The Trojan Report: A Monthly Update from the Director of Athletics (February 2026)

February 18, 2026
The Trojan Report: A Monthly Update from the Director of Athletics

Opening Message
The GOAT received her crown last week – how incredible was it to see Chanda Rigby break the Troy Women's Basketball program record with her 275^th win?!? Such a surreal moment that I will never personally forget. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who represents Troy University with as much passion and commitment as Chanda Rigby.

Beyond all the wins and championships, she has accumulated throughout her decorated career, the thing that stands out the most is the incredible impact she has made on the lives of all players, coaches, staff, and fans she comes into contact with. It's not hyperbole to call Chanda one of the greatest Trojans of all time, as she truly has made a lasting impact upon our department and university at large. And the best part? She's just getting started! Much more is still to come from Coach Rigby and her team as we pursue another championship this season.

Staying with Women's Basketball for a bit more, how about the incredible accomplishments by both Zay Dyer and Emani Jenkins?

Earlier this year, Zay became the program's career leader in rebounds and keeps stacking double-doubles on a nightly basis. On the same night that Coach Rigby broke the school's all-time wins record, Zay pulled down an outstanding 25 rebounds in a single game to set a new Troy Women's Basketball Division I record.

Not to be outdone, the sharp-shooting Emani Jenkins has already smashed the program's season record for 3-pointers with 78 and counting this season. She's shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc right now!

Our softball team got off to a great start with four wins during their season-opening tournament and added four more this past weekend, improving their record to 8-1 on the season.

Amazing start for these ladies so far!

And if you don't know the name Ella Cunningham, get used to hearing her name a bunch this season. She has a nine-game hitting streak and recorded an RBI in the first eight games of the season to run her season total to 14.

Softball will be back at home again this upcoming weekend, and we'll also welcome our baseball program back to Riddle-Pace Field for the first time this season. The home opener for the Boys of Troy will take place on Friday at 4 p.m. against Campbell – can't wait to see you there!
We're coming down the home stretch for both our men's and women's basketball teams. Both teams are squarely in the championship hunt during the last two weeks of the regular season.

Women's basketball will be at home this week on Wednesday and Saturday for its final two home games before the men return home next Tuesday and Friday to close out the regular season. We need you here for these final games to help give us a great homecourt advantage!

Academic Success
As proud as I am of our teams' success on the field or court, I'm even more excited to share with you the incredible success they have had in the classroom!

This past fall, 234 of our student-athletes recorded a 3.0 GPA or higher: that's more than half of our student-athlete population! Even better than that, 136 student-athletes achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher, and 13 of our 15 teams achieved a team GPA above 3.0. The best part about all of this? We had 92 student-athletes graduate in 2025 – the highest number of graduates in Troy University Athletics history. That's the definition of winning in the classroom!

Spotlight Story – LeAnn Brooks-Register
The next two Saturdays will feature Senior Days for our men's and women's basketball teams as we honor our seniors as part of their final home games in Trojan Arena. On Friday, Feb. 27, we'll have a chance to honor a member of our team as part of her final home game as well – LeAnn Brooks-Register.

She has served as the secretary for our men's and women's basketball teams for 26 seasons and will officially retire on Feb. 27.

From Sartain Hall to Trojan Arena, LeAnn has been a part of several magical seasons supporting our men's and women's basketball teams behind the scenes. Over the course of her time with both programs, our teams have won nearly 800 combined games. That's a lot of basketball games to have been a part of!

As part of our final home game, we'll have an opportunity to honor LeAnn for her years of service to Troy University, and I invite you to join us to celebrate her great career and help cheer on our men's basketball team.

Looking Ahead – Golf, Indoor Track & Field, Tennis and SBC Basketball Championships
The spring seasons for both men's and women's golf are about to be in full swing. Our men's golf program traveled to Laredo, Texas, earlier this week for The Border Olympics hosted by the University of Houston. Next week, our women's golf program will travel to DeBary, Fla., for the Babs Steffen Invitational hosted by Stetson. Additionally, next week the Sun Belt Indoor Track & Field Championship takes place in Birmingham.

Best of luck to our student-athletes as they carry the Troy banner into these upcoming competitions!

Our tennis programs are both off to great starts to their spring seasons as well. Men's tennis is off to a 7-3 start, and our women's tennis program is currently 4-2. If you're in the area, come by the Lunsford Tennis Complex to see these great student-athletes in action as we'll have several home matches throughout March and April.

Later in March, our men's and women's basketball teams will descend upon Pensacola, Fla., for the Sun Belt Basketball Championships. As always, we need a strong showing from Trojan Nation! Games will take place the week of March 3-9 at the Bay Center. Seeding is up for grabs, but both of our teams are in great positions to advance automatically to the weekend portion of the tournament.

Conclusion – Football Scheduling and Season Tickets
199… that's the number of days from the publication of this letter until we're back in The Vet for the first game of the 2026 Troy Football season! Very soon, we'll have our full schedule from the Sun Belt for the upcoming season, and we cannot wait to share those dates with you.

In the meantime, I am happy to share a few updates on our non-conference schedule for the 2026 season. Please see below for those non-conference games that highlight the first four weeks of our season:

Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. Sam Houston State
Saturday, Sept. 12 vs. Alabama State
Saturday, Sept. 19 AT Missouri
Saturday, Sept. 26 AT Utah State

As you have likely heard, the SEC moved to a 9-game schedule for this upcoming season, which has brought a few changes for schools across the country. For years, I've planned for that event to take place and have if/when scenarios ready. With this, our previously scheduled home-and-home series with Mississippi State will now be consolidated into a single game in Starkville, Miss., for which we will receive a nice game guarantee payment.

Financially, this made sense for us and allowed us to maintain six home games along with a P4 game guarantee. We now have our non-conference schedule solidified through the 2029 season and will soon have it extended through 2030. By remaining proactive in this market, we have ensured a balanced schedule while securing the financial resources needed to fund our program at the highest level.

And speaking of resources, that's the perfect segue to remind you that 2026 Football Season Tickets are officially on sale now. Your support of our programs – as a season ticket holder, Trojan Warrior Club member, and/or corporate sponsor – enables us to provide the resources our teams need to continue competing at the highest level. And whatever sport you may be a fan of, please know that buying football season tickets is one of the best ways you can continue to support every single athletic program in our department.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update and for your continued support of Troy University Athletics. As Coach Chanda Rigby is fond of saying, "Each one, reach one" – I'd ask that each of you continue to help us grow the support of Troy Athletics by sharing with family, friends and whoever else you know the great things taking place within our department. Each of you is part of our team, and we cannot wait to see what we'll continue to accomplish together in 2026.

Go Trojans!

Kyle George
Director of Athletics

Troy University Athletics

The Trojan Report: A Monthly Update from the Director of Athletics (February 2026)

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