True To The Cru Readers —
When we launched this website in the fall of 2020, we ventured in with no idea of what the reception would be. It was clear that Mary Hardin-Baylor had a passionate fan base and a commitment to athletics, and we were eager to contribute to that through our media work, from feature stories on student-athletes to news coverage to field-level photos. And for the last five years, that has remained the central goal of True To The Cru. Along the way, you all have supported that mission, and we are incredibly grateful. Getting to know the fans of Cru nation through this project has been rewarding, and our interactions with you all made our work feel valued every step of the way.
It has been said that the only constant in life is change, and that has been true for True To The Cru since its inception. Time and time again, we’ve pivoted and adapted to keep our coverage fresh, accessible, digestible, and efficient. But within all of that, opportunities and commitments outside of our work focused on UMHB athletics have also required increasing amounts of dedicated time. Unfortunately, we have reached a point where finding that balance is tougher than it has ever been, and the decision has been made to pause our regular website coverage for the foreseeable future.
This was an extremely difficult decision, and one we spent the summer weighing. Yes, True To The Cru was a passion project at its core, but had the time and full-time job schedules allowed, we would’ve seen no reason to slow down. Saturday afternoons at Crusader Stadium have created so many memories over the last five years, from watching Kyle King set passing records to witnessing KJ Miller break the NCAA record for punt return yardage. The weeknight duels inside the Mayborn Campus Center for UMHB men’s and women’s basketball have been special as well, and it isn’t hard to think back on the number of dramatic finishes and historic wins we’ve covered inside the gym. There have also been incredible moments on the soccer field, on the diamond at Red Murff Field, and at Dee Dillon Field that we’ve been on-hand to witness. Telling the stories of the coaches, student-athletes, and teams representing The Cru from fall to spring has been very enjoyable.
But we also knew that there would become a point at which the time needed to provide the in-depth, well-written content we pride ourselves on was no longer as plentiful. That time arrived a little sooner than we had initially expected, but it is here, making this decision a necessary one. We explored a few different pathways to maintain a portion of our content moving into this next academic year, but ultimately, those didn’t fit with what our emphasis has always been: storytelling and consistent coverage.
Truth be told, I put off writing this letter for as long as I could. It won’t be easy to step away. But in the end, everything will go on. Perhaps one day, there will be an opportunity to bring back TrueToTheCru.com. For the time being, we will continue to run our X and Instagram accounts, though with considerably less live coverage than in years past. The support from athletes, coaches, and fans over the last five years has meant a great deal, and as we close this chapter for the time being, we look forward to following the future of UMHB athletics. We wish the best to the coaches and student-athletes preparing for their upcoming seasons. Go Cru.
–Riley Zayas, Co-Founder/Managing Editor of True To The Cru
You have done an outstanding job. And so has your brother. As a coach, you’re right UMHB, and as one who sat beside you during many of those battles that you mentioned, please know we’re grateful for all that you do.