By: Nick McGill ~Sports Editor~

The start of a new academic calendar means fresh starts for the athletic seasons.

As Musketeers file in from all over the country this week to be­gin their next step towards gradu­ation, many student-athletes have already been on campus preparing for their upcoming season.

Athletics are the biggest cata­lyst to bringing our entire student body together.

Packing the stands at Cintas or bringing a group of friends to watch the soccer team quickly brings the Xavier community closer as students come together to cheer for their school.

Xavier’s visibility is growing as more and more students walk the campus and more and more visitors come to cheer on the Musketeers.

Community is a part of Xavier– that is undeniable. Whether it is in the dorms, classrooms, majors, teams, clubs, etc., community holds everyone together at Xavier. Sports on campus are a major way for the University to create a con­nection between the Xavier com­munity and the community in and around Cincinnati.

Ask someone from Nashville, Tenn. if they know about Xavier, they will say that they saw the baseball team make a charge into the NCAA Tournament.

Ask someone from Toronto if they know about Xavier, they will tell you that they have one of their very own playing professionally for their hometown soccer team.

Ask someone from Dallas if they know about Xavier and they may say that recruiters have been avidly looking into his or her son’s performance on the high school diamond.

Xavier athletics have been a dominating presence around the country and now with Xavier be­ing a part of the Big East, visibil­ity has skyrocketed.

The Big East, being a ma­jor power conference, provides Xavier with national television coverage for most of its home games.

Much of the student body is infused with Xavier pride and it shows everywhere they go.

Nothing means more to this university financially or publically than the men’s basketball team, which has brought in an average of 10,000 people per game since Cintas Center opened in 2000. Countless superstar athletes and All-Americans have graced the court at Cintas in front of thou­sands of fans, helping give Xavier the image that it has today.

It’s good to be back at Xavier, where it takes great responsibil­ity but is rewarding to be a true Musketeer.

When the lights turn on and it’s time to compete, nothing brings students closer together than cheering on the Musketeers.