Murray State University Athletics
The Race Is On – Murray State Athletics Closes Out First Three-Year Strategic Plan
10/1/2025 9:57:00 AM | General, Racer Club
The Race Is On Strategic Plan (2024-25)The Race Is On Strategic Plan (2023-24)The Race Is On Strategic Plan (2022-23)
Racers celebrate record-breaking accomplishments in three years under AD Nico Yantko
Murray State Athletics has officially closed out the first iteration of its three-year strategic plan, The Race Is On, highlighting the immense amount of progress made and the success that the department has achieved through the Racers' shared vision for excellence.
First launched in October 2022, the strategic plan was implemented as a road map to help the department navigate its transition into the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference. It is also the first athletics-specific strategic plan in Murray State history.
With an emphasis on investing in People, Places and Programs and prioritizing Recruiting and Revenue, The Race Is On showcased the vast amount of progress made since October 2022, including Murray State securing the most championships in a single year in school history in 2024-25, the baseball team's run to the Men's College World Series, new brand advancement initiatives, a massive facility overhaul, a record $30 million raised over the last two years, continued programming through the Dennis Jackson Leadership Program that has led to the highest community engagement success, highest GPA and highest Graduation Success Rate in school history, and much more.
"This strategic plan highlights the tremendous amount of progress that Racer Athletics has made over the last three years," University President Dr. Ron Patterson said. "I want to commend Director of Athletics Nico Yantko and his team, along with our coaches and student-athletes, for their commitment to our University. We are ecstatic to see what the future holds for Racer Athletics."
The strategic plan was broken down into the department's four key objectives: Advancing the brand of Murray State University; Building a stronger Murray State community and region; Competing for and winning championships; Developing our student-athletes through strategic programming that will serve them from RECRUITMENT through RETIREMENT.
To view the fully executed strategic plan, CLICK HERE.
"We have worked tirelessly over the past three seasons to position Murray State Athletics as a premiere program within the Missouri Valley Conference, our region, and nationally," Director of Athletics Nico Yantko said. "With the completion of The Race Is On, our attention now immediately turns to how we leverage and build upon the momentum we have created over the next three years and beyond. I am incredibly grateful to work alongside Dr. Ron Patterson and the Board of Regents, our coaches and staff, and all of Racer Nation, for buying in to our shared vision for excellence and helping us position our student-athletes and sport programs for success, and I wholeheartedly believe that the best is yet to come."
With The Race Is On reaching its completion, Racer Athletics has begun the process of preparing its next three-year strategic plan, titled Racing Towards Excellence, that will help guide the Racers into a new era of intercollegiate athletics while showcasing its commitment to investing in championship resources and a world-class student-athlete experience.
The new strategic plan is slated to be announced in the coming months.
Follow the Racers on X (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Murray State Athletics.
First launched in October 2022, the strategic plan was implemented as a road map to help the department navigate its transition into the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference. It is also the first athletics-specific strategic plan in Murray State history.
With an emphasis on investing in People, Places and Programs and prioritizing Recruiting and Revenue, The Race Is On showcased the vast amount of progress made since October 2022, including Murray State securing the most championships in a single year in school history in 2024-25, the baseball team's run to the Men's College World Series, new brand advancement initiatives, a massive facility overhaul, a record $30 million raised over the last two years, continued programming through the Dennis Jackson Leadership Program that has led to the highest community engagement success, highest GPA and highest Graduation Success Rate in school history, and much more.
"This strategic plan highlights the tremendous amount of progress that Racer Athletics has made over the last three years," University President Dr. Ron Patterson said. "I want to commend Director of Athletics Nico Yantko and his team, along with our coaches and student-athletes, for their commitment to our University. We are ecstatic to see what the future holds for Racer Athletics."
The strategic plan was broken down into the department's four key objectives: Advancing the brand of Murray State University; Building a stronger Murray State community and region; Competing for and winning championships; Developing our student-athletes through strategic programming that will serve them from RECRUITMENT through RETIREMENT.
To view the fully executed strategic plan, CLICK HERE.
"We have worked tirelessly over the past three seasons to position Murray State Athletics as a premiere program within the Missouri Valley Conference, our region, and nationally," Director of Athletics Nico Yantko said. "With the completion of The Race Is On, our attention now immediately turns to how we leverage and build upon the momentum we have created over the next three years and beyond. I am incredibly grateful to work alongside Dr. Ron Patterson and the Board of Regents, our coaches and staff, and all of Racer Nation, for buying in to our shared vision for excellence and helping us position our student-athletes and sport programs for success, and I wholeheartedly believe that the best is yet to come."
With The Race Is On reaching its completion, Racer Athletics has begun the process of preparing its next three-year strategic plan, titled Racing Towards Excellence, that will help guide the Racers into a new era of intercollegiate athletics while showcasing its commitment to investing in championship resources and a world-class student-athlete experience.
The new strategic plan is slated to be announced in the coming months.
Follow the Racers on X (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Murray State Athletics.
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