MEAC/SWAC Clip Board: MEAC/SWAC shorts

Compiled by beepbeep

Norfolk State University football program is making a strong scheduling move to position themselves for a NCAA FCS playoff position if the Spartans improve upon their 8-3 record of last season. NSU has a money game scheduled with the University of Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference for their second game in history with a football bowl subdivision(Division IA) program.

The Kentucky game is scheduled for September 6, 2007, at 67,606 seat Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky in the home opener for the Wildcats. The Spartans will earn $250,000 for this match up.

Athletic director Marty L. Miller has also addressed the strength of schedule issue by setting up a I-64 rivalry game with Colonial Athletic Conference local, the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. W&M holds a 2-0 advantage in the series with the Spartans, though the teams haven’t met since 1985. W&M and the Spartans will play on September 20, 2008 at Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field. The Tribe has fallen on hard times and has had a losing record for the past three seasons.

This should be an interesting battle for tickets as Zable Stadium seating capacity is 12,259. However, in the 1985 Homecoming victory over Richmond, a record crowd of 18,054 packed the stadium and grounds.

The Spartans were ranked #7 in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision ("FCS"), with 103,320 accumulated attendance for six home games. NSU average game attendance was 17,220 and leads all HBCUs in accumulated home attendance. Last season, NSU home games with in-state rivalry Virginia State and Hampton University had 26, 970 and 27,756, respectively.

The W&M campus is located only an hour or 45 miles from NSU campus. This sounds like University of Delaware vs. Delaware State with a Colonial Athletics Conference in kicking distance of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 1-AA program. W&M opens their season on the road at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, in a money game.

It would be great if W&M, Hampton University and NSU setup a rotating schedule to play a home and home schedule as a threesome. This would be great for the home gate, strength of schedule, and would reduce transportation costs for both the fans and the teams.

Grambling State University head coach Rod Broadway is making the appropriate steps to be a major force in Louisiana football recruiting. The Tigers coach recently made a scholarship offer to Louisiana's 'Mr. Football', standout Bastrop quarterback Randall Mackey. He is the state's Class 4A most-valuable player and the state's 'Mr. Football' for 2007. He has been offered by several programs, including Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State and University of Louisiana - Monroe.

As a senior, Mackey threw for 3,103 yards and 33 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,087 yards and 17 scores, to complete a perfect 36-0 record on the field as a starter.

Norfolk State University September 20, 2008 opponent, the College of William and Mary has an achievement that no other 1-AA program can touch.

William & Mary holds the distinction of producing twelve professional football coaches, such as Mike Tomlin ('95) - Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach; Michael "Pinball" Clemons ('87) - Toronto Argonauts (CFL) Head Coach; Brian Daboll (Former Assistant Coach, 1997) - New York Jets Quarterbacks Coach; Mark Duffner ('75) - Jacksonville Jaguars Linebackers Coach; Ivan Fears ('76) - New England Patriots Running Backs Coach; Hal Hunter - San Diego Chargers Offensive Line Coach; Marv Levy (Former head coach, 1964-68) - Buffalo Bills General Manager (Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee); Kevin Rogers ('74) - Minnesota Vikings Quarterbacks Coach; Jim Ryan ('79) - Denver Broncos Defensive Assistant Coach; Rip Scherer ('75) - Cleveland Browns Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach; Danny Smith (Former Assistant Coach, 1980-83) - Washington Redskins Special Teams Coach; and Alan Williams ('92) - Indianapolis Colts Defensive Backs Coach.

This is an amazing accomplishment for a 1-AA football program.

Jackson State University coaching staff has been selected to head a team in the inaugural American Heritage Bowl. Rick Comegy and his assistants will coach an all-star team of players from the SWAC and SIAC.

Delaware State University's Al Lavan has agreed to coach the opposing team, made up of players from the MEAC and the CIAA. The game will be played Jan. 26, 2008 at Cal State Fullerton's Titan Field. Rosters will be released after Christmas. Television details have not been finalized.

"It's a great honor for our school and this coaching staff," said Comegy, who hopes to get seven Tigers on the team. "It's going to be shown in front of 31 million ... on ESPN. "They want to keep this game going and make it a historical game for black college."

Newly hired Alcorn State University coach Ernest Jones will not retain any of the assistants who worked under previous coach Johnny Thomas. The former Cincinnati running backs coach made the decision Wednesday. "I interviewed everyone," Jones said. "Then I looked at some guys I was able to get and decided to go in another direction."

Jackson State University alumnus Fred Jackson was brought back as Michigan's running backs coach on Friday, a day after new coach Rich Rodriguez fired all the assistants on Lloyd Carr's staff. "Rich spoke with everyone individually last night and did not want to hold them up in exploring other options," said school spokesman David Ablauf. "He has rehired Fred Jackson as an offensive coach."