The Buddie System - June 2026 Update
6/16/2026 7:00:00 PM | General
TCU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Buddie provides the latest update on all things Horned Frogs
Frog Fans,
Welcome back to The Buddie System, my final newsletter of the 2025-26 season. I hope you've enjoyed and appreciated these mostly quarterly updates of the big-picture agenda items that happen throughout the year in our department.
At the end of the day, our staff – myself included – are merely caretakers of your athletics program, and I am thankful every day for the opportunity to lead this talented group of coaches, staff, and student-athletes.
As the 2025-26 competition year comes to a close, we are just under 75 days away from kicking off in Dublin and even sooner for soccer and volleyball. No matter the challenges we face as the industry shifts by the hour, the opportunity to serve our 500-plus student-athletes is not one I take lightly.
Reflecting on Frogball in 2026
As with each of our programs at the conclusion of their seasons, I sat across from Kirk Saarloos last month after we were the first team out of the NCAA Tournament, and we both agreed that the standard was not met in 2026. Our expectations each year are to compete for a Big 12 Conference Championship, a regional berth, and the opportunity to advance to the College World Series.
It's why world-class players choose to come to TCU year after year. It's why our reserved seats have been sold out for 16 consecutive seasons. It's why we have invested heavily in the success of our baseball program.
Out of that meeting, Coach Saarloos has furiously attacked this offseason, which has, at times, required him to make difficult decisions. I am excited for the three new additions to our coaching staff, including TCU great Bryan Holaday. Thomas Eshelman (pitching coach) and Danny-David Linahan (hitting) bring accomplished resumes and a keen sense of the opportunity ahead. Coach Holaday needs no introduction, and his experience as a Frog player is a bonus to the locker room.
They've been aggressive on the recruiting trail, and I look forward to seeing their impact in 2027.
The Big 12 and Texas Tech
Over the past week-plus, there have been active, ongoing discussions around the case of now-former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby and his victory in Lubbock County court to retain his eligibility to play this season after the NCAA ruled him ineligible for admittedly placing bets on his own team, among other bets during his time as a student-athlete.
Last night, following a day in which the Big 12 and Commissioner Brett Yormark engaged Texas Tech in federal court, Texas Tech and Brendan announced he would be moving on from their institution and the Big 12.
Beyond these facts, it would be inappropriate to provide further commentary. However, as the Chair of the Big 12 Athletics Director's Executive Committee, it is important to clearly state our unequivocal support for the Big 12's ability to enforce its bylaws among membership, and we thank Commissioner Yormark for his swift action to protect the integrity of the game.
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026
At the end of May, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) reached a bipartisan agreement on legislation to introduce to Congress called "The Protect College Sports Act." As I've noted in this newsletter and elsewhere, TCU supports commonsense rules and legislation that promote competitive excellence, student-athlete protections and compensation, and allow the NCAA to enforce rules on member schools.
This bill, while not perfect and still in need of markups to reach the floor, is a significant step in the right direction. We are thankful for Senators Cruz and Cantwell, as well as co-sponsors Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), for bringing us to this stage.
We will hear from many to provide updates on the bill as written and introduced in May, and the markup process will be on Thursday, June 18.
Age-Based Collegiate Eligibility Model
On the topic of the emerging Division 1 Age-Based Collegiate Eligibility Model, which gives student-athletes a clear five-year period for participation, we are supportive of that change here at TCU. It is a sensible piece of legislation that clears up the eligibility picture for student-athletes, coaches, and compliance staff.
There will be a vote on the legislation in the coming days.
Pardon Our Dust
If you've been through the athletics campus in the past few weeks, please pardon our dust. Crews are hard at work preparing Amon G. Carter Stadium for a raucous 2026 home slate with a number of projects slated to be completed over the coming months.
As this newsletter has often mentioned, our new full-spectrum LED lights have been installed and are currently in the wiring and testing phases. We will get the opportunity to begin testing those lights later this month to be prepared to put on a show in September.
In the south end zone, a brand-new full-framed video board installation is currently underway. As you may recall, that video board previously occupied the north end zone and served as the stadium's lone videoboard. It was well past its operational life expectancy, so this project gives us the ability to move to a larger board with greater clarity and functionality. It is roughly 60% larger than its predecessor, and we are excited to have partnered with GoVision on this project.
Finally, the turf itself. It has been a few years since the best grass playing surface in the country was replaced, and with the addition of graduation ceremonies inside of Carter Stadium this spring, it was time. Andrew Siegel, our turf wizard, and his team have been hard at work stripping the old turf and paint away, replacing the subgrade, and will soon begin the process of laying down an entirely new all-natural grass surface.
A New Alternate in 2026
As you may have seen yesterday, we recently announced a new addition to our football jersey rotation to be worn in Dublin for the season opener. It's a sharp look with a nod to some classic TCU jerseys of the past, and it will be combined with our Clover Frog helmet logo.
A few months back, someone on Twitter asked me to bring back the spikes. I replied, "Ok."
Welcome Allen Huddleston
Last month, we announced the addition of a general manager position that would serve the needs and interests of both our men's and women's basketball programs. The role has been filled by Allen Huddleston who is already hard at work elevating the roster building efforts of both programs for Jamie Dixon and Mark Campbell.
Allen's addition comes at an important time, as recruitment and retention never stop. We have invested considerable resources into our men's program to further allow Coach Dixon to maximize the talent he has collected here in Fort Worth, and as Coach Campbell continues to push his program to new heights, Allen's support and guidance will be imperative to build on the already high standard Mark has created.
Global Human Performance Forum
Over the past two days, as you are reading this – June 15-16 – we have been fortunate enough to host and participate in TCU's Global Human Performance Forum. Spearheaded by Vice Provost for Research Reuben Burch, Ph.D, and Brad Aisbett, Ph.D., Head of School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University, the forum aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, and innovators from around the world to explore how research, technology, and applied science are shaping the future of all forms of global football.
Our investment in restorative and training resources here at TCU made us the perfect fit to serve as the founding hosts of this event, and I am proud to recognize several athletic staff members who participated as panelists in the two-day event: Zach Dechant (Assistant AD/Human Performance), David Gable (Associate AD/Sports Medicine), Dr. Michelle Kirk (Team Physician), Bobby Jean Lee, PT, Ph.D. (Physical Therapy Coordinator), and Darl Bauer (Assistant AD/Human Performance).
The forum also included the announcement of an incredible $10 million gift by the Roach Foundation that helps to launch the Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering here at TCU.
Town Hall and Friday Football Luncheons
In my roughly 18 months here at TCU, I have been so appreciative of your enthusiasm for supporting the Frogs. Each time I talk with you directly, whether at a game or a function, I return to my desk energized.
One thing I hear frequently is a desire to have town halls return, and I am excited to announce we will be bringing those back. More details to come, but we are targeting mid-August for our first town hall of the 2026-27 year with the potential for more to occur on an annual or semi-annual basis. These will be hosted by a great partner that will be announced soon, but I look forward to a chance to sit in front of a room of passionate Horned Frogs and give you these types of updates face-to-face, and answer any of your questions along the way.
Another opportunity to come together will be on Fridays before home football games as the Frog Club is set to bring back Friday Football Luncheons with Sonny Dykes. Those will be announced in the coming weeks, and I look forward to a packed Legends Club on seven Fridays this fall.
Supporting Our Spirit Squads
Looking for a perfect Father's Day gift? Want to support our Spirit Squads in the process? Look no further. We have partnered with My Hand, My Cause to produce these fantastic, limited-edition SuperFrog prints. For each print sold, $150 goes to the Frog Club benefiting TCU Spirit.
Wrapping Up the Year
Over the weekend, our final competition of the sports calendar concluded with the NCAA Track and Field National Championships in Eugene, Oregon. It closes a competition year that began 306 days ago on August 14, 2025, with soccer defeating Pepperdine. In that time, we saw the Frogs win conference titles, advance in NCAA competition, participate in Final Fours and Elite Eights, earn All-American honors, hear their names called in professional drafts, and most importantly, graduate with a meaningful degree.
Since the last Buddie System in April, men's tennis and women's tennis each won a Big 12 tournament championship. The men advanced to the final four for the fourth straight season, and Duncan Chan and Cosme Rolland De Ravel earned both athletic and academic All-American honors. In track, seven track student-athletes earned All-American honors, including Irene Jepkemboi, who took home the bronze for the second year in a row in the Javelin. Jayden Douglas also lowered his own school record in the 400m hurdles in the process, as did Georgia Scott in the 800m.
With final numbers still to come from the conclusion of track and field championships and the baseball postseason, we currently rank No. 28 in the Learfield Director's Cup rankings – the highest-ranked school in the Big 12 and the highest rank in school history (34 – 2023). We will see where the final rankings shake out in the coming days.
Now, we head into our abbreviated summer, but there is no shortage of activity between now and the start of the fall. I hope you and yours are safe, happy, and healthy, and get to enjoy a relaxing summer ahead. We will see you in August!
Go Frogs!
-- MB
