From the Desk of Dan Radakovich
This is a busy and exciting time of the year for Miami Athletics as our spring sports are getting started while our winter sports are making their postseason push.
Miami football legends Bryant McKinnie and Mark Richt were announced as members of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class last month. Bryant, a two-time All-America offensive lineman, will be the 10th UM player inducted and Mark, our former quarterback and head coach, will be the 15th Hurricane overall to be enshrined. Congratulations to Bryant and Mark!
Miami captured first place in the 2022 NCAA Team Works Community Service Competition powered by Helper Helper. One hundred percent of our 450-plus student-athletes participated in at least one community service activity. I am incredibly proud of our student-athletes and our student-athlete development staff for working together to win the competition for the second time in four years. It speaks to the culture of service that lives here at UM, which our student-athletes have continually taken to heart.
Our No. 23 men’s basketball team scored a scintillating, 92-83 win over Virginia Tech last night at Watsco Center. The Canes shot 58.3 percent from the field, led by Norchad Omier’s 21 points and Nijel Pack’s five second half three-pointers. Jim Larrañaga’s squad is now 17-5 overall and 8-4 in the ACC as they head to Clemson for a Saturday showdown at 3 p.m. on ACC Network.
Our women’s basketball team (13-8 overall, 6-4 ACC) hits the road tomorrow night for a key conference game at Clemson. Tipoff is 8 p.m. on Bally Sports. Haley Cavinder is pacing the Canes in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game. The Canes return to Watsco Center Sunday at noon to host Georgia Tech in our annual Pink Game benefitting the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Single-game tickets are still available for both our men’s and women’s basketball teams. Click here to purchase. We hope to see you at Watsco Center!
Our swimming and diving team (5-3 overall, 1-1 ACC) wrapped up its regular season this past weekend and now looks ahead to the ACC Championships in Greensboro, N.C., which start February 14. Max Flory and Mia Vallée will be looking to defend their conference diving titles in the 3-meter springboard.
Our baseball team has garnered a Top 10 preseason ranking in three polls and three Canes – Andrew Walters, CJ Kayfus and Yohandy Morales – have earned preseason All-America honors as we prepare for the season opener against Penn State on February 17. That series kicks off an outstanding home slate at The Light, highlighted by series against Florida State, NC State and Georgia Tech. Click here for ticket information.
Spring seasons for men’s and women’s tennis and indoor track and field are underway, and our golf team plays its first tournament of the spring this weekend at the UCF Challenge in Orlando. You can keep up with all the Canes action by signing up to receive our weekly Miami Athletics Report. Click here to sign up!
The ACC announced our football schedule Monday, and we once again have a challenging schedule and an exciting slate of home games at Hard Rock Stadium. We kick off the season on Friday, September 1 at home against Miami (Ohio) before hosting Texas A&M eight days later. We host Bethune-Cookman on Thursday, September 14 before traveling to Temple for our first road contest of the season.
We have three conference home games in October – Georgia Tech on October 7, Clemson on October 21 and Virginia on October 28 – and hit the road three times in November, including our season finale at Boston College the day after Thanksgiving. Senior Day will be November 18 against Louisville.
The deadline for football season ticket renewals is February 28 and you can click here to renew your season tickets. If you would like to purchase season tickets please click here. We can’t wait to see you cheering on the Canes at Hard Rock all season long!
Competing in the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics requires creative thinking and bold investments. We feel strongly that – with the support of our Hurricanes Family – we can achieve our new vision for Miami Athletics and set us up for success across all sports for years to come. We will soon announce a campaign to help support and enhance our football operations center project. For more information, please contact Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development Chris Cohen at (305) 284-6699 or e-mail the Miami Athletic Development office at athleticdevelopment@miami.edu.
Our Canes Community remains stronger than ever thanks to your continued support. We hope to see you cheering us on throughout the month of February. Go Canes!
Dan Radakovich
