LetsGoDU: A Reintroduction

A week ago, LetsGoDU officially relaunched as the go-to blog for all things DU sports. We immediately received a great welcome on social media from alumni, students, and various DU athletics programs. Receiving that kind of welcome was beyond encouraging; it was motivating. Your enthusiasm has made us want to provide an excellent product to you, the University of Denver community.

Having been on campus as a student going on five years now, along with my fellow classmates, I have witnessed a pivotal time in DU’s illustrious history. Just in the last 4 years, the Boone issue was “resolved,” our school hired a new chancellor, our lacrosse team brought the NCAA title west of the Mississippi for the first time ever, and prior to the last two, we saw LetsGoDU, our beloved place for all things DU, disappear.

For many students and alumni, that was tough to get through. LetsGoDU was a unique site with so much great DU content. It was the premier place for all DU sports news, especially relating to the hockey team.

When it went away in 2013, it felt like a key piece of DU school spirit had died. Things didn’t feel normal in the student section and the crowds seemed more subdued. Maybe I was imagining those things, but it just didn’t feel right. When Tim Thompson decided to revive the site, it was immediately clear that there was a lot of untapped potential.

The purpose of this piece is to let you know how we plan to fulfill that potential. The LetsGoDU you see now is not the LetsGoDU you will see 6 months from now. The LetsGoDU you will see 6 months from now will not be the LetsGoDU you see 6 months after that.

Why?

The Pioneer community is always changing and always looking for ways to improve upon the status quo. There are already some very exciting things happening. Right now, we are actively working to revamp the layout of the site and improve the user-friendliness of the site. There will be phases to this process and we will ask for your patience as we work to make the LetsGoDU experience better.

Further, one of our top priorities upon the relaunch was to maximize our social media presence (which reminds me, make sure to “like” us on Facebook at “Lets Go DU” and follow us on Twitter @letsgodu). Just before the relaunch, we created the Facebook and Twitter accounts and have received a very warm welcome. We want to build on that and work together with the spirit pages on Facebook to make our community as supportive of DU as possible.

One of the things that is going to set us apart from other sites like ours around the country is that the DU Athletics program has been kind enough to give LetsGoDU media credentials for DU sporting events. With these credentials, we will be able to provide readers with a more in-depth look into the athletics program to see what’s really going on from a DU fan’s perspective.

We are very excited about what we have planned so far and the kind of coverage and content we will be able to deliver. We want to honor and build on all of the amazing work Damien Goddard put into LetsGoDU. None of what we’ve been and will be able to do would be possible without the tireless work he put into building the LetsGoDU community.

I want to be clear about one thing: the purpose of LetsGoDU will not change. We are going to be as biased towards DU as ever, we will continue to be tastefully condescending toward opposing teams, and we will always foster as much discussion about the state of DU athletics as possible.

It is still early, but the results are promising. We have seen some great discussion about the Cost of Attendance issue on the site already and we only hope to build on that.

LetsGoDU is more than just a blog; it is a community. It is a community of devoted DU fans who care about their school. And because we are a community, we want everyone to know that we are ALWAYS looking for feedback. If you have a recommendation, a question, or just want to vent, we will listen. Just email us at letsgodu@gmail.com.

Further, we are looking for help. There are a number of us working behind the scenes to deliver the best possible content, but the more people we have, the better the content will be. So if you’re interested in reporting on events, writing features, working with our social media, or a combination, please email us.

As time goes on, I plan to share more of our plans along with delivering more original content about our beloved Pios. For now, we hope that you’re just as excited as we are that LetsGoDU is back.

And as always, Go Pios!!

Blog Note: Nick Tremaroli is a key addition to LetsGoDU. He is an expert in social media and a student at DU. He brings enthusiasm and a student perspective that will grow LGDU. He will provide articles and perspectives, website design, and social media expertise. Welcome aboard, Nick!