Caldwell, former athletics director, hires attorney to get his job back with WSSU

Chico Caldwell, fired as Winston-Salem State's athletics director on Feb. 9, has hired an attorney and is hoping to get paid for the last two years of his contract. Chancellor Donald Reaves fired Caldwell, saying he wanted "fresh ideas" for the athletics department. Caldwell, who hired Robert Elliot as his attorney, had contract worth about $125,000 a year. Elliot said that Caldwell is due the rest of the money on his contract.

"We feel there was no cause for termination," Elliot said. "…Chico really wants to feel whole again and get this behind him." Elliot said that he and Caldwell have sent a letter to WSSU officials hoping to resolve the situation. Elliot also released a statement detailing Caldwell's accomplishments during his eight years of service to WSSU. The statement outlines Caldwell's arguments that his firing was unjustified. "Chancellor Reaves has announced that he wished to replace Dr. Caldwell with a new athletics director of his choosing," the statement reads.

"Given Dr. Caldwell's performance, there is no justifiable cause for Chancellor Reaves' action which constitutes a break of Dr. Caldwell's employment contract." A spokesman in Reaves' office said that Reaves would not comment about the firing or the contract status. Caldwell's statement said that he remains committed to Winston-Salem State. "While Dr. Caldwell will exercise all legal remedies available to him to correct this wrongful action, he remains committed and loyal to Winston-Salem State which he has served so well for the last eight years," the statement said.

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MEAC gives green light to expansion

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced late Monday afternoon that it is lifting a moratorium on expansion and now will consider applications for membership from N.C. Central and Savannah (Ga.) State. N.C. Central has long felt that its transition from NCAA Division II to Division I would be made easier if it could join a conference. NCCU submitted an application to the MEAC in December 2006. "Getting into a conference will definitely enhance our sports programs, particularly in the areas of recruiting, increased revenues, consistent travel schedules and fan support," NCCU's athletic director, Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree, said in a prepared statement.

If the MEAC isn't officially closing the door on applications from other schools, NCCU and Savannah State certainly are first in line. For one thing, both play football, and the MEAC wants to add two football schools to its current 10. Overall, the league plans to expand from 12 members to 14. "Obviously, you can go to divisional play [in football]," commissioner Dennis Thomas said in a phone interview. Plus, "we need a Georgia presence," Thomas added, though insisting he wasn't referring to a specific school. With expansion, he said, "now we would have three institutions in the state of North Carolina."

The conference implemented a moratorium so it could come up with an expansion plan.

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Freshman lefty carries Bethune-Cookman past Southern University

Bethune - Cookman head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez

Simpson handles first college start well

COMPTON, Calif. -- Making your first collegiate start as a freshman pitcher is never an easy task. And when you're making that start more than 2,500 miles away from your school, in a high-profile tournament at MLB's Urban Youth Academy, it doesn't get any easier. But Bethune-Cookman left-hander Ali Simpson handled the pressure well, tossing 6 2/3 quality innings to lead the Wildcats to a 10-4 win over Southern University on Sunday in the final game of the second annual Urban Invitational at the Academy.

"He was definitely good today, and he gave us the edge," Bethune-Cookman head coach Mervyl Melendez. "He did a good job of keeping them off balance, and it gives some security to our hitters, because they know they don't have to do it all themselves." Simpson was admittedly a little bit nervous before his start, and it showed early, as he allowed the first three runners to reach base before Melendez came to the mound and talked to him.

"Coach calmed me down a little bit," Simpson said. "He told me it was the same game I've been playing all my life." Melendez's advice worked, as Simpson settled down and retired the next three batters. It gave him confidence, and he went on to allow just three runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out nine

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VIDEO • Highlights: San Diego 9, B-CU 6
VIDEO • Highlights: Southern 4, SDSU 2

Tournament Schedule/Results
2/20: San Diego State 6, Bethune-Cookman 3
Recap Box score Play-by-Play

2/20: San Diego 6, Southern 4
Box Score

2/21, San Diego 9, Bethune-Cookman 6
Box Score

2/21, Southern 4, San Diego State 2
Recap Box score Play-by-Play

2/22, Southern 4, Bethune-Cookman 10
Box Score B-CU 3 Game Cumulative Stats (1-2)

2/22, SDSU 3, USD (at USD) 0
Box score Play-by-Play

Dungy To Colleges: Ignore Boosters, Hire 'Best' Coach

TAMPA - Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy, in a New York Times op-ed piece, is asking college athletic directors to ignore pressure from alumni and boosters and hire the best coaching candidates "regardless of race." Dungy's article, headlined "Diversity Everywhere But the Sidelines," came out Thursday, the same day the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport gave college athletics its lowest grade for diversity hiring practices of any sport researched.

Dungy wrote that college head coaches and athletic directors told him last spring that the biggest reason only seven of 120 major college football programs had black head coaches has to do with "other people associated with the universities." "It was not just the president and the athletic director who made the hiring decisions — alumni and boosters were involved, and the presidents often felt pressure to hire coaches the boosters would support," wrote Dungy, who led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl title in 2006-07 and retired this year.

Dungy wrote that over the past decade he had been contacted by several universities looking for head coaches and seeking recommendations. None of his recommendations – including Mike Tomlin, who recently led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a Super Bowl title – were hired. "Shouldn't minority students be able to see role models of diverse leadership at the college level?" Dungy wrote. "How long should we give a pass to these institutions that should be at the forefront of diversity?"

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Southern upends San Diego State

COMPTON, Calif. — Southern University got an excellent outing from starting pitcher Jarrett Maloy and some clutch hitting late to defeat San Diego State 4-2 on Day 2 of the MLB Urban Invitational. Maloy, a preseason all-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection, tossed seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) while scattering five hits and striking out five. Daniel Garcia pitched two scoreless innings to pick up his first save.

SDSU starter Jon Berger (0-1) went 62/3 innings and gave up four runs on six hits while striking out five. SU’s Romey Bracey got the Jaguars on the board early as he tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the first inning. SDSU (1-1) tied the game with an unearned run in the top of the third. The pitching duel continued over the next three innings until the Aztecs took the lead in the top of the sixth on a walk to T.J. Thomas and an RBI double by Cory Vaughn.
























SU head coach Roger Cador.

Southern (1-1) responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring single by Bracey and a two-out RBI double by Frazier Hall. The Jaguars added an insurance run in the next inning on a double by Gregory Whitfield and an RBI single by Toddrick Stevenson. Things got interesting in the final inning when SDSU put two men on with two outs, only to see Easton Gust’s fly ball to left caught on a fine play by Juan Mujica. SU concludes play in the tournament against Bethune Cookman at 2 p.m. today.

San Diego State beat defending MEAC champs Bethune Cookman 6-3 for their first win of the season on Friday.

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Morgan State beats Towson for eighth straight, 80-64

Morgan State forward Marquise Kately (right) makes a shot over Towson forward Jarrel Smith (22) in the first half.

Reggie Holmes leads way with 18 points

Add the Colonial Athletic Association to the list of conferences that have been victimized by the ever-improving Morgan State basketball team this season. After beating teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference ( Maryland) and Big East (DePaul), the Bears added Towson of the CAA to their portfolio of victories yesterday, never trailing in the first Bracketbuster appearance by a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member in an 80-64 romp at Towson Center.

Granted, Towson (9-20) is not among the premier teams in one of the toughest mid-major leagues in the country, but it was still a significant win for the Bears, their eighth in a row and 10th in the past 11 games. "We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the Bracketbuster, representing not only ourselves, but the conference," Morgan coach Todd Bozeman said. "We want to one day have all the [MEAC] teams participate."

Said Tigers coach Pat Kennedy: "This is a very solid Morgan team. We were concerned about their balance, and their flow and consistency were much sharper than ours. It seemed like every time we had an opportunity, we made tough decisions that turned into bad plays."All five Bears starters scored in double figures, with Reggie Holmes (St.Frances) leading the way with 18 and Jermaine "Itchy" Bolden (Douglass) adding 16 and nine assists. Marquise Kately also had 16 points, and freshman Kevin Thompson (Walbrook) pitched in with 12 points, five assists and nine rebounds.

Morgan had a 51-35 edge on rebounds.Morgan (18-10) has now beaten MEAC rival Coppin State and UMBC in addition to Maryland and Towson.

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Southern picked to defend West title

SU Coach Roger Cador.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Southern pitcher Jarrett Maloy was named Southwestern Conference preseason pitcher of the year, while the Jaguars were picked to defend their Western Division title, according to the league’s coaches and sports information departments. Prairie View A&M outfielder Myrio Richard was voted preseason player of the year, while Jackson State was predicted to repeat as Eastern champions, according to a conference news release late Wednesday night.

“Being picked to defend the title in the West is not really our goal,” Southern baseball coach Roger Cador said. “It’s an honor, but our goal is to win the whole conference.” The Jaguars begin their season on the road Friday against the University of San Diego. The Jaguars’ home opener is March 4 against Southeastern Louisiana. Maloy, a 6-1, 180-pound junior from Tallahassee, Fla., posted a 9-3 record with a 5.43 ERA (second in SWAC) last season. His win total tied for second highest in the conference.

Complete 2009 Southern University Baseball Schedule Release in PDF Format

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JSU Football menu short on games

Jackson State football fans were befuddled last week when the schedule was announced and only 10 games were listed. Athletic director Bob Braddy isn't exactly thrilled with it either, but said he was unable to secure other games. "We would have loved to have an 11-game schedule ... it just didn't materialize," Braddy said. "It's not ideal." Braddy said he's still looking to add one or two more games, but is not having a lot of luck at the moment.

"It's very difficult at this time because most schools have completed their 2009 schedule," Braddy said. "So, it's very unlikely." One thing he would like to do is move the Capital City Classic against Alcorn State from Nov. 21 to Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 26. Braddy hopes the influx of people home for the holiday would help attendance. The move would also cut down the time in between the final game and the SWAC championship on Dec. 12, if the Tigers were to win the East Division for the third consecutive year. Currently, JSU would have three weeks in between the games, whereas the later date would be just over two weeks.

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JSU 2009-2010 Football Schedule

Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result
09/05/09 at Mississippi State Starkville, MS TBA
09/12/09 Tennessee State Memphis, TN TBA
09/19/09 Grambling St. Jackson, MS 3:00 p.m. CT
10/03/09 at Southern Baton Rouge, LA TBA
10/10/09 vs. Arkansas - Pine Bluff Jackson, MS 4:00 p.m. CT
10/17/09 vs. Texas Southern Jackson, MS 4:00 p.m. CT
10/24/09 at Mississippi Valley State Itta Bena, MS TBA
11/07/09 vs. Alabama State Jackson, MS 4:00 p.m. CT
11/14/09 at Alabama A&M Huntsville, AL TBA
11/21/09 vs. Alcorn State Jackson, MS 1:00 p.m. CT

12/12/09 vs. SWAC Championship Game Birmingham, AL 1:00 p.m. CT

Vikings waive RB Maurice Hicks

The (NFL Minnesota) Vikings waived running back Maurice Hicks on Wednesday after their 2008 free-agent signee averaged only 23.8 yards per kickoff return. He didn't have any carries as a running back in 2008, and he was inactive for five of the Vikings' 17 games. He did have the second-most kickoff return yards (133) in Vikings playoff history against the Eagles, which was the first playoff game in his five-year career.

Before coming to Minnesota, Hicks held the top two single-season kickoff return yardage marks in 49ers history. His 1,428 total return yards (all on kickoffs) set a 49ers franchise record (2006) in his first season as the full-time kick returner. Ranked fifth in the NFL and third in the NFC in that category, he had only 82 yards rushing on 29 attempts, and 13 receptions for 137 yards.

Former North Carolina A&T Aggies RB Maurice Hicks (Tom Dahlin/Viking Update)

The 5-11/205 five year NFL veteran is the all-time leading rusher at North Carolina A&T with 2,812 yards in only two seasons at the school. Hicks was named third-team Division I-AA All-American and Black College Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in rushing as a senior with 1,325 yards and 15 rushing TDs on 181 attempts with a long play of 79 yards. He was a two-time first-team all-MEAC winner leadind the Aggies with 92 points in 2001.

Hicks also led the MEAC with 165.6 rushing yards per game and 7.3 yards per carry. and set an NCAA Division I and II single-game record with 437 rushing yards on 34 carries vs. Morgan State (10/6/01). He added six receptions for 41 yards in eight games played as a senior and rushed for 1,487 yards as a junior in his first season at N.C. A&T.

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Money to be top priority for next athletics director at WSSU

Chancellor Reaves says he wants to pick replacement for fired Caldwell quickly

There's no mystery about the primary duty of Winston-Salem State's next director of athletics. "Raising money is paramount," Chancellor Donald Reaves said. "We need somebody who can raise money and engage the community in trying to get support for athletics." Reaves, hoping to act quickly in replacing Chico Caldwell, spent the weekend writing a job description for the advertisement that WSSU will run as part of its national search. "I don't have a timetable, but I do want to get this done as fast as possible," Reaves said.

Caldwell, who was fired Feb. 9 after nine years, had his critics and his allies. Although Caldwell spent time traveling around the country and attending alumni meetings to talk about WSSU's program, some older alumni have said they felt as if they weren't being heard. On the other side, current athletes wonder what Caldwell did to get fired. Bryant Bayne, a senior wide receiver, said he thought that Caldwell worked very hard behind the scenes, especially with the football program.

"I know he worked very closely with our program, and I really didn't know him that well, but once I did get to know him, I thought he was a good guy," Bayne said. Reaves would not go into detail about why he fired Caldwell, saying only that he is looking for fresh ideas. Also unresolved is the status of Caldwell's contract. Caldwell had two years left at an annual salary of about $107,000, according to the university. Neither Reaves nor Caldwell would discuss the contract buyout.

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Victory says it all for DSU

Hornets women rally to knock off MEAC leader North Carolina A&T

DOVER, DE -- When the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament starts next month, Delaware State should be the top seed. That's the opinion of junior Selena Galloway, who helped the Hornets deliver that message Monday afternoon at Memorial Hall. Delaware State, down by 14 early in the second half, embarked on a furious rally over the final seven minutes to upend MEAC leader North Carolina A&T 68-66 in a showdown between the conference's top two teams.

Galloway's driving layup with 1:52 to play forced a 63-63 tie, and her two free throws with 1:35 left put the Hornets ahead after they had trailed from almost the opening tip. Delaware State coach Ed Davis called the victory his team's most significant in two years. Galloway agreed. "It's very, very, very big," said Galloway, a reserve who came off the bench to score 13 points.

DSU Hornets forward Ashley Thompson fights for ball with Lady Aggies Tierra Thomas.

"We're actually underrated in the MEAC conference. Nobody looks at us as the No. 1 seed, but I think we proved it [Monday]." The conference tournament starts March 9. Delaware State (14-11, 10-2) has four conference games remaining -- all on the road -- before the Hornets can worry about tournament seeding. Still, the statement was made. The Hornets ended North Carolina A&T's 12-game win streak and handed the Lady Aggies (18-6, 11-1) their first conference loss. More importantly, the Hornets pulled within one game of first place.

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NCCU announces fan friendly football schedule

Complete Schedule in PDF Format

DURHAM,N.C. -- Prestige and proximity are the keywords for N.C. Central's 2009 football schedule, which was announced Friday. Four home games plus trips to cross-town foe Duke and Appalachian State -- the dominant power in the Football Championship Subdivision in recent years -- highlight the 11-game slate. NCCU's two biggest rivals, North Carolina A&T and Winston-Salem State, are on the schedule, along with former CIAA rival Hampton.

Those five games will be played on the road, as will contests at Liberty and Old Dominion, making each of the seven road trips shorter than 200 miles. The Eagles, who went 4-7 in 2008 in their second season of Football Championship Subdivision competition, will be at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium against Savannah State and Morehead State as well as Division II Central State of Ohio and NAIA member Central Methodist. All home games are at 1:30 p.m.

Six opponents -- Duke, Appalachian, Liberty, ODU, Morehead State and Central Methodist -- are on NCCU's football schedule for the first time. "I think it's a great schedule, a very challenging schedule for our football team," NCCU coach Mose Rison said. "We wanted to have five games in Durham, and we were able to accomplish that. Another good thing is that all those teams we play on the road, except Appalachian and obviously Duke, will return the dates."

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Grambling State's James 'Shack' Harris hired as senior exec with Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions General Manager Martin Mayhew announced today the hiring of James Harris as Senior Personnel Executive. He will assist Mayhew with the day-to-day management of the player personnel department, and he will assist in the player evaluation process for college and pro talent. Terms of his contract were not disclosed. Harris joins the Lions player personnel department after spending the past six seasons (2003-08) as the Jacksonville Jaguars vice president of player personnel. While directing the Jaguars player personnel area, he oversaw all player acquisitions, including: college draft, free agency, undrafted player signings and the scouting of players in other professional leagues.

Known affectionately as "Shack," Harris brings 34 years of NFL experience to the Lions' front office, with the past 22 years working in player personnel and scouting. Harris originally began his front office career in 1987 when he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a scout, a position he would hold for six years (1987-92). He then moved on to the New York Jets and served as the team's assistant general manager from 1993-96. In 1997, Harris was named the director of pro personnel for the Baltimore Ravens. He was a member of the Ravens' player personnel department from 1997-2002, and he earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens as the team claimed a world championship with a victory in Super Bowl XXXV.

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Gulf Coast Classic participants Alabama State, Southern still waiting for payout from game organizers

The foundation owes Southern $103,900 and Alabama State $88,319, Hodge said. He said both schools expect to be paid in full, but have agreed to be patient.

Three months after the Gulf Coast Classic was played, the organization that runs the game still owes the two schools involved nearly $200,000. Game organizers said they have some concerns that their revenue shortfall could cause the two teams to back out of next season's contest, but so far neither one has indicated they would do so. Because of the shortfall, organizers said they also were unable to give out any scholarship money.

Despite all that, officials with the Gulf Coast Classic Scholar & Sports Foundation remain upbeat about the game's prospects. Board members Ray LaPierre and Taylor Hodge said they plan to make several changes before this year's game, such as requiring the teams to sell more tickets, holding the parade on Friday night instead of Saturday morning and, most importantly, adding a title sponsor.

LaPierre said the foundation has an agreement in principal with a national company for a three-year title sponsorship starting with this year's game. LaPierre said board members are hoping to get a signed letter of intent and announce the company next week. "With the upcoming improvements to (Ladd-Peebles Stadium) and the hospitality of the city, all the elements are there to make this a good event," Hodge said. "We just need to overcome the negative thought processes or clouds that may be over us at this point in time."

Before 2008, the Classic had been played in Mobile for 34 years as an Alabama State home game, with the school footing most of the expenses and playing a randomly scheduled Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent. Last year, game officials decided to try to make Mobile's game more like successful classics in New Orleans and Birmingham by locking in two teams that would play every year. The foundation offered Southern University $250,000 a year and Alabama State $225,000 a year to enter into a two-year contract with two option years for the game.

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If $275,000 is coming from the City of Mobile and $50,000 from the Mobile County Commissioners (total: $325,000), why does Southern and Alabama State need the Gulf Coast Classic Scholar & Sports Foundation? Last years attendance was 25,378. At $15.00 per ticket average, you got $380,670 at the gate -- before concession sales, tailgating fees, parking, reserve seating and sponsorship. With 24 corporate sponsorships and other paying events such as Rayco Industrial Mayors’ Luncheon at the Riverview Plaza Hotel and the McDonald’s Stomp the Bay Step Show, presented by AT&T, held at the Saenger Theater, there was some serious cash made at the '08 Gulf Coast Classic events.

I am not saying there was not overhead and other expenses to promote this event, but some M'fers got paid and it wasn't Southern University and Alabama State University. Clear case of breach of contract, and who would execute a contract calling for "unspecified" scholarship money to be provide and without a required audit of all income for this event? You got screwed once--why go down that same path in '09 SU and ASU? Your students deserve better and your lazy athletic departments need to get off their butts and earn their pay by being their own promoter for this game. Otherwise, keep it home and home between the respective schools. Stop pimping your brand and assets to the local hustlers!

-beepbeep

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ASU SIGNEES

Alabama State dominates Alabama A&M

MONTGOMERY, AL - The Alabama State University Hornets did not get every rebound here Saturday at the ASU Acadome against in-state rival Alabama A&M. It just seemed like it. The first-place Hornets imposed their will upon the Bulldogs and rolled to an 87-43 Southwestern Athletic Conference win in front of 5,264 fans.

ASU, 14-8 overall and 11-1 in the league, outrebounded A&M 45-27 and 15-8 on the offensive glass. Coach Lewis Jackson's squad handed Vann Pettaway's Bulldogs their worst loss of the year - Auburn beat A&M by 42 in December - by shooting 60 percent from the floor in the opening half and 48.7 percent after intermission.

The Bulldogs' offensive output was the lowest of the season in a game between two SWAC teams and the fourth-lowest for any conference team all year. The Hornets made 40.9 percent from behind the 3-point arc while Alabama A&M made just 1-of-13 from long range and 31.3 percent from the floor overall. A&M (8-12, 5-7) appeared to be a step slow for most of the game, perhaps hampered by aftereffects of the flu, but Pettaway said he would not use that as excuse.

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NSU men win 4th MEAC track title in row; women take second

LANDOVER, Md - Norfolk State's men's track team, led by Marlon Woods, captured their fourth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference track and field title Saturday with 150 points at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex. Morgan State was second with 103 points. Woods was named the Outstanding Performer by winning the high jump and triple jump and finishing second in the long jump.

"I'm really proud of my team," Woods said. "We haven't had the best of weather to practice in, but our whole team came together to get the win." Katie Wright, NSU's pole vaulter, set a MEAC record by clearing 3.36 meters and helped the Spartans finish second to Hampton in the women's competition. Hampton outscored NSU 148-107.

NSU's Kenneth Giles was named the Outstanding Coach for the 15th time.

Final Results
Men's Heptathlon
Women's Pentathlon

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WSSU's 31% athletic fee increase rejected

WSSU pays $15,000 per game to rent Bowman Gray Stadium and $3,500 to rent the Coliseum or the Coliseum Annex. Shouldn't the alleged "revenue sports" have generated some revenue before officials committing to a move to Division I?

RALEIGH, N.C. - Winston-Salem State University was dealt another setback yesterday in its bid to join Division I athletics. The university wanted to substantially raise the athletics fee that students pay to raise money for more scholarships, more coaches and other requirements of Division I. But the fee increase was rejected by the UNC board of governors, which met to approve tuition and fees at all 16 campuses in the UNC system.

The board approved tuition and fee increases that were generally smaller than what most schools had requested. Overall, average in-state tuition and fees for undergraduates in the UNC system will go up 3.9 percent, or $162, in the school year that will begin this fall. Specific increases vary from school to school. Those rates still must be approved by the General Assembly. Erskine Bowles, the president of the UNC system, said that it is especially important to avoid dramatic tuition increases during a recession. "In these times, it's really hard to raise tuition, because we know that families are suffering, that they're hurting, and we want to keep this university accessible and affordable," Bowles said.

Bowman Gray Stadium is the home of the Winston-Salem State Rams and has been hosting stock car races every saturday night during summer since 1949 (this is the minor leagues of NASCAR) on a 1/4 mile oval track surrounding the football field.

At WSSU, in-state tuition will go up by 4 percent, to $1,769 for a full-time undergraduate. The athletics fee, however, will remain the same, at $579 for a full-time student -- and that will make it difficult for the school to close a $1.5 million deficit in its athletics budget. If the school can't raise money for athletics some other way, it will be much tougher for the school to meet the standards that the NCAA requires of Division I programs.

"That question of moving on to Division I is still up in the air," WSSU Chancellor Donald Reaves said in an interview yesterday. "It was a big percentage of the funding that's needed to close the gap, and without it, it will be difficult." WSSU is in its third year of a complicated transition that is supposed to end in 2011 with the university joining the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. It is currently classified as a Division II program.

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A victory for students was snatched from jaws of conceit

UNC President Erskine Bowles and board members demonstrated far more concern for the students than some WSSU officials whose heads were swollen by pipe dreams of big-time athletics success.

With a precious few free minutes to squeeze in some extra study time before an exam at Winston-Salem State University, Cynthia Tart was focused Friday morning on the heavy textbooks weighing down her oversize bag and not the potential lightening of her wallet being considered by the UNC board of governors 80 miles away in Chapel Hill. "I heard about it, but I haven't had a lot of time to think about it," Tart said shortly after leaving an early class. "I'm barely covering my bills as is, so it'd be another strain, that's for sure."

"It" was the whopping 31.3 percent increase in the student athletics fee that university officials had sought from the board of governors to support an ill-advised move to Division I. The proposal would have raised WSSU's athletics fee to $760, up from the current $579 that is built into the (roughly) $3,800 annual bill for in-state tuition and assorted fees. "It'd be a terribly big bite for me and people like me," said Tart, 53, who is a full-time student who's studying gerontology. "What about the people who don't participate or don't have the time to participate? It just doesn't excite me. I have a job to keep up with, too."

Maintaining focus

Forcing students such as Tart to support an athletics program that's running a deficit would have been a crime in this economic climate. In addition to carrying 12 classroom hours a week this semester, Tart works three 12-hour overnight shifts as a health-care worker. She couldn't care less whether WSSU's teams compete in the Division I MEAC, the Division II CIAA or any of the other athletics alphabet-soup leagues. Tart enrolled at WSSU to learn and to improve her standing in the job market by getting the bachelor's degree that she has been coveting for years. "Education has always been my No. 1 thing," she said. "Even after I dropped out of high school to go to work, I knew I had to get back to school."

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Tuition increases

Leaders of the UNC system approved yesterday an average 3.9 percent increase of in-state undergraduate tuition and fees at its 16 campuses:

■ Winston-Salem State University: 4 percent, from $3,338 to $3,471.
■ UNC School of the Arts: 4.2 percent, from $5,015 to $5,227.
■ Appalachian State University: 3.5 percent, from $4,274 to $4,424.
■ UNC Chapel Hill: 4.4 percent from $5,228 to $5,456.
■ N.C. State University: 4.9 percent, from $5,143 to $5,396.
■ UNC Greensboro: 2.5 percent, from $4,084 to $4,186.
■ N.C. A&T University: 2.5 percent, from $3,512 to $3,600.
■ Western Carolina University: 3.1 percent, from $4,085 to $4,214.
■ East Carolina University: 1.7 percent, from $4,149 to $4,220.
■ UNC Charlotte: 3.1 percent, from $4,226 to $4,356.
■ N.C. Central University: 3.5 percent, from $3,729 to $3,861.
■ UNC Pembroke: 3.6 percent, from $3,527 to $3,655.
■ UNC Asheville: 3.7 percent, from $4,174 to $4,329.
■ Elizabeth City State University: 3.8 percent, from $2,920 to $3,031.
■ Fayetteville State University: 4.4 percent, from $3,020 to $3,152.
■ UNC Wilmington: 9.7 percent, from $4,441 to $4,873.

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UM announces 2009 football schedule

Excerpt:

Greensboro, N.C. – The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2009 football schedule today and the University of Miami football team will again play one of the toughest schedules nationally in head coach Randy Shannon’s third season. The Hurricanes will play six homes games at Dolphin Stadium including a match up with BCS National Championship Game participant Oklahoma. Miami opens its season with a nationally televised game at instate rival Florida State on Labor Day night. Game times have yet to be announced.

Eight of Miami’s 12 opponents played in postseason games in 2008. The Hurricanes, annually one of college football's top television ratings draws, have two games already scheduled for national telecast – a Labor Day Monday night meeting with instate rival Florida State on Sept. 7 to open the season and a Thursday night home meeting with Georgia Tech on Sept. 17. For the first time since joining the ACC in 2004, UM opens the season with three consecutive games against ACC opponents. Besides the season opener against Florida State and week two match up with Georgia Tech, Miami will travel to defending ACC champion Virginia Tech on Sept. 26.

The Hurricanes will host Florida A&M on Saturday, Oct. 10 in the eighth meeting between the schools. Miami has won all seven previous meetings. The two teams last met in 2006, a 51-10 victory for Miami. Last season, the Rattlers finished 9-3 and second in the MEAC conference. Florida A&M is the only Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team on the UM schedule in 2009.

Day/Date Opponent (2008 Record) TV ’08 Polls 2008 Bowl Game
Mon., Sept. 7 at Florida State* (9-4) ESPN 21/23 Champs Sports Bowl (W, 42-13)
Thurs., Sept. 17 Georgia Tech* (9-4) ESPN 22/22 Chick Fil-A vs. LSU (L, 3-38)
Sat., Sept. 26 at Virginia Tech* (10-4) TBD 15/14 Orange vs. Cincinnati (W, 20-7)
Sat., Oct. 3 Oklahoma (12-2) TBD 5/5 BCS National Title Game vs. Florida (L, 24-14
Sat., Sept. 10 Florida A&M (9-3) TBD
Sat., Oct. 17 at UCF (4-8) TBD
Sat., Oct. 24 Clemson* (7-6) TBD Gator vs. Nebraska (L, 21-26)
Sat., Oct. 31 at Wake Forest* (8-5) TBD EagleBank vs. Navy (W, 29-19)
Sat., Nov. 7 Virginia* (5-7) TBD
Sat., Nov. 14 at North Carolina* (8-5) TBD Meineke Car Care vs. WVU (L, 30-31)
Sat. Nov. 21 Duke* (4-8) TBD
Sat., Nov. 28 at USF (8-5) TBD Magic Jack St. Petersburg vs. Memphis (W, 41-14)

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How soon they want to forget...One of the most notable wins in FAMU football history came when the Rattlers defeated the University of Miami in the series opener (16-13) in 1979. Following a perfect season in 1977, Rudy Hubbard’s Rattlers won the first-ever Division 1-AA national championship en route to a 11-1 season in 1978. You cannot erase history...

-beepbeep

Southern Conference announces cost-cutting measures for 2009-10

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Southern Conference will cut all conference baseball series from three days to two for the 2009-10 year, part of a move to cut $120,000 from its budget. Other budget-cutting moves include:

l increasing the use of teleconferences instead of in-person meetings for head coaches and select administrative committees.
l reducing the number of teams qualifying for Conference tournaments in the sports of women's soccer, volleyball, men's soccer, softball, men's tennis and women's tennis to the top four teams.

l eliminating football and basketball media days.

l eliminating printed media guides next year, as well as staff travel to regular-season contests, televised games and conventions.

"We are all faced with some difficult choices right now," said UNCG Director of Athletics Nelson Bobb. "This isn't limited to small schools or big schools, athletic departments or academic departments. While different institutions are affected in different ways, no one is immune to it at this time. "Everyone is taking a hard look at expenditures and methods of operation at a tough financial time," he said. "Hopefully, the choices that we are all having to make are just for the short term."

The conference will review these measures in January 2010 to determine the financial play for the 2010-11 season.

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The SoCon is cutting costs to save $120,000 as the MEAC continues to move games away from the home campus to classic promoters who promises wealth, but all the teams are going broke. It's time for schools like FAMU to cut loose those high paid ($90,000- $140,000) athletic department marketing stiffs that are a drain on the budget. This is not the time for wasteful spending with the economic outlook bleak for the coming months.

Florida A&M athletics $4.2 million in red

William "Bill" Hayes is fast becoming an expert on deficit spending without a realistic game plan for balancing the Rattlers athletic budget.

Florida A&M University athletics officials face a grueling climb from a deep hole to correct problems identified during a Thursday board of trustees meeting. Athletics has a $4.2 million deficit — almost double what it was one year ago. In addition, a department employee was fired after being accused of misdirecting funds, according to university administrators. It is unclear if the deficit was further exacerbated by the employee's alleged actions. Either way, FAMU Chief Financial Officer Teresa Hardee has been overseeing the financial side of the athletic department since January, FAMU attorney Avery McKnight said.

Albert Smith was fired in early December, McKnight said. A warrant was issued for his arrest and Smith turned himself in. Smith, who worked with ticketing, is contesting the termination, McKnight added. "An internal investigation revealed the misdirection of funds by one individual and the matter is currently before the State Attorney's Office for appropriate action," said Trustee Karl White in reading Thursday from the audit committee's report. A 26-page financial audit also shed light on problems plaguing the department. "The program concluded one of its most successful football seasons in recent years, " FAMU's Athletic Director William Hayes and Erica Wilcox, assistant director of athletics for business management, wrote in an overview letter included with the financial report.

However, the financial success of the program is still having difficulty balancing the cost of competition with its anticipated revenues. The overall decline in revenues coupled with the increased cost of operating expenses has resulted in the deficit." No red flags or findings were highlighted by the independent auditor. However, it's unclear how long the athletics department has been operating in the red. The audit covers from July 2007 to June 30, 2008. Athletics made nearly $8.1 million during that time. But department expenses exceeded $9.7 million, creating nearly a $1.7 million deficit. That deficit only added to the $2.61 million deficit detailed in the report that covered July 2006 to June 2007.

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MEAC vs. SWAC: ESPN ‘strongly considering’ SCSU-Grambling matchup

Fans who wished conference champions South Carolina State and Grambling could settle the debate over the 2008 black college football championship could get the next best thing. ESPN spokesperson Tilea Coleman confirmed Thursday that the network was “strongly considering” pitting the Bulldogs against the Tigers in this year’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge. The fifth annual contest, which matches up a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference for bragging rights in Football Championship Subdivision black college football, is tentatively scheduled for Labor Day Weekend at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

Neither ESPN, S.C. State nor Grambling officials have confirmed or denied talks about the possible matchup. However, Alcorn State sports information director LaToya Shields said Wednesday the school was told not to schedule Grambling for its Sept. 5 season opener because of the Tigers’ expected involvement in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. The two schools were reportedly in negotiations to move the contest, which would not count against Grambling in the SWAC standings.

Grambling State University Coach Rod Broadway

S.C. State athletics director Charlene Johnson would only state Thursday the school was waiting on an announcement from ESPN in regard to the matchup. The same stance has also been taken by both commissioners Dennis Thomas of the MEAC and Duer Sharp of the SWAC. The Bulldogs are slated to open the 2009 campaign Sept. 5 at Benedict College. Neither school has indicated whether discussions have taken place between them about the possibility of postponing the game in order to make the Bulldogs available.

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Not a game S.C. State should play...A loss to Grambling State will knock the Bulldogs out of an at-large berth in the '09 1-AA playoffs, as the FAMU Rattlers are expected to win the MEAC. Coach Rod Broadway has a way of getting the GSU Tigers ready for a big game. Too bad the SWAC does not participate in the 1-AA playoffs, as that SWAC championship game--sucks like the MEAC/SWAC (made for second tier cable) Challenge. The Bulldogs should take a pass on the 10 thousand fans at the Citrus Bowl and limited ESPN2 exposure and go schedule the home contest with rival Division II, Benedict College.

It high time that HBCUs stop selling themselves cheap to ESPN and demand $600,000+ EACH for this neutral site game. A better match up is Richmond vs. SCSU and Grambling vs. Montana in a double-header at the Citrus Bowl. Now, that's worth the cost of the trip to Orlando and what I would want to see. Now that's a MEAC-SWAC Challenge worth playing--not this Negro league garbage.

Time to give the paying fans what they want--an exciting match up! GSU and SCSU have been beating each other for 100 years. Time to do something different! Make it happen ESPN, SWAC Commissioner and MEAC Commissioner.

-beepbeep

Vinston's NCAA-best long jump of year sparks Norfolk State to lead at MEAC indoor track meet

LANDOVER, Md. - Norfolk State junior Corey Vinston, a Phoebus High graduate, broke his own meet record in the long jump, leaping a national-best 25 feet, 9 ½ inches to win his second straight title in that event at the 2009 MEAC Indoor Track & Field Championship at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex on Friday. The Spartans, who are seeking their fourth consecutive conference indoor championship, are in first place through six events, with 55 points. Morgan State is second with 33.

Vinston, who was ranked ninth in the nation coming into the day with a season-best leap of 25-1 ¼, tied the meet record last year by leaping 24-7 ¼. He easily topped that mark Friday, and also bettered LSU's Will Coppage (25-7), who had the nation's top long jump heading into this weekend. Vinston's mark automatically qualifies him for next month's NCAA Indoor Championship. Teammate Marlon Woods (Norfolk, Va.), who was ranked second in the nation in the long jump heading into the weekend, placed second behind Vinston, at 25-1 ¾.

The Spartans capped the day on the track with a first-place finish in the distance medley relay. The team of Keenan Harris (Norfolk, Va.), Darryl Brickhouse (Suffolk, Va.), Carlton Phipps (Lynchburg, Va.) and Dominic Luka (Marietta, N.Y.) finished in 10:15.37, just more than one second ahead of runner-up Hampton. NSU's other top finish Friday came via Brett Dodd (San Antonio, Texas) in the pole vault. Dodd, who won the conference indoor title last season, cleared a school-record 14-11 on Friday to take second place.

MEAC Track and Field Indoor Championships-Day Two Results

Click here for 09 MEAC Indoor Results (.pdf)
Click here for 09 Men's Hep (.pdf)

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University of Iowa conference to look at black athletes

An upcoming conference at the University of Iowa will explore the role black athletes play in athletics. "The State of the African American Athletes, Coaches and Administrators in the 21st Century" will be today at the Iowa Memorial Union. All sessions are free and open to the public. All sessions will take place in the Indiana Room at the Iowa Memorial Union except the keynote address and public forum, which will be in the IMU's Richey Ballroom. Today's events are:

• 9:30 a.m., Maureen Smith of California State University at Sacramento will present "When and Where I Enter: African American Female Athletes in College Athletics, Post Title IX."

• 10:30 a.m., Anthony Grant of Millersville University will speak on the lack of diversity in key leadership positions within college sport and how social network characteristics contribute to that phenomenon.

• 11:30 a.m., Dana Brooks of West Virginia University will discuss the educational and professional achievements of black athletes who participated in the NCAA Degree Completion Program at her university.

• 1:30 p.m., Michael Oriard of Oregon State University will provide an overview of "three decades of out-of-control commercialization and failed academic reform in Division I-A football," emphasizing the impact on black athletes.

• 2:30 p.m., Gary Sailes of Indiana University examined the opportunities, productivity and hiring practices of NCAA Division I head football coaches and stratified the data by race (blacks and whites).

• 3:30 p.m., George Cunningham of Texas A&M University points out that while blacks represent 25 percent of all athletes -- and a majority of athletes in revenue-generating sports -- they are underrepresented in coaching and leadership positions.

• 4:30 p.m., Todd Crosset of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, reviewed recent high-profile sexual assault cases, exploring the developmental risk young black male athletes face when they transition from black high schools to historically white institutions.

• 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., public forum on blacks in athletics moderated by Charlotte Westerhaus, vice president of diversity for the NCAA.

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"The State of the African American Athletes, Coaches and Administrators in the 21st Century" conference has not one speaker from an HBCU institution. Dam shame!!

Courtesy press-citizen.com

WSSU fires athletics director of 9 years

On Friday, the board of governors of the University of North Carolina system will vote on WSSU's request to increase student athletics fees. That vote could determine whether WSSU continues to Division I or returns to Division II and the CIAA.

Dr. Percy "Chico" Caldwell, the athletics director at Winston-Salem State since 2000, was fired yesterday by Chancellor Donald Reaves. Caldwell, who was hired by former chancellor Harold Martin, had been instrumental in steering the Rams athletics program to NCAA Division I status. The program is in its third year of transition after having left Division II and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. When reached yesterday by phone and asked why he was fired, Caldwell said: "I don't know -- that's what I'm trying to find out."

Reaves, who was hired in February 2007, did not return a phone call to discuss his decision but said in a prepared statement that it was time for "new leadership." "A stated goal in my short tenure as chancellor is to implement a talent strategy that has the right people in the right position at the right time," Reaves said in the statement. "The university, including its athletics program, is at a critical transition point where fresh ideas and approaches are needed, and in keeping with my commitment to the talent strategy, I believe that the athletics program and our student-athletes will benefit from new leadership."

Reaves named Tonia Walker, the associate director of athletics and senior women's administrator, as the interim AD. She has been at the school since August 2000, when she was hired as the volleyball coach and assistant AD after spending eight years as the director of public relations for the CIAA. Walker, a two-sport athlete in college, received a bachelor's degree from Hampton in 1993 and a master's degree from Old Dominion in 1998. At WSSU, she has twice been named the CIAA senior women's administrator of the year.

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Note: The Winston-Salem Journal reports the candidates to replace Caldwell include Tim Grant, a former basketball player and assistant coach at WSSU, and Dee Todd, a former basketball player at WSSU and former AD at N.C. A&T. Please! You're $1.5 million in the tank heading to athletic purgatory and your top candidates are "unequipped retreads" with no fundraising skills. Time for the Rams to move away from X-HBCU retreads.

Only wish one president would make the same move at FAMU--Bill Hayes.

-beepbeep