A Letter from Tom Theodorakis, Director of Athletics
As I reflect on the first eight months of my tenure as the 31st Director of Athletics at the United States Military Academy, I am motivated by the opportunities that lie ahead for the athletics department.
Guided by the Army West Point Athletics strategic plan, Fruits of Victory, we will be focused on uniting what makes us exceptional while providing a bold, detailed vision for the future.
The mission of the Fruits of Victory strategic plan is to recruit, educate, train, and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I experience. The vision of the plan is for Army West Point Athletics to compete for championships, lead with integrity, and honor the tradition of USMA.
The Fruits of Victory strategic plan has four key priorities. These priorities serve as our guiding principle for decision-making:
- Competitive success
- An extraordinary Division I athletic experience
- Public engagement and revenue generation
- Sustainability
The Michie Stadium Preservation Project is the largest fundraising project in the history of West Point. It represents a direct commitment to our strategic priorities and will serve as the highest-profile public portal for Army West Point Athletics and the United States Military Academy. We are so grateful to those who contributed to this project, and I look forward to welcoming you all to see the completed project in the fall of 2026.
Providing an extraordinary Division I athletic experience to our cadet-athletes is at the center of everything we do. There are more than 1,000 cadet-athletes who compete on our 30-sport teams. It was Douglas MacArthur who famously said, “Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory.” Athletics play a critical role in the leadership development of America’s sons and daughters as they prepare to fight and win America’s wars to come.
Competing and succeeding in today’s landscape of Division I athletics requires a significant investment of resources. At the United States Military Academy, we do not offer name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation. The transfer portal largely works one way, and that is out. While others may see this as a weakness, I see it as a strength. In an era of constant change and roster turnover, we can lean into our greatest strength—team building. However, there is no hiding from it; to provide an extraordinary Division I athletic experience, it requires investment. As we look beyond the Michie Stadium Preservation Project, there are so many philanthropic opportunities to support our cadet-athlete development. There is the AD’s Excellence Quasi-Endowment, the Army A Club Fund, as well as team-specific endowments and funds. Each unique fund serves a distinct purpose, but all work towards the common goal of an exceptional Division I athletic experience as part of the leader development process.
There are opportunities to support year-round, but I would like to highlight Army West Point Athletics Giving Day on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. Army West Point Athletics Giving Day is a special day: It’s a chance for the entire West Point community to rally around a shared mission, beating everyone. It’s a day when past meets present, and the Long Gray Line stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the next generation. Enhancing resources and facilities helps our coaches recruit—and helps us beat Navy as often as possible. In 2024, we raised over $2.1 million through over 3,500 donations in support of all 30 teams. We look forward to continued growth in 2025.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve as your Director of Athletics. I encourage you all to come back to West Point as often as possible. Please attend our events and let us know how we are doing.
Click here to learn more about Army West Point Athletics Giving Day.
