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Issue No. 11 - July 20, 2010

TO: Fans, Friends, Alumni, and supporters of Oakland University Athletics

What a strong performance from our athletic teams in 2009-10. Our swimming and diving programs continued their dominance of The Summit League with their 11th straight conference championship. The men's basketball team took all of us on a special ride, winning a school record 26 games, a league record 17-1 mark and an NCAA tournament berth.

The men's soccer program captured their eighth Summit League regular season title, while baseball made a strong run at the end of the season to make an appearance at The Summit League tournament. Our volleyball team won a Division I record 17 matches this season and finished in a tie for fourth place, their highest-ever Summit League finish.

It was a spectacular year, finishing third in the Commissioner's Cup standings. That is our highest-ever finish and we look to build on this in 2010-11. Congratulations to our student-athletes for their performances.

Even more important than athletic competition, are the accomplishments that were turned in by our student-athletes in the classroom. For the fifth consecutive year, Oakland University placed a Summit League best 202 student-athletes on Academic All-Summit League teams. To do this for two or three straight years is very impressive, but for us to manage this in five straight years is a testament to our staff and our student-athletes.

NCAA Academic Progress Report (APR)
Once again our programs are ahead of the curve when it comes to academics in Division I. Our women's golf program received a perfect score of 1000 for the second straight year, while baseball (971), men's basketball (962), women's basketball (981), women's cross country (990), softball (977) and men's swimming and diving (985) all posted higher scores than the national average.

27th Annual Golden Grizzlies Golf Classic
We are excited about our department golf outing that will take place on Aug. 23 at R&S Sharf and Katke-Cousins golf courses right on campus. Proceeds from the golf tournament will benefit over 330 student-athletes. The entry fee includes golf, range, player gift, along with a continental breakfast and a catered barbecue lunch. For more information please click here (http://www.ougrizzlies.com/photos/schools/oakl/genrel/auto_pdf/10GolfOutingBrochure.pdf).

Season Ticket brochure
Don't miss your opportunity to watch as our men's basketball team tries and defend their Summit League championship and 13-game home winning streak, the 14th-best streak in the country. Our women's basketball team finished runner-up last season and will make a push for yet another Summit League regular season title in 2010-11.

Any courtside seats that have not been renewed will become available to the general public on Aug. 1. Call 248.370.4034 for more details.

Purchase your tickets now here (http://www.ougrizzlies.com/tickets/oakl-tickets.html).

Tunes for the Team
The men's basketball team will benefit from a dueling piano event at JD's Key Club in Downtown Pontiac on Thursday, Aug. 12. Team members are slated to sing as part of the night's schedule and proceeds from ticket sales and a silent auction, and a portion of other proceeds that evening, will go directly to support the team. OU game jerseys from the 2010 NCAA tournament team along with other unique items will be available for the silent auction. Please come out and join us for a night of fun.

Varsity O
The response to our launch of the Varsity O Association has been tremendous. There are currently 250 student-athlete alumni members. It is exciting to see other alumni joining us on a daily basis. Thanks to those that are spreading the word about the Varsity O! This is a great way to get informed, get engaged and get together. This program is highlighted on our website here (http://www.ougrizzlies.com/ot/varsity-o.html). Please check our all-time letterwinners section on this page and let us know if you are missing by updating your information on the link provided on the page.

We are planning an all-sports reunion during 2011 Homecoming at the Athletics Center O'Rena. Please check the website for updates on this special event.

Please continue to send me your feedback whenever possible. While I cannot guarantee a personal response to every e-mail that we receive, please know that they will all be read, so I do encourage your participation in this process. Some of your questions/comments could become subjects for future issues of Grizzly Bites.

I also encourage you to share this letter with any OU fan or alumnus that may not have access to the internet. Our mission is to inform and engage as many Golden Grizzlies supporters as we possibly can.

I want to thank you for your continued support of Oakland University athletics as we move forward with our vision for excellence.