Editor’s note: Guest columnist Staci Lyons is the mother of a WSU track and field athlete and a WSU alumna from the class of 1997. Lyons reached out to The Daily Evergreen with this open letter in the wake of the limits and cuts made to the track and field program. This column is published as an opinion piece and is not endorsed by The Daily Evergreen.

A Letter to My Alma Mater

For over 30 years, I’ve proudly been a Coug. My husband and I are both alumni. We’ve supported Washington State University in every way we can—attending dozens of games, matches, meets, fundraisers, and alumni events. We are also donors, driven by a desire to help others experience the same joy and community we found in Pullman.

I never miss a chance to shout “Go Cougs!”—a kind of secret handshake shared with anyone proudly wearing the WSU logo. Our daughters learned the fight song before their ABCs. This isn’t just a school. It’s part of our identity. We are Cougs.

Being a Coug has always meant something deeper. It’s about loyalty, connection, and a relentless pride in that special little town in the Palouse.

You can imagine my pride when both of my daughters chose WSU as their collegiate home. We became a true Cougar family. My youngest, a high school state champion in track, could have gone elsewhere—joined a bigger program, one with more prestige or resources. But she didn’t. She chose WSU because she wanted to be part of the connection we’d spent her whole life celebrating. She wanted to wear Crimson and Gray.

Fast forward two years.

This week, WSU abruptly announced the elimination of the field and sprint events from its track and field program—displacing over 40 student-athletes. The news came during a 10-minute Zoom call. Just like that, a 100+ year tradition was slashed.

Let me tell you about these athletes. When things got tough—no conference, ongoing budget uncertainties, administrative upheaval—they didn’t transfer. They stayed. Because they believed in loyalty. In commitment. In what it means to wear the WSU logo with pride. These young men and women weren’t just competitors. They were ambassadors—on campus, across the state, and across the country. They embodied the spirit I’ve always associated with being a Coug.

I understand the challenges facing college athletics today: NIL, roster limits, financial pressures. But to deliver this kind of life-altering news over Zoom, with no empathy or respect for the student-athletes who’ve given so much to this school—that is not the Coug way. Or at least, I believed it wasn’t.

Because if it is, then I’ve been wrong about WSU. And that breaks my heart.

I hope it’s not too late to remember what made this place special in the first place: people. Loyalty. Tradition. Community.

Please—do better.

Go Cougs.