Dear Waves Family,

My first few months as Pepperdine's new director of athletics have already been full of excitement, and I can hardly believe that the conference season for our fall sports is upon us. As I get to know the Pepperdine community more deeply, I continue to be amazed by the clear passion for this place, of which you are such a critical part.

As you likely know, we are at one of the most pivotal points in college athletics history with the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rule in full effect and landscape-changing lawsuits working their way through our nation's legal system. Since 2021, student-athletes have been eligible under NCAA rules to receive compensation from outside parties for the use of their NIL, and many of our student-athletes have benefited. We have approached these initiatives with careful consideration, aligning them with our core values, and today, we are excited to announce the next evolution of our student-athletes' access to NIL opportunities.

We are thrilled to inform you of the launch of the Waves Excellence Collective, an independent organization that is an official sponsor of Pepperdine Athletics and the first NIL collective with a Pepperdine-only focus. The collective has been formed to directly support our incredible student-athletes as they compete and battle in blue and orange, not just for Pepperdine but for a higher purpose. We are so grateful to the major efforts of two of our Pepperdine alumni, Steve Birch (MDR '17, EdD '18) and Scott Mager (JD '82), who formed the collective and have taken the lead in making this come to fruition.

As we anticipate an exciting season, we look forward to competing at the highest level and are calling on each and every member of our Pepperdine Family to rally around the Waves and support our student-athletes. Many avenues exist to support Pepperdine Athletics, and the Waves Excellence Collective is yet another opportunity. You can engage intentionally with each of our 17 NCAA Division I teams and student-athletes via this collective, depending on where your passion lies.

I thank you in advance for your consideration of this news and the new and exciting way to support our incredible student-athletes and programs. Pepperdine has a bright path forward as we seek to be a championship athletic program fueled by Christian values, academic excellence, and community engagement—a path that will lead us to more conference and national championships! The NCAA needs Pepperdine and what we stand for now more than ever.

Should you wish to discuss any of this further, our director of development, Jimmy Gehrels, or I would be happy to arrange a time to speak with you. I look forward to seeing you soon in Malibu or elsewhere.

Go Waves!

Tanner Gardner