COLUMBUS, Miss. -  The upcoming 2026-27 season will be one during which The W Athletics will be commemorating its tenth year of competition since the University reinstated intercollegiate athletics in time for the 2017-18 campaign. And the Owls' faithful will be treated to several celebratory events during this upcoming season, according to Director of Athletics Buddy Foster.

"The W Athletics has come a long, long way in what, in terms of the life of a collegiate program, is a relatively short period of time," Foster explained. "And based on our trends in recent years, 2026-27 has the potential to be an amazing year to both celebrate this first decade and go into our second (decade) with a full head of steam, as well. 

"That's why we want to make sure that we take some time along the way this season to relive and appreciate our upward trajectory. We want all of our student-athletes, past and present, our coaches, and those in the community who have helped to foster this growth to be a part of these celebrations. Without all of them, we would not be where we are today."

The highway heading into this tenth year has been fraught with both 'speed bumps' and smooth sailing, with each season's off-ramps providing unique experiences over the previous nine-year journey.  After all, athletics is perhaps the greatest microcosm of life itself.

But there have been far more successes than failures along the Owls' road back into their modern era of athletics, after MUW disbanded sports competition following the 2002-03 season. All those fantastic moments have dotted these past nine years, like spotting a "Stuckey's Ahead" billboard along a lonely stretch of Interstate (IYKYK!).

Foster's leadership and guidance, as MUW's longest-tenured director of athletics since intercollegiate competition was reinstated, is a major aspect of the Owls' growth. As the one who "drives the bus" when it comes to the Owls, Foster has used his 30-plus years of experience to steer clear of obstacles and map out a course to success.

Nowhere has this been more evident than in the past three years. From 2017-23 The W Athletics competed in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), while going through the mandated process to gain full NCAA Division III (as well as SLIAC) membership status, which was achieved beginning in 2023-24. And while the Owls did enjoy USCAA accomplishments, Foster, who had previously worked at another SLIAC school, has been invaluable to MUW in successfully navigating the transition from an independent to full NCAA III status and a meteoric rise in SLIAC competition. 

The numbers don't lie. Over its first three seasons of SLIAC membership, MUW has had 95 Player of the Week honors, 141 all-conference selections (63 in 2025-26 alone!), 3 SLIAC championship teams, and NCAA III automatic bids won. In the classroom, Owls' student-athletes have earned 146 SLIAC All-Academic Team honors and have an average grade point average of 3.17 as a department since the fall of 2023. Under Foster's tutelage, MUW Athletics has, annually, been among the upper echelon in community service, rolling up better than 4,000 hours of "servant leadership" last year, alone.

So, Owls Athletics faithful are encouraged to stay tuned to OwlsAthletics.com for announcements of events "Celebrating Year 10" in 2026-27. We want you to come along for the ride!