FAMU, B-CU strike back at Disney

Schools say they won't play any other team in Orlando

ORLANDO — One mouse won't stop the largest black-college football game in the country from getting its cheese.

"We are looking forward to the Classic staying in Orlando and being bigger than ever," Florida A&M President James Ammons and Bethune-Cookman President Trudie Kibbe Reed said in a joint statement Friday.

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The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is headed for extinction in Florida before it get started. First, Jackson State has no natural rivalry with any Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team and Disney clearly misjudged Bethune Cookman. Without a contract with BC-U, JSU has publicly released a schedule claiming that BC-U will play JSU in the Challenge. Not true!

The best MEAC/SWAC game being played in Florida in August (30th) is Alabama State University Hornets at Florida A&M University Rattlers--a natural and long awaited rivalry of the best kind, being played in Bragg Memorial Stadium on the campus of FAMU.

Bethune Cookman and FAMU will not being playing in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge game in Florida, so who in the SWAC and MEAC can draw 60,000 plus fans in Orlando? Nobody, but FAMU and BCU.

Disney and the MEAC Commissioner have no Plan B for this not made for television game. A Mississippi and North Carolina, Delaware, Virgina, Washington, D.C. or Maryland match up won't do squat for putting butts in the seat in the Citrus Bowl. With gas prices approaching $4.00 a gallon by the end of Summer, how many are expected to drive from Mississippi and points north to come to just another game between HBCUs? Few.

The way Disney did this, they won't get my support so move your sponsorship and your MEAC/SWAC game to Mississippi, where folks get excited about Jackson State. Shame on the MEAC Commissioner for trying to encroach upon the Florida Classic brand with Disney. Bad move...

-beepbeep

African-Americans in NCAA baseball few and far between

Photo: Southern University head baseball coach Roger Candor.

It isn't a myth or an overstatement to say that the hardest thing to see in college baseball is an African-American ballplayer. The decline almost makes a triple play look common.

In 2007, less than seven percent of all NCAA Division I baseball players were African-American, and the numbers are expected to decline for 2008. The comparisons to basketball, where 57 percent of D-I players were African-American, and football (43 percent) are mind-boggling.

There are a grand total of seven African-American players at the five pre-eminent college baseball teams in Southern California - two at Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State, and one each at USC, UCLA and Pepperdine. Considering UCLA gave us Jackie Robinson, USC is located in the inner-city and Long Beach has a long history of producing outstanding African-American athletes, it's a regrettable local statistic.

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Black colleges facing pivotal time

Photo: BCU head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez.

Mervyl Melendez, the baseball coach at Bethune-Cookman University, respects his school's distinguished tradition within the ranks of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He tries every year to recruit African American players to the private liberal arts school, which has about 3,000 students at its Daytona Beach, Fla., campus.

"We offered, in November, seven African American kids scholarships. All but one rejected that offer and signed with different universities," he said. "After we were rejected we got kids from Puerto Rico. We recruited six, and all six said yes." And so Bethune-Cookman, whose student body is more than 91% black, fields a team in which African Americans are a minority, outnumbered by players from Melendez's native Puerto Rico.

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Urban Youth Academy hosting tourney

Bethune-Cookman, Southern University on display in SoCal

The Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy has become a true baseball gathering place, and that will become more evident when the academy hosts its first Urban Invitational Baseball Tournament this weekend in Compton, California.

Two historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Bethune-Cookman University (Daytona Beach, Fla.) and Southern University (Baton Rouge, La.), will face off against local powerhouses UCLA and USC. The Urban Invitational was created, in part, to showcase the many uses for the academy, but, more importantly to bring attention to the two universities visiting Southern California.

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New Grambling contract for Broadway would be longer, richer

GRAMBLING — Rod Broadway’s proposed new contract at Grambling State includes another year and a $14,000 increase in base pay for 2008, among other incentives.
The deal, up for approval by GSU’s oversight board during meetings held today in Lake Charles, followed interest in the first-year football coach from upper-classification Duke as well as fellow historically black college program Florida A&M.

His new agreement would begin at $170,000 then upgrade to $215,000 by 2011. It’s backdated to Feb. 7. Like most lower-division programs, there is no buyout clause: Broadway “may terminate this agreement by written notice at any time,” according to the contract.

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SWAC Women's Bowling Championship to air on ESPNU

College bowling returns to national television next week as Southern University and Alabama A&M University, two NCAA Division I programs, square off for the Southwestern Athletic Conference Women's Bowling Championship.

The championship match is scheduled to air on Wednesday, March 5 at 8 p.m. Eastern and replayed Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 a.m. Eastern. Check your local listings for time changes.

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Obama’s got game, says his brother-in-law the coach

I asked Craig Robinson to talk about the side of Barack Obama you don’t see in public. I figured he would know. Robinson is the brother of Obama’s wife, Michelle. He is 45 and coach of the Brown University basketball team. We were having coffee a few blocks from his office on Thayer Street.

He told me there is no different side.

“He’s really authentic,” said Robinson. “What you see is what you get.” He told me that wasn’t just a brother-in-law speaking.

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Craig Robinson profile: http://brownbears.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/robinson_craig00.html

Pitt Baseball Pummels Maryland Eastern Shore, 25-3

Princess Anne, Maryland - A last-minute schedule change brought the Pitt baseball team one of it's most successful days in the program's 69-year history. The Panthers were scheduled to travel to Chillicothe, Ohio this weekend for a three-game series with Youngstown State, but inclement weather conditions forced Pitt to make a quick schedule change. Instead of Ohio, the Panthers traveled to Maryland Eastern Shore for a weekend-series against the Hawks and Rhode Island.

In the opening game of the weekend, Pitt (2-2) rolled to a 25-3 win over host Maryland Eastern Shore (0-6) Friday afternoon. The win marked the 21st time in the program's history that the Panthers have scored 20 or more runs.

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The Hawks have no football team; maybe they need to drop baseball too. Dang...25-3!

New dean at Florida A&M law college

Photo: FAMU College of Law Dean, LeRoy Pernell

LeRoy Pernell is the new dean of Florida A&M University's College of Law.

Pernell, who was dean of the Northern Illinois University College of Law, says his main goal is to gain American Bar Association accreditation for the FAMU College of Law in Orlando. The college received provisional accreditation in 2004.

He replaces Percy Luney Jr., who was fired in 2005 after a payroll audit revealed Kentucky attorney Shirley Cunningham Jr. donated $1 million to the FAMU law school in return for a $100,000-a-year job that didn't require him to teach on-site. Luney maintained that FAMU's former presidents Frederick Humphries and Fred Gainous made the arrangement with Cunningham, not him.

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JSU to open football season in Orlando

Jackson State will open the 2008 football season on a Sunday in Orlando against Bethune Cookman University, school officials announced today.

The Tigers will play the Wildcats of Daytona Beach, Fla., on Aug. 31 at the Citrus Bowl as part of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. The game will be televised by ESPN. A game time has not been set.

According to a news release, the rest of JSU’s schedule has not been finalized, but a tentative schedule has been announced.

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The presidents of FAMU and Bethune Cookman just issued statements through the Orlando Sentinel, and this article says BCU will not be playing two games in Orlando next season. We know BCU will be playing in the Florida Classic because of the existing contract that pays them a reported $1.3 million for their participation in the Florida Classic.

So, who is really the opponent that Jackson State will face in Orlando on August 31?

You would think before all of these announcements were made that the MEAC Commissioner would have worked through the details of who would represent the MEAC in this game. Here is the schedule that JSU released yesterday:

'08 tentative JSU football schedule

Aug. 31, Bethune Cookman, Orlando
Sept. 6, Stillman*
Sept. 13, Tennessee State, Memphis
Sept. 20, at Grambling
Oct. 4, Southern University
Oct. 11, at Arkansas Pine Bluff
Oct. 18, at Texas Southern
Oct. 25, Mississippi Valley State
Nov. 8, at Alabama State
Nov. 15, Alabama A&M
Nov. 22, Alcorn State

-beepbeep

B-CU, FAMU presidents want Florida Classic to stay

Photo: FAMU President Dr. James H. Ammons

The contract for the annual football game in Orlando runs out later this year, but the schools want to keep playing in Orlando.

The Florida Classic lost its primary sponsor, but Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman aren't leaving town.

That's the message both university presidents delivered Friday in the wake of news that the Disney decided not to extend a 10-year sponsorship.

"This Classic is more than a game. It is a family reunion that has evolved into the greatest competition between two historical universities in the state of Florida," FAMU President James H. Ammons and B-CU President Trudie Kibbe Reed said in a joint statement.

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Southern Jaguars travels to West Coast for tournament

Photo: SU Human Jukebox Marching Band and Dancing Dolls get to do battle with the USC Trogan Marching Band in Los Angeles.

Add weatherman to Southern baseball coach Roger Cador’s capabilities. “It’s beautiful in Los Angeles. Simply gorgeous,” Cador said. Southern (0-1) plays third-ranked UCLA (2-1) at 8 p.m. CST today at Jackie Robinson Stadium in the first Urban Invitational Baseball Tournament.

In the round-robin tournament hosted by the MLB Urban Youth Academy, SU will play Southern California (3-2) on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. Saturday at the MLB Urban Youth Academy and Bethune-Cookman University (2-1) at 3 p.m. Sunday at the MLB Urban Youth Academy.

Saturday’s entertainment will also include a “Battle of the Bands” between Southern’s Human Jukebox and USC’s Trojan Marching Band.

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What a wonderful ideal--a battle of the bands at a baseball game! I know the Southern Human Jukebox is loving the opportunity to square off with the USC Trogan Marching Band. This will be an epic battle that is worth watching. Nice escape for the students before Spring Break in Los Angeles, California, no less. Go Jags!

Mississippi Valley bats nearly silent in 9-1 loss at LSU

Left-handed pitcher Blake Martin made sure his first start for the LSU baseball team would be a memorable one Wednesday night. Martin, a transfer who played his first two seasons at Birmingham Southern, pitched five strong innings in leading the Tigers to an easy 9-1 victory over Mississippi Valley State before 936 fans in Alex Box Stadium.

A junior from Boaz, Ala., Martin allowed just two hits and no runs in his first starting assignment for LSU (4-1). He struck out nine and walked just one before four relievers followed him to the mound to finish off Mississippi Valley (4-2).

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HBCU baseball can be a real head scratcher. Southern Jaguars and Mississippi Vally Delta Devils both lose to LSU with respectable scores and were competitive in the two games. Florida A&M Rattlers goes to Central Florida and get bombed by 50 runs in a 3 game series by a team going nowhere in Conference USA. Are the Rattlers really that bad or Southern U. and Mississippi Valley are really good teams that can compete with the big boys? It's going to be a long season, so let us watch how this scenario develops.

-beepbeep

Grambling releases fan-friendly 2008 football slate

The addition of Langston, a Oklahoma Division II program, means Grambling State will have four home games for the first time in three years.

The school has announced a 2008 football schedule that also includes a season-opening trip to Reno to play Championship Bowl Division foe Nevada on Aug. 30 and a Sept. 13 date at Northwestern State, a fellow lower-division Louisiana school.

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GRAMBLING'S 2008 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 30: at Nevada
Sept. 6: Alcorn State
Sept. 13: at Northwestern State
Sept. 20: Jackson State
Sept. 27: Langston
Oct. 4: vs. Prairie View A&M*
Oct. 11: at Alabama A&M*
Oct. 18: Alabama State*
Nov. 1: at Mississippi Valley State*
Nov. 8: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff*
Nov. 15: at Texas Southern*
Nov. 29: vs. Southern*

*Southwestern Athletic Conference games

SCSU tennis teams keep rolling

The SC State men's and women's teams continued its winning ways with the Bulldogs posting a 2-0 record, while The Lady Bulldogs went 3-0 in tennis action this past weekend. Coach Hardeep Judge's men's team defeated Bethune-Cookman (7-0) and Winston-Salem State (7-0) on Saturday, while the Lady Bulldogs posted wins over Savannah State (4-1), Winston-Salem State (7-0) and Bethune-Cookman (6-1).

With the wins both SC State men's and women's team improve to 5-1 overall, 3-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

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Big Inning Propels Appalachian State Past N.C. A&T

by Appalachian Sports Information

BOONE, N.C. — Highlighted by Wes Hobson’s first-career grand slam, Appalachian State University baseball scored seven fifth-inning runs en route to a 9-6 victory over North Carolina A&T on Tuesday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium.

Hobson’s two-out grand slam to right field capped a seven-run fifth that turned Appalachian’s 4-2 deficit into a 9-4 lead. Hobson’s blast was one of only three hits in the seven-run frame, as ASU benefitted from four walks in the stanza. In all, Appalachian drew 12 walks on the afternoon.

As has been the case in three of the season’s first four games, the Mountaineer bullpen turned in an impressive effort. Three ASU relievers combined to surrender just one run on four hits over five innings of work to make the lead stand up. The Aggies tacked on a pair of meaningless runs in the ninth to account for the final margin.

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North Carolina A&T record is 3-1 on the season.

Hampton University horses cause I-64 traffic tie-up

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY.com) -- "When you got horses around, you can expect anything from them, anything at any time," said Manuel Alston. But, horses on the highway? Chopper 10 pilot John Massee gave morning viewers on WAVY News 10 the best view of an unusual scene. Three horses had almost gotten halfway across the bridge at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel around 6 a.m., which caused a four-mile, eastbound backup at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

I-64 Eastbound traffic to Norfolk had to be stopped for almost an hour. Virginia State Police, who managed to corral the horses and move them to the North Island garage, say they escaped from the Stables at Strawberry Banks, owned by Hampton University. Hampton University police are investigating how the horses got loose. There was no damage to the corral the horses were staying. H.U. is now putting in additional security measures to make sure this doesn't happen again.

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Hampton University and Delaware State University are the only two HBCUs that we are aware of that operates an Equestrian Team. Fortunately, no one was harmed by the horse escape from HU. Maybe the horses just wanted to see why all the cars were racing to get to the other side of the bridge-tunnel?

Many historically black schools may face Title IX issue

The College Sports Council will release a study Wednesday that says 72 of 74 historically black colleges and universities do not meet the proportionality standard of Title IX, the law that bans sex discrimination at schools receiving federal funds. The council, an advocacy group for men's sports, counted only co-ed historically black colleges with athletic departments. Allen University and Morris College, both in South Carolina, are proportional, the study says.

"We're not asking for punishment; we're pointing out how hard it is for HBCUs to comply with proportionality," council Chairman Eric Pearson says. He argues HBCUs are faced with the prospect of cutting men's teams at a time when they are trying to attract and retain male students.

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Arizona Jumper Signs With Morgan State Women's Track

Photo: Morgan State University NLI signee, Micaha Carson.

BALTIMORE, Md. - The Morgan State women’s track and field program is proud to announce that Micsha Carson, a senior at Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona has signed a national letter of intent to attend Morgan State University for the 2008-2009 track season.

Carson, a multi-event athlete who can do all jumps, sprints, and hurdles, will come to Morgan next year to focus on the long and triple jumps. Carson is a member of the Chandler Wolves who have won back-to-back state team titles, and are favored to win a third this year. Carson contributed by scoring in the long jump, the triple jump, the hurdles, and the relays. Carson has personal best marks of 19-2 (long jump), 39-4(triple jump), and 14.20 (hurdles).

Carson was the No. 2 triple jumper in the state of Arizona and was on the top ten list in the long jump, 100 hurdles, and 300 hurdles. Carson’s Chandler Wolves will be vying for their third 5A division I team championship in a row this season.

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Verdugo’s effort paces LSU win over Southern

Bitterly cold wind blew across Alex Box Stadium, but at times the most powerful force Tuesday night was the left arm of LSU pitcher Ryan Verdugo. Making his Division I debut, Verdugo struck out nine batters in five innings and held Southern to one of its three hits as LSU defeated the Jaguars 6-1.

His coach, Paul Mainieri, called him the story of the game. “He went out there and took command of the game early,” Mainieri said. LSU led 5-0 after two innings but had only three hits and one run after that.

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LSU plays at 6:30 p.m. today at home vs. Mississippi Valley State (4-1). The Valley lost to LSU in their first ever meeting last season 4-1. The Delta Devils defeated Arkansas-Monticello 13-11 on Tuesday. Southern didn't play to bad considering it was their first game of the season. The Jaguars move on to play at #1 ranked UCLA on Friday in a weekend tournament.

This is the way Division I sports should be played--competitively! Go MVSU and SU!!

NCCU announces 2008 football schedule

N.C. Central released its second football schedule since the school moved to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA. The Eagles' 2008 schedule includes five home games with familiar opponents such as former CIAA rival Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State.

N.C. Central will also hit the road for six games, including road trips to Connecticut and California.

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North Carolina Central has a few bone crushers on this schedule like Cal Poly and James Madison. Like their basketball team, you have to take games as you can get them as a Division I Independent program.

2008 North Carolina Central University Eagles Football Schedule

AUG. 31 FAYETTEVILLE STATE DURHAM, NC 4:00 PM
“Labor Day Classic” O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
Sept. 6 at James Madison Harrisonburg, VA TBA
Sept. 13 at Morgan State Baltimore, MD 4:00 pm
Sept. 20 at Central Connecticut State New Britain, CT TBA
OCT. 4 NORTH CAROLINA A&T TBA TBA
Oct. 11 at Presbyterian Clinton, SC 1:30 pm
Oct. 18 at Coastal Carolina Conway, SC 7:00 pm
NOV. 1 EDWARD WATERS DURHAM, NC 1:30 PM
“Homecoming” O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
Nov. 8 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA TBA
NOV. 15 WINSTON-SALEM STATE DURHAM, NC 1:30 PM
O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
NOV. 22 SAVANNAH STATE DURHAM, NC 1:00 PM
O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium

Orlando to host 2 black college football games, but Florida Classic needs new sponsor

Orlando will play host to two annual historically black college football games this upcoming season, though its staple event is in need of a new sponsor.

Already home to the annual Florida Classic between Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman University each November, Orlando's Florida Citrus Bowl will also host the fourth-year MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Aug. 31, ESPN announced Monday.

However, in joining its sister-company ESPN in announcing the game's move to Orlando, Walt Disney World also declared Wednesday that it is ending support of Orlando's annual Florida Classic game between Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University.

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NCA&T Lady Aggies win No. 1 Seed in MEAC Tournament

Photo: Brittanie Taylor-James, 6-0 junior forward, added 17 points and seven rebounds.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team grabbed a share of the MEAC regular-season crown on Monday night with an 86-67 win over S.C. State at S-H-M Memorial Center. But head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs is not in a sharing mood.

“I told the ladies we don’t want share anything,’’ said Bibbs. “We’ve come this far, we might as well take the whole thing. We’ve got to keep our focus and keep striving until all our goals are met fully.”

Coppin State beat Howard to prevent the Aggies from clinching the title outright. An Aggies win at Howard on Saturday will make the Aggies the outright MEAC regular-season champions. The Aggies did clinch the No. 1 overall seed for the MEAC Tournament to be held in Raleigh March 10-15 behind 23 points and eight steals from Amber Bland. Brittanie Taylor-James added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Ta’Wuana Cook scored 19 points and had four assists.

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B-CU Splits Baseball Doubleheader with Temple in Season-Opener

Photo: BCU head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez record first win of season, 5-1 over Temple University.

Daytona Beach, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman University baseball opened up the 2008 season on Sunday with a doubleheader affair with visiting Temple University at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Fla. The `Cats split the two-game swing with a 5-1 win in the opener, followed by the 9-6 loss to the Owls in the nightcap.

Bethune-Cookman opened up the 2008 campaign with four newcomers ... all of whom were patrolling the infield as everyone from last year's team graduated on to better things.

The Wildcats (1-1) jumped on top first with the new-style of play for head coach Mervyl Melendez as newcomer Mark Brooks walked and stole second to get himself into scoring position right off the bat--so to speak. That was immediately followed up by an RBI single to centerfield for shortstop José Lozada to plate Brooks for the 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning.

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Alabama State Opens Baseball Season with 9th Inning Win over Western Illinois

Montgomery, Ala. - Alabama State rode important late game performances from freshmen to take a 4-3 9th inning win over Western Illinois.

The Hornets lead 3-2 for much of the game until WIU loaded the bases in the 9th. After a hit batsman walked in a run to tie the bases, Alabama State coach Larry Watkins called for Devin Dominguez- who doubles as an ASU backup quarterback - out of the bullpen.

In the first action of his Hornet career, Dominquez shut down the rally by striking out back-to-back batters to keep the game tied heading into the bottom of the 9th.
With two outs, Cordaryl Kendrick - in his first ever collegiate at bat - stroked a pinch-hit single to drive in the winning run.

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