A Message and Letter From Director of Athletics Carla Williams - 3.11.25
Hello Virginia Family,
I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the unwavering support of our Virginia Athletics Foundation donors and passionate fans. Your investments fuel the success of our programs, empowering student-athletes to achieve greatness, in their sport and beyond, while fostering a vibrant and united UVA community.
College athletics holds an important role in shaping the lives of our student-athletes, by building character, leadership, and resilience. It also strengthens the connections within our broader UVA community, creating a sense of pride and shared purpose. Your contributions make this possible, and for that, we are profoundly thankful.
The Cavaliers had an exceptional 2024, highlighted by a stellar 96% graduation success rate, underscoring the athletic department’s commitment to academics. Athletically, the program finished fifth in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, fueled by the women’s swimming and diving team winning their fourth consecutive NCAA National Championship.
The Current State of College Athletics
The landscape of college athletics is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) implementation, the dynamics of the transfer portal, conference realignment, and other changes present both opportunities and challenges. Through it all, Virginia Athletics remains committed to adapting to the changes, guided by our core values of integrity, academic excellence, and competitive spirit.
To navigate this ever-changing environment, we are committed to implementing innovative strategies and ensuring sustained investments in our programs. These efforts are vital to maintaining UVA’s position as a leader in collegiate athletics while continuing to provide an exceptional experience for our student-athletes.
We are stronger together, and the ACC provides everything necessary to compete at the highest level. As dedicated members, we remain fully committed to the league and our colleagues. The ACC’s modernized revenue distribution model ensures financial competitiveness by rewarding success and viewership, providing opportunities for members to earn additional revenue through performance and program growth. Now is the time to invest in order to maximize this opportunity.
Impact of the Impending House Settlement and University Commitment
As we prepare for the outcomes of the impending House settlement, we remain focused on ensuring the continued success of our revenue-driving programs, including football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball. The college athletics funding model, where football pays for itself and helps fund all other sports, is being challenged in the court of law via the pending House Settlement. If passed, football and basketball student-athletes will be eligible to share in the revenues generated from their sports. Revenue sharing for football and basketball is projected at $20.5M in 2025-26. These are the same revenues that are used to fund the Olympic sports. The University has and will continue to invest in sustaining these programs and ensuring full participation in revenue sharing, however, the current model is not sustainable, and new ways must be established to bridge the financial gap. Your contributions play a critical role in navigating these financial challenges. Because of your support, we can provide our student-athletes with the resources they need to thrive—from top-tier coaching and training facilities to academic support and leadership development opportunities. While operational adjustments are necessary, our commitment to excellence remains unwavering.
In football, Fralin Family Head Football Coach Tony Elliott is set to lead the Cavaliers into his fourth year at the helm. Our football program continues to make great strides, bolstered by outstanding progress in the transfer portal and in high school recruiting and several transformational gifts that have had a direct impact on giving the program a chance to compete. An anonymous donor has pledged to match every dollar contributed to the Football Enhancement Fund, up to $3 million through August 30, 2025.
Virginia supporters are encouraged to join this effort to maximize the impact of their gift and help ensure UVA is at the forefront of the evolving college football landscape. These contributions have allowed us to attract exceptional talent, invest in critical resources, and strengthen our position for sustained success on the field. We are grateful for the generosity of our supporters, whose belief in the program fuels our ability to compete at the highest level.
The men’s basketball program is undergoing a pivotal transition following Coach Bennett’s retirement. Dean and Markel Families Men’s Interim Head Coach Ron Sanchez is leading the team through this period, with tremendous grace and care for the young men on our team. We are working diligently to bring the head coach search to conclusion prior to the end of the Spring Transfer Portal which is March 24 – April 22.
Our women’s basketball program has also benefited from a recent transformative gift from Alexis Ohanian. His generous support has provided the resources needed for Coach Mox and her staff to elevate the program by enhancing the roster to compete nationally.
Our Olympic sports continue to excel, including but not limited to, a sixth consecutive ACC championship for women’s swimming and diving, a No. 1 ranking for women’s tennis for the first time in program history, and the best pre-season ranking ever for softball (No. 24). Virginia Baseball opened the season ranked at No. 2 in the country and men’s tennis is currently ranked No. 5. Both lacrosse programs are in the top 20, men’s track and field relay teams continue to set NCAA records, and men’s and women’s golf are ranked in the top 15. We are looking forward to a very competitive spring sports season.
Investment in Women’s Athletics
We are especially excited to share our continued commitment to advancing women’s athletics at UVA. The launch of the “Our Place” campaign represents a bold movement to elevate women’s sports and create opportunities at UVA that embody the strength, resilience, and vision of our female student-athletes.
With recent achievements in women’s sports and a clear focus on future priorities, we are making significant strides to ensure the success and recognition of our women’s programs. At the University of Virginia, we recognize that investing in women’s athletics is not just about equity—it is critical to sustaining and securing the future of all 27 Virginia sports programs. To achieve our vision, we must fundraise to permanently endow scholarships for women’s sports. Endowment is important because it provides permanent funding for a program, allowing a donor’s impact to be felt in perpetuity. Gifts to a sport’s endowment are invested, and an annual distribution is used to fund the sport’s scholarships. Unlike annual fundraising efforts that must be repeated each year, an endowment provides sustained, long-term support, ensuring that UVA’s commitment to women’s athletics remains steadfast for generations to come.
Outlook of Virginia Athletics and Priorities
At UVA, our athletics mission remains clear: to develop leaders and achieve excellence in competition and in life. We are excited about what lies ahead, sustained by strong recruiting classes, competitive results, and the unwavering support of you! Together, we will continue to build on our strong legacy while supporting and inspiring our family of championship coaches and student-athletes.
As we look to the future, your belief in our mission and vision fuels our progress. Thank you for being partners in shaping UVA Athletics and remaining actively engaged in this journey. Together, we are united by shared values and a commitment to excellence, and we can confidently say that the future of Virginia Athletics is brighter than ever because of your support.
With gratitude,
Carla Williams, PhD
Director of Athletics