"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination."

Terry Norvelle, Director of Athletic Development at Jacksonville University (JU), is showing that determination in his work towards improving JU Athletics.

Terry is a graduate of Jacksonville University where he played baseball for the Dolphins.  A broadcast veteran of both radio and television in and around the Jacksonville area he has been heard:  as a radio co-host of "Gators and More", as a weekend sports anchor on FOX 30, a television analyst for SportsChannel Florida, as well as many other television and radio projects. Currently he is "on-air" as the "Voice of the JU Dolphins".

The induction of Artis Gilmore into the NBA Hall of Fame has once again brought JU Athletics into the limelight.  Men's basketball however is not the only successful sports program at JU.  This year in fact, JU's baseball program in predicted to go at least to the Super Regional.  JU's Football program is on the cusp of something special but needs help getting there.

JU's Football program plays within the Pioneer Football League (www.pioneer-football.org), which is the nation's only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference.  Although very successful within this league (2008 and 2010 Championships), they have been unable to move on into the NCAA playoffs due to their non-scholarship status.  In an attempt to boost their strength of schedule they have added scholarship programs to their list of opponents, but that puts them in a "High risk - High Reward" situation.  Terry's vision is to bring the JU Football program to the scholarship level so they not only are they able to compete for players but are able to play high revenue producing teams.  To do this JU needs a bigger football stadium than the 5,000 seat Milne Field that is currently on campus.  Terry explained that although this initial investment is needed to put the team on the right growth path, the real sustaining revenue would come from being a visiting team to a larger conference opponent (i.e. SEC, ACC, etc.).  These teams sometimes pay over 1 million per game to the visiting team.

We wish Terry and the JU Dolphins the best of luck on the field this year and in reaching their goals. 

For more information on the current projects underway at JU visit: http://www.judolphins.com/