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Athletics director highlights regional audience and academic outcomes as return on local investment
Summary
Deputy athletics director Josiah Castro credited council funding with drawing thousands of fans and national streaming audiences, and emphasized academic success among student athletes while previewing major upcoming events that will bring visitors to Commerce.
Josiah Castro, deputy athletics director, presented attendance and viewership figures to the council and emphasized the university athletics program's role in bringing visitors and visibility to Commerce. "We hosted the 2025 Southland Conference Volleyball Championship November 21 through the 23rd. We had over 2,500 fans in attendance..." Castro said, and noted ESPN+ viewership totals across events.
Castro highlighted academic metrics alongside athletics: "82 of our student athletes graduated this year. 191 student athletes recorded a 3.0 or higher," he said, arguing that council investment supports both economic development and student success. He also previewed upcoming events likely to draw spectators, including a Southland Conference soccer tournament and a high-attendance football game vs. Prairie View on Oct. 24.
The presentation framed athletics as a tourism and community-engagement asset; Castro closed by thanking council members for continued support and presenting a medallion symbolizing the program's identity.
