From the Desk of Dan Radakovich

Dear Canes Community,

I hope all of you are having an enjoyable summer. Our campus is currently packed with university and athletics campers, and we are busy gearing up for our packed fall sports calendar. Before we look ahead, let’s take a quick look back at the school year that just concluded.

Season Review

We had many memorable moments in 2024-25, including two individuals winning individual national championships for the second consecutive year. Chiara Pallacani captured the women’s one-meter NCAA diving title in March, and last month Devoux Deysel won the men’s javelin crown at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Our football won 10 games for the first time in seven years and in Cam Ward produced both a Heisman Trophy finalist and the first overall selection in the NFL Draft. Our baseball team advanced to its first Super Regional since 2016. Our swimming and diving team posted its best NCAA team finish (13th) in 14 years. Overall, 13 of our programs earned postseason berths, and UM produced 16 All-Americans and six ACC individual champions. We moved up 12 spots and increased our point total by 104 points in the annual Learfield Directors’ Cup, which measures overall athletic excellence based on NCAA postseason results. Congratulations to our student-athletes and coaches!

House Settlement

On June 6, Judge Claudia Wilken granted final approval to the House v. NCAA settlement in the U.S. Northern District of California, marking a historic milestone in college athletics. Athletics departments are now able to directly share revenue with student-athletes, and student-athletes will have more opportunities than ever to financially benefit during their participation in intercollegiate athletics.

The House settlement creates much-needed structure and stability for college athletics going forward. From the outset, Miami has been committed to providing opportunities for our student-athletes and supporting them at the highest level. For the 2025-26 school year, we are increasing our scholarship allocation across all sports by 66. Our four ticketed sports – football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball – will participate in revenue sharing in addition to our soccer, volleyball, women’s tennis and women’s track and field programs. We look forward to seeing all our programs thrive on and off the field in this new era. 

U Standard

In June we announced our new giving initiative – The U Standard – designed to fuel the future success of our student-athletes and ensure that Miami continues to set the standard, compete and remain a top destination for the best and brightest student-athletes.

The U Standard is built on three core philanthropic pillars, each created to help our supporters build a foundation of success that extends beyond the field of play.

• Elite Performance and Facilities: Provide Miami student-athletes with world-class facilities and top-tier health and wellness programs.
• Canes Beyond the Game: Significantly expand scholarship opportunity for 400-plus student-athletes and empower them for success in the classroom and after graduation.
• Victory Fund: Attract and retain the best talent in the nation and fuel the growth and competitive excellence of all UM programs.

Several lead gifts have fueled early momentum for these initiatives, highlighted by two $5 million commitments—among the largest in UM Athletics history. In total, six gifts of $1 million or more have been secured in response to these key priorities. Let’s continue that momentum! Please click here for more information on the U Standard.

Countdown to Kickoff

Construction has commenced on a 42,000-square-foot expansion of the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility. It will include a regulation-size indoor field, new weight room and sports science lab, which will benefit our football program for years to come.

We are less than two months away from the start of the 2025 football season when the Canes will host Notre Dame at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, August 31 – the first of eight home games. We don’t want you to miss a minute of the action! Click here or call 1-800-GO-CANES to secure season tickets or individual game tickets before they run out!

Civic Engagement

Six members of our athletic department traveled to Montgomery, Selma and Tuskegee, Ala., last month to take part in the ACC’s 2025 Unity Tour.

This transformative and educational tour was created to empower student-athletes through meaningful, real-world learning opportunities. During the weekend, members across the ACC’s 18 institutions had the opportunity to explore history and learn about culture and community engagement from local leaders.

Miami’s participants in the 2025 event were student-athletes Nick Robert (baseball), Mohamed Farouk (diving) and Calea Jackson (track), as well Senior Deputy AD Brian Baptiste and LaToya Farris and Jessica Hurley from our student-athlete development office.

In addition, nine female student-athletes from our HER Leadership Academy participated in a trip to Dallas last month to enhance their growth personally, professionally and culturally. The trip included visits with the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks and a tour of the Holocaust and Civil Rights Museum of Dallas. Thank you to all who attended!

100 Student-Athlete Stories

In conjunction with Miami’s centennial celebration, we have created “100 Student-Athletes Stories,” a weekly online series celebrating 100 of Miami’s most successful and influential student-athletes across all sports. This week’s honorees include Shane Larkin and Alexa Noel. Click here to check out the entire list of stories from now through the end of the year!

Also in conjunction with the centennial we have published 100 Years, 100 Games: The Greatest Football Games in Miami Hurricanes History looks back at a century of UM football from the program’s humble beginnings to its rise as a college football power. This 162-page book, written by Carter Toole with a foreward by Jimmy Johnson, captures the history, theater and legacy of University of Miami football and is the perfect gift for any Hurricanes fan. Click here to preorder!

Canes Connection

Canes Connection is the Official NIL Collective of Miami Athletics and helps develop partnerships to benefit student-athletes with the goal of building the most impactful NIL program in college athletics.

You can support student-athletes through Canes Connection, and as a benefit of that support, receive exclusive access to a wide variety of benefits including direct interaction and engagement with student-athletes. Click here to learn more about Canes Connection and its membership plans.

Our Canes Community remains stronger than ever thanks to your generosity. Hope you have a fun and safe Fourth of July weekend and Go Canes!

– Dan Radakovich