan Beard in football, Adam Perron in men's soccer, and Pete Cuadrado in women's soccer. Each brings proven success, energy, and a clear vision for competing at the highest level.

We are not building to compete.

We are building to win championships.

As we continue to elevate the fan experience, we are also finding new ways to better serve and connect with our supporters. This season, we launched a Baseball Ticket Giveback Program, allowing season ticket holders to return unused tickets, receive gift-in-kind credit, and earn priority points with the Chanticleer Athletic Foundation.

At the center of all of this is belief.

Teal Nation continues to show that belief in powerful ways. Athletics fundraising has increased 58 percent from FY24 to $5.7 million in FY25 and is projected to grow another 40 percent to $8 million in FY26. Since July, we have received more than 1,700 gifts from over 1,000 donors.

In one week this January alone, Coastal Carolina Athletics received two $1 million gifts, a clear signal of the growing confidence in where we are headed.

That investment is allowing us to continue building across every area of our department.

And that progress is showing across our programs.

Softball has earned a ranked win over No. 15 Arizona and ranks among the national leaders in home runs. Men's basketball took a significant step forward, finishing second in the Sun Belt regular season. Beach volleyball is off to a perfect 5-0 start in Sun Belt Conference play and is positioned to compete for another conference championship.

Just as importantly, our student-athletes continue to lead beyond competition. This year, Coastal Carolina Athletics led all of Division I in community service hours, completing 11,547 hours in one semester and earning the Helper Helper Community Engagement Challenge title. In the classroom, our student-athletes posted a 3.37 GPA this fall, marking the 23rd consecutive semester with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

We had 360 student-athletes named to the Chauncey Honor Roll, including 90 with a perfect 4.0 GPA. These are outcomes that reflect who we are and what we value.

This is Coastal Carolina Athletics.

A place that competes for championships.
A place that innovates and leads.
A place that creates experiences people talk about.
A place that develops student-athletes who make a difference.

This is not just momentum.
It is a movement.
And we are just getting started.
And the best is still ahead.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to tell our story with the launch of our new long-form video series, This Is Coastal, giving a behind the scenes look at the people and moments that define our program.

Thank you for your belief, your energy, and the role you play in everything we are building together.

This Is Coastal.
Go Chants!

Chance Miller
Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation
Coastal Carolina University