A Letter From Vice President Of Intercollegiate Athletics Nick Morrow: Reflecting On 2025-26 And Continuing Momentum In 2026-27
8/10/2026 2:55:00 PM | General, Osprey Boosters
Dear Osprey Nation,
As we prepare to begin another exciting year of North Florida Athletics, I want to thank you for the passion, energy and unwavering support you provide our student-athletes, coaches and staff. Together, we made the 2025-26 academic and athletic year one of the most successful in UNF history.
The University of North Florida continues its upward trajectory in enrollment, academic reputation and community impact, and UNF Athletics is honored to serve as a vibrant front door to the university, inspiring lasting connections to our campus and our mission.
Academic Excellence
In the classroom, our 340 student-athletes continued to excel, achieving a cumulative GPA above 3.5, while nearly 300 earned recognition on the ASUN Academic Honor Roll. As more than 100 student-athletes earned their degree, UNF recorded its best Graduation Success Rate of 98 percent. These academic achievements reflect our unwavering commitment to build champions in the classroom and prepare our student-athletes for life after sport.
Championship Performances
The Ospreys captured five Atlantic Sun Conference Championships and earned berths in five NCAA Championships. While there were plenty of highlights throughout the year, one of the most memorable accomplishments was Women's Tennis completing an undefeated run through both the regular season and ASUN Championship tournament. Men's Soccer won back-to-back regular season and conference tournament championships while Women's Golf broke seven records en route to its fourth ASUN Championship in program history. Baseball also captured its second regular season title after winning the ASUN Graphite Division.
Based on team success throughout the department, the Ospreys finished third overall in the ASUN Conference all-sports trophy with the men's teams finishing second. Finally, the Ospreys retained the River City Rumble for the 13th time in 15 years, defeating crosstown rival JU Dolphins 14.5-9.
Individually, Ospreys earned 11 ASUN individual championships, 10 Player of the Year honors and five Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, further demonstrating the exceptional talent across our department.
Community Impact
None of these accomplishments happen without the generosity of our supporters. Every scholarship, facility enhancement, nutritional resource and championship opportunity begins with the investment of Osprey Boosters, corporate partners, alumni and friends of the University. Together, you helped us achieve a record-setting $9.9 million in philanthropic support from more than 2,800 donors, providing critical resources that directly enhance the student-athlete experience.
UNF Athletics welcomed more fans and visitors to our facilities than at any point in department history. The athletics facilities hosted over 300 events across 133 days attracting approximately 250,000 visitors. The attraction of new events such as the FHSAA Basketball Championships and Sporting Jax professional soccer has enhanced exposure for the University of North Florida and further emphasized that our campus is a destination of choice.
The success of our revenue generation units has led to many new initiatives including enhanced fueling stations for our student-athletes, increases in scholarship support and significant facility renovations.
Facility Enhancements
In October 2025, the UNF Arena locker room project was substantially completed. This transformational project provided larger, more modern locker room spaces for basketball and volleyball while creating a new video room and improved training room for the entire department.
In February 2026, we unveiled a transformative baseball facility renovation featuring a new artificial turf field, padded outfield wall, family fun zone and premium seating area, creating an enhanced experience for both student-athletes and fans.
These improvements reflect our ongoing commitment to providing first-class resources for our student-athletes while enhancing the experience for Osprey fans.
Looking Forward
While we are proud of the accomplishments of the past year, we are even more excited about the opportunities in the 2026-27 year. The season officially kicks off on Wednesday with Women's Soccer traveling to Georgia Southern. As we look ahead, our programs have recruited and retained championship-caliber talent and are positioned to compete for conference titles, NCAA Tournament appearances and national recognition.
We are well underway on our latest facility project, the soccer practice fields. Not only will this facility rank among the premier training environments in collegiate soccer, but it will also be a destination for professional club teams and international teams visiting the U.S., further driving sports tourism to our community.
We are also finalizing design for a multimillion-dollar renovation to Hodges Stadium which will commence later this calendar year. The critical infrastructure improvements will include renovations to restrooms, locker rooms and the press box, as well as enhancing the fan experience through the addition of premium seating and upgraded concessions.
We will also be unveiling the future vision for expansion and development of several other facilities, including the UNF Arena and the baseball/softball/beach volleyball complex.
Invest In The Future
While we celebrate our accomplishments, we look ahead with a bold vision. Continued investments in scholarships, facilities and resources for our student-athletes will ensure UNF Athletics remains positioned to compete for championships and provide a transformational collegiate experience for generations of Ospreys to come.
Whether you support us through attendance, philanthropy, corporate partnerships or simply wearing blue and gray with pride, your involvement matters. Together, we can build on this momentum and continue elevating North Florida Athletics, while reflecting the excellence and pride of the University of North Florida.
The momentum surrounding UNF has never been stronger. We are winning championships, developing leaders, investing in our future and creating transformational experiences for our student-athletes. Most importantly, we are doing it together.
Now is the time for Jacksonville to rally behind its hometown university and athletics program. Whether at Hodges Stadium, UNF Arena, Harmon Stadium or any of our outstanding facilities, I invite you to join us this year as we pursue championships, celebrate our student-athletes and continue writing the next chapter of North Florida Athletics.
Your support fuels every championship, scholarship, facility enhancement and life-changing opportunity we provide our student-athletes. Thank you for your belief in our mission.
Go Ospreys! Swoop!
Nick Morrow
Vice President Of Intercollegiate Athletics
As we prepare to begin another exciting year of North Florida Athletics, I want to thank you for the passion, energy and unwavering support you provide our student-athletes, coaches and staff. Together, we made the 2025-26 academic and athletic year one of the most successful in UNF history.
The University of North Florida continues its upward trajectory in enrollment, academic reputation and community impact, and UNF Athletics is honored to serve as a vibrant front door to the university, inspiring lasting connections to our campus and our mission.
Academic Excellence
In the classroom, our 340 student-athletes continued to excel, achieving a cumulative GPA above 3.5, while nearly 300 earned recognition on the ASUN Academic Honor Roll. As more than 100 student-athletes earned their degree, UNF recorded its best Graduation Success Rate of 98 percent. These academic achievements reflect our unwavering commitment to build champions in the classroom and prepare our student-athletes for life after sport.
Championship Performances
The Ospreys captured five Atlantic Sun Conference Championships and earned berths in five NCAA Championships. While there were plenty of highlights throughout the year, one of the most memorable accomplishments was Women's Tennis completing an undefeated run through both the regular season and ASUN Championship tournament. Men's Soccer won back-to-back regular season and conference tournament championships while Women's Golf broke seven records en route to its fourth ASUN Championship in program history. Baseball also captured its second regular season title after winning the ASUN Graphite Division.
Based on team success throughout the department, the Ospreys finished third overall in the ASUN Conference all-sports trophy with the men's teams finishing second. Finally, the Ospreys retained the River City Rumble for the 13th time in 15 years, defeating crosstown rival JU Dolphins 14.5-9.
Individually, Ospreys earned 11 ASUN individual championships, 10 Player of the Year honors and five Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, further demonstrating the exceptional talent across our department.
Community Impact
None of these accomplishments happen without the generosity of our supporters. Every scholarship, facility enhancement, nutritional resource and championship opportunity begins with the investment of Osprey Boosters, corporate partners, alumni and friends of the University. Together, you helped us achieve a record-setting $9.9 million in philanthropic support from more than 2,800 donors, providing critical resources that directly enhance the student-athlete experience.
UNF Athletics welcomed more fans and visitors to our facilities than at any point in department history. The athletics facilities hosted over 300 events across 133 days attracting approximately 250,000 visitors. The attraction of new events such as the FHSAA Basketball Championships and Sporting Jax professional soccer has enhanced exposure for the University of North Florida and further emphasized that our campus is a destination of choice.
The success of our revenue generation units has led to many new initiatives including enhanced fueling stations for our student-athletes, increases in scholarship support and significant facility renovations.
Facility Enhancements
In October 2025, the UNF Arena locker room project was substantially completed. This transformational project provided larger, more modern locker room spaces for basketball and volleyball while creating a new video room and improved training room for the entire department.
In February 2026, we unveiled a transformative baseball facility renovation featuring a new artificial turf field, padded outfield wall, family fun zone and premium seating area, creating an enhanced experience for both student-athletes and fans.
These improvements reflect our ongoing commitment to providing first-class resources for our student-athletes while enhancing the experience for Osprey fans.
Looking Forward
While we are proud of the accomplishments of the past year, we are even more excited about the opportunities in the 2026-27 year. The season officially kicks off on Wednesday with Women's Soccer traveling to Georgia Southern. As we look ahead, our programs have recruited and retained championship-caliber talent and are positioned to compete for conference titles, NCAA Tournament appearances and national recognition.
We are well underway on our latest facility project, the soccer practice fields. Not only will this facility rank among the premier training environments in collegiate soccer, but it will also be a destination for professional club teams and international teams visiting the U.S., further driving sports tourism to our community.
We are also finalizing design for a multimillion-dollar renovation to Hodges Stadium which will commence later this calendar year. The critical infrastructure improvements will include renovations to restrooms, locker rooms and the press box, as well as enhancing the fan experience through the addition of premium seating and upgraded concessions.
We will also be unveiling the future vision for expansion and development of several other facilities, including the UNF Arena and the baseball/softball/beach volleyball complex.
Invest In The Future
While we celebrate our accomplishments, we look ahead with a bold vision. Continued investments in scholarships, facilities and resources for our student-athletes will ensure UNF Athletics remains positioned to compete for championships and provide a transformational collegiate experience for generations of Ospreys to come.
Whether you support us through attendance, philanthropy, corporate partnerships or simply wearing blue and gray with pride, your involvement matters. Together, we can build on this momentum and continue elevating North Florida Athletics, while reflecting the excellence and pride of the University of North Florida.
The momentum surrounding UNF has never been stronger. We are winning championships, developing leaders, investing in our future and creating transformational experiences for our student-athletes. Most importantly, we are doing it together.
Now is the time for Jacksonville to rally behind its hometown university and athletics program. Whether at Hodges Stadium, UNF Arena, Harmon Stadium or any of our outstanding facilities, I invite you to join us this year as we pursue championships, celebrate our student-athletes and continue writing the next chapter of North Florida Athletics.
Your support fuels every championship, scholarship, facility enhancement and life-changing opportunity we provide our student-athletes. Thank you for your belief in our mission.
Go Ospreys! Swoop!
Nick Morrow
Vice President Of Intercollegiate Athletics
Tuesday, April 21
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