Tiffani-Dawn Sykes details Virginia State athletics improvements after one year

Virginia State University athletics director Tiffani-Dawn Sykes released an open letter to the Virginia State University community on Tuesday commemorating her one-year anniversary as athletics director. In the letter, she details the growth of the Virginia State athletics department in the past year and lays out the theme for the next year: “Sustaining Excellence.”

The letter reads in part:

“…Women’s Soccer captured the 2025 USCAA National Championship, setting a standard of excellence and showing what is possible when preparation meets opportunity.

Football ticket sales saw measurable growth this year, with a 400% increase in season ticket sales as a result of intentional repackaging and expanded marketing. This growth was also driven by the success of our team, coming off a 2024 CIAA regular season championship. We sold out of premium seating for the season, demonstrating the momentum and interest surrounding our program.

We also proudly hosted the 2026 BCIC tournament on our campus, further positioning VSU as a premier host site, where our men’s basketball team captured the championship.

We also made key leadership hires across several programs. We hired Millette Green as our head women’s basketball coach, who led the team to 17 wins in her first season. Kaitlyn Scroggins was named head volleyball coach and led her team to a Northern Division Championship. We also hired Elizabeth Allen as our head cross country and track and field coach, marking the first time in school history that a woman has led this program.

We also created something new. While the CIAA does not currently sponsor soccer, we launched the inaugural CIAA Soccer Cup, bringing together member institutions to compete, connect, and build identity. Both our men’s and women’s programs rose to the occasion and claimed championships, reinforcing our commitment to innovation and leadership within the conference.

We honored our legacy while building our future. This year, we inducted the most diverse Hall of Fame class in university history, spanning gender, generations, and sports, while highlighting some of the greatest to ever represent Virginia State University. We also recognized our CIAA Football Championship teams of 1945, 1970, and 1995, and celebrated the 2016 CIAA Men’s Basketball Championship team, reminding us that excellence has always lived here…

…On a personal note, being home has meant more to me than I can fully express. I have received the warmest welcome from both the campus and the local community, and I do not take that for granted. This profession has taken me across seven different states, and while I am grateful for every experience, it has come with sacrifices. I have missed family birthdays, milestone celebrations with my line sisters, and simple moments with my closest friends. Being back has given me the gift of presence. I have been able to reconnect, show up, and experience a level of work-life integration that I have never known before. For that, I am deeply grateful.

This first year has been about building momentum. The next will be about sustaining excellence.

Thank you to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni, and supporters who believe in what we are building.

Greater Happens Here. And at Big State, we are proud to build on a legacy that was established long before us and one we are honored to carry forward and elevate.”

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