FAMU Alumnus/Florida Filmmaker Takes the Gold With Underground, A Slave Story Told Through Song

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- If there were an Olympics for short film, Director Akil Dupont and his film, Underground, would take the gold medal. Underground has won 17 awards and played at 24 film festivals in the U.S. and abroad.

Featuring haunting Negro spirituals and beautiful cinematography, Underground tells the story of a slave who plans to escape after learning that his daughter has been sold to another slave owner.

Dupont says the inspiration for Underground came from watching two films: Sweeney Todd, starring Johnny Depp, and Ray, starring Jaime Foxx. Both of these films feature realistic stories told through song.

"After seeing these films, everything that FAMU taught me eventually bubbled up and I wanted to create a dark and real slave story told through song where the music was very organic and made sense to be in the story," says Dupont, who received his undergraduate degree from FAMU.



Filmed in Tallahassee, FL, the film stars Ken Wester, Tomi Townsend and Nike Eaton. Music was provided by the FAMU Gospel Choir.

Dupont co-wrote Underground with Ariya Watty and directed the film while attending the MFA program at The Florida State University College of Motion and Picture Arts, rated by The Hollywood Reporter as among the top 25 film schools in the world.

Underground has won two student Emmys: One for first place in Best Use of Music, and one for The Bricker Humanitarian Award. It placed first out of 287 films at the Palm Beach International Film Festival, and it received the Audience Award at the Beijing Film Academy's ISFVF Festival, Beijing, China. The list of awards goes on and on, making it one of the most decorated films at FSU.

The film plays July 27 to August 2 at http://www.redmoviehouse.com.  Red Movie House (RMH) is an online social movie theater featuring rising stars - exceptional new talent in the film industry. Like your hometown theater, RMH plays movies for a week at a time. Films continue to be free as long as you rate and share them.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Akil.DuPont

Website: www.DuPontProductions.com

Mini Biography

Akil DuPont was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. A proud Rattler, Akil attended FAMU DRS from Kindergarten until he graduated from Florida A&M University with his Bachelor's Degree in Economics! After 20 years of education from FAMU (Dec. 2004), he worked as a Bank Manager in Orlando, Florida for several years.

During this time, Akil was very involved in the world of Fashion and Modeling. Akil rediscovered his passion for creating and directing while serving as the CEO of Faces Modeling Troupe Inc., a statewide, 300+ member modeling organization.

With Faces, Akil honed his skills in Photography, Fashion/Costume Design and Directing. Seeing the opportunity to fulfill his childhood dreams of working in the film industry, he was accepted into the Master of Fine Arts program at one of the top Film Schools in the nation, Florida State University.

While working with his classmates, Akil furthered his craft in Directing, Production Design, Storytelling and the Photography Arts. During his time at the Film School, he was honored by his classmates as one of the Top Production Designers and Cameraman in the class, as well as a stand out Director! With his MFA degree completed (Aug. 2010) and a student Emmy award winning short film "Underground" that he directed and co-wrote, Akil hopes to bring stories to the screen that entertain, captivate and educate!

Film director and producer Akil DuPont joins a growing list of Florida A&M University alumni that are taking the film industry by storm.  Most noted are Will Packer (Magna cum laude, B.S. Electrical Engineering, 1997) and Rob Hardy (B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1997) co-founders of Atlanta based Rainforest Films (1994).  Packer and Hardy are most noted for directing and producing blockbuster films  -- Chocolate City (1994), Stomp The Yard (2007- Grossed over $65 Million), Trois (2001), Pandora's Box (2002), Obsessed (2009), This Christmas (2007 - Grossed over  $50 Million) and Think Like A Man (2012).

 Psychedelic Shack, a family comedy by FAMU’s own Professor Kenneth Jones, will keep you laughing until you are crying with the creative antics in this flick, as seen below.



James Bland, a 2008 graduate of the FAMU School of Business and Industry made a splash with Cocoa Love, at the inaugural Shadow and Act Black Filmmaker Showcase in 2011.  While a student at FAMU, he produced his first short film -- Dreaming in Color, starring Whitney Reed and Bryan Brown.

No doubt, this list will be expanding in the coming years as other young talented Rattlers break into the film industry as writers, directors and producers. 

FAMU taught me!

-beepbeep

Vikings, Falcons anticipate weekend of football and fun

ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina  -  What started as a simple idea, through care and a community effort, has turned into one of the more important community events in Rocky Mount.

An idea for Elizabeth City State to play a home football game in Rocky Mount every season bred The Down East Viking Football Classic, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex on Sept. 29.

“It’s really a win-win for everybody involved: Rocky Mount, the university, recruiting and our students, and not just athletes, but all students,” Elizabeth City State coach Waverly Tillar said. “The fanfare at the game is incredible, and it’s something we look forward to every year.”

The event, which Rocky Mount mayor David Combs called “a second homecoming,” features a week full of events leading up to the game between the Vikings and St. Augustine’s College on
Saturday.

“This has become ...
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Climer: TSU's Ed Temple Olympic honor was long overdue

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - It was one of the most noteworthy races in Olympic history, and the coach didn’t see a step of it. Wilma Rudolph, the 20th of 22 children who had suffered from polio in her youth, sped past the competition to claim the gold medal in the women’s 100 meters at the 1960 Summer Games in Rome.

“I heard it, but I didn’t see it,” says Ed Temple, who coached Rudolph both at Tennessee State University and in the ’60 Olympics. “I was over in the warmup area working with some of the girls to get ready for the next event. “I heard the crowd go crazy and then somebody said, ‘Wilma won!’ I was so happy for her.”

That’s classic Ed Temple. He was so busy preparing a runner for the next race that he didn’t have time to stop and enjoy the fruits of his labor. Fifty-two years after that remarkable Olympic moment, Temple is getting his just due. He is being inducted to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.




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UMES Men's Basketball Releases 2012-13 Schedule

 HEAD COACH FRANKIE ALLEN
UMES HAWKS MEN'S BASKETBALL

PRINCESS Anne, Maryland  -  The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Athletics Department and Head Coach Frankie Allen released its 2012-13 men's basketball schedule Wednesday. The Hawks will compete in 27 total games, including eight home contests. UMES will open its season November 9 in the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Rainbow Classic hosted by the University of Hawaii.

Following the Rainbow Classic, UMES will travel to Tampa, Florida to compete in the University of South Florida Tournament Nov. 16-18. Other teams in competition at that tournament will be Loyola-Chicago, Western Michigan and host South Florida. The Bulls had the best record of teams competing in the tournament, finishing 22-14 and 12-6 in the BIG EAST last season. Both Loyola and UMES finished the season 7-23, while Western Michigan went 14-20.

Following two trips to sun-soaked areas of the country, UMES will return east to play MEAC opponent Delaware State (Dec. 1). The Hawks will then go on a five-game non-conference road trip. UMES will face three former national champions-Maryland (Dec. 5), Cincinnati (Dec. 8) and UConn. (Dec. 17), before traveling to Ohio University (Dec. 22) and American University (Jan. 2) to open the 2013 season. UMES topped American 64-62 in overtime last season in the W.P. Hytche Athletic Arena.

The Hawks have its home opener January 12 when it hosts MEAC foe Norfolk State University, followed by its second meeting with Delaware State (Jan. 19). Its other home contests will include North Carolina A&T (Feb. 2) and North Carolina Central (Feb. 4), as well as a four-game home stint that will include its homecoming game versus Morgan State (Feb. 16).

Coppin State (Feb. 18), Hampton University (Feb. 23) and Howard (Feb. 25) will all make appearances in the Hytche.

UMES will make trips to Florida A&M (Jan. 26) and Bethune-Cookman (Jan. 28), which it did not do last season. The Hawks will conclude the regular season with a trip to Savannah, Ga. to meet up with Savannah State (Mar. 7) before the conference tournament.

A change in venue for the MEAC Tournament will have the Hawks traveling to Norfolk, Virginia March 11-16.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION

ASU's Riley on Buchanan watch list

MONTGOMERY — The awards came pouring in for Alabama State safety Kejuan Riley last year, but the former Wetumpka High star didn’t let the acclaim go to his head this offseason.

“I put in twice the work I usually do,” he said. “I just know what I have to do and keep working. I just thank my teammates for (all the awards) because without them I wouldn’t have any of this.”

Riley was the Southeastern Athletic Conference’s only returning Football Championship Subdivision All-American, a consensus pick in 2011 along with Prairie View A&M defensive end Adrian Hamilton, but was not the preseason choice as SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. That award went to Jackson State defensive end Joseph LeBeau, who was voted the league’s top newcomer in 2011.



Both Riley and LeBeau are among the 20 players on the watch list released Thursday for the 18th annual Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the nation’s top FCS defensive player. The watch list includes six finalists from last season, including Riley, who ranks second among returning players who received votes for last year’s award.

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Ex-Lake Taylor star is newest NSU transfer

MIKE PRIVOTT
(Photo Courtesy U. of Louisville)

NORFOLK, Virginia - Norfolk State didn't have to look past Corprew Avenue to fill its vacancy at inside linebacker. Mike Privott, the all-time leading tackler at Lake Taylor, spent the previous three seasons at Louisville and will transfer to Norfolk State this season.

Raised largely by his brother, Ramon, his grandmother and his uncle Vaughn Parker, Privott grew up in Norfolk around Park Place, Lambert's Point and, eventually, his grandmother's house on Corprew Avenue.

"If we weren't (at the games), we could hear the stadium," Parker said. "Excited isn't the word. He's elated to come home and play in front of his hometown. We'll have 100 people in the stands on Saturdays."

Privott, who said he took an NSU physical on Tuesday, hopes to make as immediate an impact on the field as his family intends to make on NSU's attendance.

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Annual tournament has helped Paine College's golf program

AUGUSTA, Georgia - The Paine College Golf Tour­nament started in September 2009 in response to a travel fiasco. The golf team had qualified for the PGA Mi­nority Collegiate Golf Champ­ionship and was ready to go, then found out at the last minute that there wasn’t enough money in the budget to cover expenses. The team stayed home.

Thanks to the Paine tournament, that problem was quickly solved. Plus, the money raised the past three years has helped turn around the program.

Proceeds from the tournament – $71,000 so far, according to the college – go to the golf program. That money played a role in the Lions’ first Southern Inter­collegiate Athletic Con­fer­ence golf title last season and their sixth-place finish in the Division II portion of the PGA Minor­ity Collegiate Golf Champ­ionship.

The fourth edition of the Paine College Golf Tour­nament will be Aug. 27 at Gordon Lakes Golf Course.

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Passion for game brings Mays south to FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -  Frank Mays was so convinced that a high school janitor was onto something when he mentioned football as an extra curricular that he practiced an entire season without playing a single down.

When he got his opportunity to play in his senior year of high school, he simply showed out. Mays recorded 96 tackles, enough to catch the eyes of coaches at Minnesota Central Lakes College, although he was shunned by bigger programs.

FAMU is the next stop for Mays, a 6-foot-10, 285-pound defensive end. Coming to Tallahassee to play at FAMU is much farther than he thought he’d go after his high school janitor told him his size could get him somewhere in the game, Mays said.

“I figured I’d give it a shot,” Mays said Monday during a break between strength and conditioning drills. “I really wasn’t looking for anything bigger than high school (but) I fell in love with the game.”

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North Carolina A&T Bowling Announces Recruiting Class

GREENSBORO, North Carolina - The North Carolina A&T bowling program announced the signing of five talented bowlers to join the Aggies for the 2012-13 season.

"All in all, the coaching staff is really excited about this year, really excited about what [the recruits are] bringing to the table, and knowing that this is the first step in returning A&T back to winning MEAC championships, which is what we used to do quite often," said A&T head coach James Williams, referring to the Aggies previous four MEAC titles, the last one occurring during the 2003-04 season.

Joining the Aggies this fall are freshmen Najah Owens (Sanderson, Knightdale, N.C.), Briana Jackson (Davie County, Winston-Salem, N.C.), Emily Strombeck (Kestrel Heights School, Durham, N.C.) and Khadijah Clark (West Johnston, Garner, N.C.) and junior college transfer Courtney Crook (GTCC, Jamestown, N.C.)

Three of the recruits-Owens, Strombeck, and Crook-have qualified for the 2012 North Pointe Junior Gold Championships, a national tournament for the top youth bowlers in the country which was held July 14-21 in Indiana. Youth bowlers have an opportunity to earn a spot on the USA Junior Team at the tournament as well.

"For this coming season, we were looking for spare consistency, we were looking at approach consistency as far as if you are able to reproduce the same thing over and over again, and just basically overall talent with the releasing of the ball, generating revolutions and just making sure that you are able to make a quality shot and leave yourself a makeable spare," Williams said. "We were able to get that with each one of the girls. But each one also brings her own special piece to those things."

Each of the ladies has competed in state youth leagues and travel leagues because of the lack of organized high school bowling in North Carolina, Williams said. He added that his recruits have run across each other in these tournaments as opponents. Now they will join forces in an effort to lead the Aggies back to MEAC dominance.

Owens earned plenty of accolades in competition over the last two years. She earned a top-10 finish in the 2012 N.C. State High School Bowling Championship in individual play for Sanderson High School. She also helped her league team garner a first-place team finish in the All-Stars Interstate Tournament, and as an individual she earned first place in the High Game at the Sectional Pepsi Tournament, a third place finish in the 2012 State Pepsi Tournament, and a second place finish in the 2012 N.C. State Youth Championship Tournament with a 2,010 score. She also earned a first-place finish in the 2011 Premier Junior Gold Tournament, which allowed her to compete in the Nationals and North Point Tournament in Las Vegas in July 2011. She also had a strong high school career in varsity golf as well.

"With Najah, she has a quiet assassin-type demeanor. She's very focused, very raw in talent and just has a tremendous upside," Williams said, adding that she'll be a major asset in bakers play with her accuracy.

Williams is also excited about Strombeck's accuracy. She took first place in the 2012 N.C. United States Bowling Congress Association Pepsi Youth Championship Finals, and finished fifth in the 2011 N.C. USBC Pepsi Youth Championship Finals. She also finished ninth in the 2012 N.C. USBCA Youth Championship Tournament with a 1,786 score. At home, she has a collection of rings that the North Carolina State Association of the USBC gave her commemorating her 300 game performances. She also played women's basketball in high school.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Former Grambling coach Eddie Robinson rises in record books after fall of Penn State's Joe Paterno

GRAMBLING, Louisiana - The fallout of the devastating NCAA sanctions laid on Penn State on Monday spread around the country, from coast to coast and North to South.

Louisiana wasn't spared. In fact, the sanctions had a direct link to one of the state's own coaching legends: Grambling's deceased coach Eddie Robinson.



As part of the unprecedented sanctions, Penn State will vacate 112 victories gained from 1998 to 2011, 111 of those by Nittany Lions icon Joe Paterno. That allows Robinson to regain his title as the winningest Division I college coach in history with 408.

Robinson's son, Eddie Jr., was hardly gratified by the reordering of the names in the history books.

"I can't find anything to be happy about," said Robinson Jr., a Grambling assistant for 16 years. "It's not a win-win situation for anybody. He and my dad were good friends.

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Frazier back as NCCU head football coach

DURHAM, North Carolina - Less than two weeks away from its first day of practice, the N.C. Central football team has back its leader.

"When a university hires a football coach, they hire the entire family," NCCU head football coach Henry Frazier III said. "And in a million years, I never would have thought something like this would have happened to me or my family. This has been the toughest period in my life, thus far."

NCCU athletics director Ingrid Wicker-McCree expressed confidence in Frazier while announcing his reinstatement on Monday in a conference room in NCCU's Leroy T. Walker Complex.



Frazier since May had been on paid leave from his $225,000-a-year job while his wife's allegation of assault made its way through the Wake County court system.

Shortly after midnight on May 14, police responded to Frazier's house on Bending Branch Court in Morrisville after being notified that a domestic assault had occurred. Officers found evidence of an assault, but Frazier wasn’t there.

Police later caught up with Frazier in his car not far from the house. The coach was charged with assault on a female and jailed at the Wake County Detention Center, where he was released the same day under a $1,500 secured bond.

Frazier signed a court document on which he admitted to getting into an argument with his wife before praying for her by rubbing anointed oil on her, but that's not something she wanted to occur.

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SWAC Reacts to NCAA Sanctions Against Penn State

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - With the announcement of sanctions against Penn State University on Monday, the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) acknowledges the decision by NCAA President Dr. Mark Emmert, and the NCAA Executive Committee. The SWAC expresses its condolences to the victims and their families who had their lives so deeply affected by this entire situation. It is the hope that with today's actions by the NCAA, the victims can begin to heal. While closure may be far away, perhaps this small measure of justice will aid in moving those affected in a positive direction.

The SWAC and its leadership continue to uphold the highest standards among its member institutions and promote exemplary behavior by its administrators, coaches and student-athletes.

While the SWAC recognizes the fact that former Grambling State head coach Eddie Robinson is now the NCAA All-Time winningest football coach overall in Division I, the focus remains with the pain suffered by the victims. Coach Robinson's 408 wins came through many years of hard work and mentoring generations of student-athletes.

The SWAC is deeply saddened by the turn of events which led to today's actions. The conference reiterates its heart-felt sympathies to the victims and families of these terrible acts.

"The NCAA, President Emmert and the Executive Committee sent a clear message today with their decision," said SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp. "It is our hope that going forward, all member institutions in the NCAA will take proper steps to ensure that nothing like this happens again in the future."

COURTESY SWAC.org

Three Selected Preseason All-OVC; Team Picked Fifth

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University had three student-athletes selected preseason All-Conference and the team is picked to finish fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference as voted by the coaches and sports information directors on Monday.

TSU's guard Kadeem Edwards, defensive end Antonio Harper and return specialist Weldon Garlington all garnered preseason accolades.

Edwards, a native of Sanford, Fla., earned a preseason selection after posting second team honors a year ago. Last season, the junior played in 10-of-11 games, grading out at 85 to 88 percent with five pancakes per contest.

As a junior defensive end, Harper returns as one of the most lethal tacklers in the OVC. In 2011, the Memphis product racked up 44 tackles, 9.0 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks in 11 starts. His sack total ranked 52nd nationally as Harper garnered second team All-OVC.

Garlington, a sophomore for the Tigers, returns as one of the most prolific kick returns TSU has seen in the past decade. Last season, Garlington returned a kick (100 yards) and a punt (91 yards) for touchdowns. Garlington averaged 20.9 yards per kickoff return and 19.4 yards in punt returns. Earlier this month, Garlington was named to the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Punt Returner Award watch list.

These young men deserve these preseason accolades because they put the time and effort on and off the field," said third year head coach Rod Reed. "It's an honor that is richly deserved, but it's just the preseason. The real test will see if these young men can translate this into the season and come out with the honors at the end of the year."

In the preseason poll, the Tigers were slated to finish fifth with 69 points behind Eastern Kentucky (124 points), Jacksonville State (117), Murray State (85) and Tennessee Tech (83). The Tigers edged out UT Martin (67), Southeast Missouri (44), Eastern Illinois (42) and Austin Peay (47).

In 2011, the Big Blue finished the season with 5-6 record and a 4-4 mark in the OVC. TSU earned the coveted Sgt. York Trophy after winning the tie-breaker over rival Tennessee Tech.

"The guys that were voted at the top are teams that beat us last year," said Reed. "It's just on paper. You still got to play the games. You got to go out there and play week-to-week. We are higher than we were a year ago, so we're making progress."

TSU opens the 2012 season in the 14th Annual John Merritt Classic at LP Field on Sept. 1 against rival Florida A&M.


COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE SPORTS INFORMATION

Defendant in FAMU drum major's death talks

Rikki Wills faces felony charges

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - A man charged in the death of FAMU drum major Robert Champion is defending himself. Rikki Wills said Wednesday that he tried to protect Champion, his roommate, the night he died.

Wills, 24, said Champion had refused to go through the process known as "crossing bus C." He decided to go on Nov. 19, the night of his death.

Willis said that if the other drum majors had known, they would have been on the bus helping Champion. Instead, Willis said, it was only him.

“What the drum majors get on the bus to try to do is to try to help each other. Basically, I’m trying to stop him from getting as many hits,” said Wills. Wills said Champion was hit about 300 times. He said he broke his hand trying to pull another band member off Champion.



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NCCU coach reinstated following assault allegations

DURHAM, North Carolina - N.C. Central University has reinstated head football coach Henry Frazier following a resolution of a legal matter.

In May 2012 Frazier was arrested and charged with assault on a female. Police say he and his wife were arguing when he allegedly assaulted her.

NCCU officials say the legal matter involving Frazier has been resolved and as a result, he has been reinstated to his full duties and responsibilities as head football coach, effective July 23. University officials did not elaborate on how the case was resolved.

“Coach Frazier is remorseful for the distraction to the university,” said NCCU Chancellor Charlie Nelms in a press release.

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NCAA imposes sanctions on Penn State; School fined $60 million, all wins from 1998-2011 vacated

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  –  By perpetuating a “football first” culture that ultimately enabled serial child sexual abuse to occur, the Pennsylvania State University leadership failed to value and uphold institutional integrity, resulting in a breach of the NCAA constitution and rules. The NCAA Division I Board of Directors and NCAA Executive Committee directed Association President Mark Emmert to examine the circumstances and determine appropriate action in consultation with these presidential bodies.

“As we evaluated the situation, the victims affected by Jerry Sandusky and the efforts by many to conceal his crimes informed our actions,” said Emmert. “At our core, we are educators. Penn State leadership lost sight of that.”

According to the NCAA conclusions and sanctions, the Freeh Report “presents an unprecedented failure of institutional integrity leading to a culture in which a football program was held in higher esteem than the values of the institution, the values of the NCAA, the values of higher education, and most disturbingly the values of human decency.”

As a result, the NCAA imposed a $60 million sanction on the university, which is equivalent to the average gross annual revenue of the football program. These funds must be paid into an endowment for external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at the university.

The sanctions also include a four-year football postseason ban and a vacation of all wins from 1998 through 2011. The career record of former head football coach Joe Paterno will reflect these vacated records. Penn State must also reduce 10 initial and 20 total scholarships each year for a four-year period. In addition, the NCAA reserves the right to impose additional sanctions on involved individuals at the conclusion of any criminal proceedings.

The NCAA recognizes that student-athletes are not responsible for these events and worked to minimize the impact of its sanctions on current and incoming football student-athletes. Any entering or returning student-athlete will be allowed to immediately transfer and compete at another school. Further, any football student-athletes who remain at the university may retain their scholarships, regardless of whether they compete on the team.

To further integrate the athletics department into the university, Penn State will be required to enter into an “Athletics Integrity Agreement” with the NCAA. It also must adopt all Freeh Report recommendations and appoint an independent, NCAA-selected Athletics Integrity Monitor, who will oversee compliance with the agreement.

Effective immediately, the university faces five years of probation. Specifically, the university is subject to more severe penalties if it does not adhere to these requirements or violates NCAA rules in any sport during this time period.

Read the NCAA’s report

Explanation of sanctions

NCAA’s Authority to Act

Transfer options for football players The Freeh Report on Pennsylvania State University

“There has been much speculation on whether or not the NCAA has the authority to impose any type of penalty related to Penn State,” said Ed Ray, Executive Committee chair and Oregon State president. “This egregious behavior not only goes against our rules and constitution, but also against our values.”

Because Penn State accepted the Freeh Report factual findings, which the university itself commissioned, the NCAA determined traditional investigative proceedings would be redundant and unnecessary.

“We cannot look to NCAA history to determine how to handle circumstances so disturbing, shocking and disappointing,” said Emmert. “As the individuals charged with governing college sports, we have a responsibility to act. These events should serve as a call to every single school and athletics department to take an honest look at its campus environment and eradicate the ‘sports are king’ mindset that can so dramatically cloud the judgment of educators.”

Penn State fully cooperated with the NCAA on this examination of the issues and took decisive action in removing individuals in leadership who were culpable.

“The actions already taken by the new Penn State Board of Trustees chair Karen Peetz and Penn State President Rodney Erickson have demonstrated a strong desire and determination to take the steps necessary for Penn State to right these severe wrongs,” said Emmert.

COURTESY NCAA PRESS RELEASE 7/23/12

FOOTNOTE: 
Grambling State University's Eddie Robinson becomes the Division I leader with 408 wins in 57 seasons, which ended in 1997. Florida State's Bobby Bowen is now the major college leader with 377 victories.  Bowden also had 12 wins vacated due to NCAA violations.

FAMU eyes improved attendance

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - The Florida A&M athletic department is ramping up its campaign to get fans to Bragg Stadium in a season that its football team will have to play without the sound of the Marching 100 in the background.

And the effort by athletic director Derek Horne is getting a little help from the Leon County Tourism Development Council. Horne said during an interview with the Democrat on Tuesday that entertainment is being planned to fill the void created by the absence of the band.

Former president James Ammons suspended the Marching 100 earlier this year amid an investigation following the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion. Ammons resigned last week.



Meanwhile, Horne is making an aggressive push to not only win back fans who might have decided they won’t attend games without the band but to those in nearby areas. A grant from the LCTDC will be used primarily to target fans from Jacksonville to Pensacola and nearby Georgia areas, he said.

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Savannah State picked 11th in preseason MEAC football poll

NORFOLK, Virginia - The Savannah State football team has been picked to finish last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2012.

The Tigers received one first place vote, but were still picked to finish 11th in the conference by MEAC coaches and sports information directors. SSU won just one game in 2011. Savannah State opens the season on September 1st in Stillwater, Oklahoma against Oklahoma State. The following week the Tigers travel to Florida State.



Norfolk State has been tabbed as the team to beat in the MEAC. South Carolina State was second followed by Bethune-Cookman in third.

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UDC Coach Butler Hosts Youth Basketball Camp

WASHINGTON, D.C. - University of District of Columbia (UDC) women’s head basketball coach Lester “Jay” Butler believes in the importance of giving back to the community that supports you. That’s why he and his staff at UDC hosted a basketball camp for the youths of D.C.

Butler held the first session of his second annual Jay Butler Basketball Camp on the campus of UDC from June 25-29, inviting both boys and girls ranging in age from 7-17-years-old.

According to Butler, the week-long camp consisted of a number of basketball drills and workouts emphasizing fundamental skill development such as defense, boxing out, and footwork. The campers also competed in daily scrimmages and contests, emphasizing a team-friendly atmosphere.

“All camp drills and instruction were led by qualified instructors ranging from former UDC players to myself,” Coach Butler said. “At the conclusion of each camp day, one lucky camper was selected as “Camper of the Day” and one selected as “Camper of the Week.” All campers received certificates of completion upon dismissal on the last day.”

UDC assistant coach Robin Williams ...

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Howard University Athletic Director Discusses Bison Resurgence on News Channel 8's Sports Talk

WASHINGTON, D.C. -  Athletic Director Louis "Skip" Perkins appeared on the Thursday, July 19 edition of Sports Talk with Glenn Harris on News Channel 8. Mr. Perkins discussed the academic and athletic successes last season and preview of the upcoming season. To learn more about Howard Athletics, www.howard-bison.com.





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More good APR news for Southern University

BAGON ROUGE, Louisiana - During lunch on Thursday, Southern Athletic Director William Broussard’s phone kept buzzing in his pocket. When he checked it, he saw three missed calls from assistant academic counselor Trayvean Scott.

“I started thinking, is the place on fire?” Broussard said.

In darker days — those marred by severe penalties related to the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate — a flurry of calls from someone in Scott’s position may have spelled trouble, but those days are becoming a thing of the past at Southern.

Scott was calling with good news. SU had heard from the NCAA on its grant proposal, and the results were a first for all parties involved.

Southern received $21,300 from the NCAA’s Supplemental Support Fund — believed to be a school record — to be put toward sprucing up the Jaguars’ academic support of student-athletes.

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Colts acquire JSU's cornerback D.J. Johnson from Philadelphia

D.J. JOHNSON

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  -  The Indianapolis Colts and the Philadelphia Eagles have engineered a trade, sending cornerback D.J. Johnson to Indy in exchange for defensive tackle Ollie Ogbu.

Johnson is 6-foot-1 and 191 pounds out of Jackson State, where he was named the Defensive MVP of the 2007 SWAC Championship game. In that contest, he returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown in the 42-31 victory over Grambling. After leading his team in 2008 with four interceptions and leading the conference in pass breakups (13) and passes defended, Johnson was named first team All-SWAC.

He signed with the Denver Broncos in 2009 as an undrafted free agent and has since spent time with the New York Giants, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Washington Redskins, and the Eagles. He has recorded a total of 10 tackles in 10 NFL games in his career--all of which were with the Giants. He spent the 2011 season on the Eagles' practice squad.

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FAMU QB Fleming has new look, attitude

NORFOLK, Virginia — At the end of last football season, Florida A&M quarterback Damien Fleming reviewed film of every game that he played and decided he needed to make some changes.

He set out to fix the mistakes and work on the aspects of his game that looked shaky. It started with his movement in the pocket.

He didn’t just stop with his techniques. Fleming said his personality needed some work too. Off went the long locks that had become his trademark since his first day of practice, dangling from under his helmet.



Fleming’s assessment of ways to improve went farther. He’s adopted a new attitude that he hopes will trickle down to every player on offense.

“I’m looking forward to making the average players great,” he said. “I’m looking to my O-line; those guys held me up last year. I just hope I can make everybody much better.”

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Inside the MEAC: Pough, Adrian not surprised by selections

NORFOLK, Virginia - Head coach Buddy Pough was not surprised South Carolina State was not selected as the preseason favorite for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title.

Even less surprised about the poll was the head coach of the team picked to repeat as conference champion Norfolk State.

“Oh yeah, great,” Norfolk State Pete Adrian was quoted by The Virginian-Pilot saying after the Spartans were introduced as the preseason favorites during Friday’s MEAC media day. “Nice little surprise. We knew we had an X on us. Now they just put a little red paint on it.”

The preseason poll, which includes votes from each school’s coach and sports information director, had the defending champion Spartans first with 11 of the 22 first-place votes. The Bulldogs received four first-place votes to finish second, followed by Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and Hampton, which is ineligible for the post-season for low Academic Progress Report scores.

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President Obama talks FAMU hazing on campaign trail

JACKSONVILLE, Florida - President Barack Obama weighed in this week on a hazing incident at Florida A&M University which attracted national attention and resulted in the death of a band member.

Following a campaign appearance in the state on Thursday, CNN affiliate WCTV in Jacksonville caught up with the president who commented on last November's death of band member Robert Champion. Champion was badly beaten on a band bus after a football game in Orlando.

"Well, obviously the loss of that young man's life is heartbreaking. I think that we can't tolerate bullying of any sort, anywhere. And when we send our young people to college we expect them to be there to learn and to get a great experience, not to be beaten. So, you know, I'm pleased this has gotten attention," said Obama, adding that while tradition is something to be continued, "We don't need this kind of bullying to be a part of it."

Provost Larry Robinson, acting interim President at FAMU, is a former member of the Obama administration.



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