Sunday, January 8, 2017
Kings of FCS! James Madison Tops Youngstown State 28-14 for 2nd Football National Championship
Attendance: 14,423 + National TV audience
FRISCO, Texas - James Madison held Youngstown State to 292 total yards on Saturday afternoon and rolled to a 28-14 victory, as the Dukes captured the FCS 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship, the second title in program history.
The Dukes, who finished the season 14-1 and undefeated against FCS foes, saw their defensive line dominate from start to finish, holding the Penguins (12-4) to just 21 rushing yards after YSU entered the contest averaging 257.5 yards on the ground.
Senior linebacker Gage Steele paced an all-around dominant performance by the JMU defense, racking up six tackles, including five solo stops, a pair of sacks and a pass breakup as the Dukes forced a pair of crucial turnovers in the third quarter to put the game away.
No defensive player had more tackles for the Dukes than junior defensive back Jordan Brown's seven, but nine different players had at least three, while sophomore defensive back Curtis Oliver picked off his second pass of the season and sophomore Darrious Carter scooped up a fumble.
Senior running back Khalid Abdullah ended his career in style, rushing 26 times for 101 yards and a pair of scores for an afternoon that put him atop the JMU record books in career touchdowns, single-season touchdowns and single-season rushing yards.
The Dukes needed just 12 passes to take home the trophy, as junior quarterback Bryan Schor went 7-of-12 for 112 yards with a pair of first-quarter touchdowns to junior tight end Jonathan Kloosterman and senior wide receiver Rashard Davis.
JMU put the Penguins in an early hole, as Abdullah stretched the lead to 21-0 on a 1-yard touchdown plunge with 8:17 to play before halftime, though YSU responded with a touchdown of its own less than five minutes later.
Abdullah scored from two yards out with 10:10 to play in the third quarter for an advantage that proved to be all the Dukes' defense needed, as Youngstown State managed just one more scoring drive that ended with 10 seconds left before the final whistle.
TITLE HISTORY
JMU captured its second NCAA Division I Championship in program history, joining the 2004 team that defeated Montana 31-21 in Chattanooga. The Dukes are the eighth FCS program to earn multiple national titles and the first ever with multiple in the Colonial Athletic Association. JMU ended the five-year national-title run by North Dakota State and became the first CAA national champion since Villanova in 2009.
HOUSTON'S HEIGHTS
Head Coach Mike Houston earned his first career national championship, having finished runner-up in the NCAA Division II title game at Lenoir-Rhyne in 2013. Houston improved to 5-1 all-time in the FCS playoffs, 4-0 at JMU thanks to the 2016 run.
FINAL NUMBERS
JMU won its 12th game in a row for the longest active streak in FCS football and second-longest in all of Division I behind Alabama (26)
JMU's 14-1 overall record included a perfect 14-0 mark against FCS opponents and set a new school record for victories
JMU finished as the nation's leader in scoring margin at +25.5 points per game, second in points per game (46.7) and 16th in points allowed (21.2)
JMU went 6-0 vs. ranked opponents this season, all during the last seven contests
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Abdullah became JMU's single-season rushing record holder with 1,809 yards, passing record-holder Rodney Landers (1,770 in 2008).
Abdullah increased his school records for season (22) and career (41) rushing touchdowns as well as his records for combined rushing and receiving touchdowns for season (25) and career (45)
Abdullah is also JMU's season (150) and career (270) record holder for scoring
Schor climbed to eighth in career total offense with 4,697 yards
Schor tied for fifth in career touchdown passes with 35
JMU set CAA records for single-season rushing offense (4,125), total offense (7,612) and first downs (380)
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
JMU finished the season 16th nationally in points allowed after ranking 77th in 2015 in that category. In addition to allowing 21.2 points per game, the Dukes limited opponents to 16.4 points per game over the last eight games and 15 per game in the playoffs, all against ranked teams. Also, 21 of the 60 postseason points allowed came in the final two minutes of games in which the outcome was already decided.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Howard University World-Class Brand Sealed the Deal in QB Caylin Newton Football Commitment
His father says strength of campus culture and academics played into the decision
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In true signal-caller fashion, Caylin Newton opted to call his own play — and break his own news, on Twitter, no less.
On Jan. 5, Cam Newton’s little brother announced to the world that he’s taking his talents to Washington, D.C., to attend Howard University — and, presumably, play quarterback for the Bison.
“The [recruiting] process started before the season,” former Howard coach Gary Harrell told The Undefeated. “Caylin’s father [Cecil Newton Sr.] wanted something different for him. He could have gone anywhere in the country, and they could have paid his tuition anywhere. But they wanted an HBCU [historically black college or university], and they figured if it’s going to be an HBCU, why not the school that is considered to be the highest of all HBCUs.”
Having been down the recruitment road before with Cam, who was drafted as the first overall pick by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL draft, the Newtons wanted no parts of a drawn-out process.
“We’re happy to be Bison,” Cecil Newton Sr. told The Undefeated. “Howard was a great institution before we got here. We’re all on board – Cam, my oldest son, Cecil Jr., the whole family. We’re all in this together.”
Football alone was not the only factor that made this decision easy, Newton Sr. noted. “It was a combination of campus culture, strong academics, as well as an opportunity to play football,” said Newton Sr., an alumnus of Savannah State.
CONTINUE READING
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In true signal-caller fashion, Caylin Newton opted to call his own play — and break his own news, on Twitter, no less.
On Jan. 5, Cam Newton’s little brother announced to the world that he’s taking his talents to Washington, D.C., to attend Howard University — and, presumably, play quarterback for the Bison.
“The [recruiting] process started before the season,” former Howard coach Gary Harrell told The Undefeated. “Caylin’s father [Cecil Newton Sr.] wanted something different for him. He could have gone anywhere in the country, and they could have paid his tuition anywhere. But they wanted an HBCU [historically black college or university], and they figured if it’s going to be an HBCU, why not the school that is considered to be the highest of all HBCUs.”
Having been down the recruitment road before with Cam, who was drafted as the first overall pick by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL draft, the Newtons wanted no parts of a drawn-out process.
“We’re happy to be Bison,” Cecil Newton Sr. told The Undefeated. “Howard was a great institution before we got here. We’re all on board – Cam, my oldest son, Cecil Jr., the whole family. We’re all in this together.”
Football alone was not the only factor that made this decision easy, Newton Sr. noted. “It was a combination of campus culture, strong academics, as well as an opportunity to play football,” said Newton Sr., an alumnus of Savannah State.
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Ex-Florida 4-Star QB Treon Harris transferring to Tennessee State
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Former Florida quarterback Treon Harris visited Tennessee State during the fall and has decided to continue his career with the Tigers.
Harris is expected to enroll at TSU on Monday and participate in spring practice, coach Rod Reed said....
Harris was suspended three times at Florida and was not enrolled in school in the fall. He will be eligible in the fall and has two years of eligibility remaining.
Harris, a 5-foot-11, 201-pound Miami native, started In six games at Florida in 2014 and nine in 2015.
In two seasons he completed 174 of 346 passes for 2,695 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
He also rushed for 570 yards and three TDs.
"Back during the fall when (Harris) didn't return to Florida and we were dealing with some injuries at quarterback and needed a guy that could come in, we started a conversion with him," Reed said. "He came up and visited for our game against Eastern Kentucky and liked what he saw. We stayed in contact after that."
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Former Mississippi State 4-Star QB Elijah Staley Commits to Morgan State Bears
I have officially committed to Morgan State university & am very excited to go play for @CoachFredT ! #GoBears @MsuBearFootball 
3-Star QB Juwan Adams' transfer leaves Jackson State in a bind
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Even before quarterback Juwan Adams decided to transfer following his freshman season at Jackson State, the Tigers had question marks on the offensive side of the football.When they couldn’t get a push up front, which was all too often for a run-first offense, they struggled to score. A lot of that had to do with injuries to key personnel, but it was also the result of pedestrian quarterback play.
Tony Hughes and his staff hoped that Adams — a three-star recruit from North Pike and the crown jewel of their first recruiting class — was going to change that. That hope disappeared earlier this week with the freshman’s decision to transfer to Southwest Community College.
“He let us know Tuesday that he had decided to transfer,” Hughes said. “We’re disappointed, but we know he’s doing what he feels is best for him and his family at this point in time.”
Adams has not commented publicly and did not respond to multiple calls and texts requesting comment for this story, leaving us to speculate on the reasons behind his decision to leave.
He'll rejoin his former high school teammate Javian Jackson, who originally signed with Jackson State before landing at Southwest.
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Virginia Union Moves Up To #3 In NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll
RICHMOND, Virginia -- The Virginia Union University women's basketball team continued their climb in the WBCA/USA Today Top 25 rankings by being ranked third in the nation in the latest poll, released on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.
The Lady Panthers are now third in the nation behind Ashland University (14-0) and Emporia State University (12-1). There are a total of 322 colleges playing women's basketball at the NCAA Division II level.
The ranking marks the highest place a VUU women's team has occupied since the 1982-83 team finished the season as National Champions (last year's squad finished the season ranked #4).
The Lady Panthers are also the only CIAA team to be ranked in the WBCA/USA Today poll.
VUU also captured the top spot in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region Poll, released on Tuesday, January 3.
Virginia Union is undefeated at 11-0 overall and 1-0 in the CIAA, and sit atop the Northern Division of the CIAA.
The Lady Panthers travel to Raleigh, N.C., to face Shaw University in a rematch of the 2016 CIAA Championship Game at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 5.
WBCA NCAA DIVISION II TOP 25 COACHES POLL - January 3, 2017
| Rank | School (Record) | Points | First-Place Votes | Last Week's Rank |
| 1 | Ashland (14-0) | 598 | 22 | 1 |
| 2 | Emporia State (12-1) | 556 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Virginia Union (11-0) | 512 | 2 | 6 |
| 4 | Bellarmine (10-1) | 490 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Angelo State (10-0) | 486 | 0 | 7 |
| 6 | Pittsburg State (11-1) | 485 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Alaska-Anchorage (10-0) | 476 | 0 | 8 |
| 8 | California, PA (11-1) | 444 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Colorado State-Pueblo (13-0) | 422 | 0 | 9 |
| 10 | Lincoln Memorial (11-0) | 405 | 0 | 10 |
| 11 | California Baptist (13-2) | 362 | 0 | 11 |
| 12 | Drury (11-2) | 297 | 0 | 14 |
| 13 | Arkansas Tech (7-1) | 267 | 0 | 15 |
| 14 | Winona State (12-2) | 261 | 0 | 16 |
| 15 | Seattle Pacific (11-1) | 228 | 0 | 13 |
| 16 | Lewis (11-2) | 200 | 0 | 17 |
| 17 | Bentley (11-3) | 194 | 0 | 12 |
| 18 | Wheeling Jesuit (9-1) | 186 | 0 | 18 |
| 19 | Columbus State (8-0) | 156 | 0 | 23 |
| 20 | Central Oklahoma (11-1) | 104 | 0 | 19 |
| 21 | Grand Valley State (9-3) | 98 | 0 | 21 |
| 21 | North Georgia (10-1) | 98 | 0 | 24 |
| 23 | Clayton State (9-2) | 80 | 0 | 22 |
| 24 | Minnesota State-Moorhead (11-1) | 71 | 0 | NR |
| 25 | Northern State (10-2) | 65 | 0 | 25 |
Others receiving votes: Eckerd (10-2) 52; Saint Mary's, TX (11-2) 29; Adelphi (11-2) 28; Simon Fraser (12-2) 24; Queens, NY (10-3) 17; Central Missouri (10-1) 17; Regis, CO (10-2) 11; West Florida (9-2) 11; Limestone (7-3) 10; Anderson, SC (8-2) 9; Glenville State (9-1) 8; Caldwell (10-3) 7; Fort Hays State (11-2) 7
D2SIDA ATLANTIC REGION POLL
1. Virginia Union - 40 points - previously 2
2. California - 35 - 1
3. Wheeling Jesuit - 31 - 3
4. Mercyhurst - 30 - 4
5. Glenville State - 24 - 5
6. Edinboro - 20 - 8
7. IUP - 15 - 9
8. Chowan - 10 - 6
9. East Stroudsburg - 7 - 10
10. Bowie State - 5 - NR
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Football Is Forever: The Money-Losing Drug These Schools Can’t Quit
Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t let go
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For the University of Massachusetts Amherst, moving into the top echelon of college football looked a lot like going pro.
Robert Holub, then the university's chancellor, announced the change at the 68,000-seat Gillette Stadium, 90 miles east of campus. Just like the NFL’s New England Patriots, the Minutemen would play at Gillette, selling more tickets to make up for the increased costs of big-time football. “We promise national excellence and prominence to the citizens of the Commonwealth,” Holub said in April 2011.
Five years later, the school’s plan appears, at best, naively optimistic. The projected revenue has failed to materialize, and the athletic department now relies on more financial support from the university than it did before its football team joined the Football Bowl Subdivision. Fewer than 15,000 fans on average attended UMass home games this season. The Minutemen no longer belong to a conference and won’t play a single game at Gillette in 2017.
“I see nothing changing in terms of the financial viability, the attendance or the conference opportunity,” said Max Page, a UMass architecture professor who co-chaired the faculty senate’s Ad Hoc Committee on FBS Football in 2014. “It’s going to continue to drain money from the core mission of the university. And there’s no end in sight. How many years do we do this?”
Quite possibly forever. Once a school fields a top-division football team, it’s nearly impossible to reverse the commitment. UMass is one of 10 schools to join the FBS since 2009, and most are struggling financially. In theory, they have alternatives—drop down to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), known until 2006 as Division I-AA, or cut football entirely. Neither is a panacea, as the University of Idaho and the University of Alabama at Birmingham are learning.
CONTINUE READING
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For the University of Massachusetts Amherst, moving into the top echelon of college football looked a lot like going pro.
Robert Holub, then the university's chancellor, announced the change at the 68,000-seat Gillette Stadium, 90 miles east of campus. Just like the NFL’s New England Patriots, the Minutemen would play at Gillette, selling more tickets to make up for the increased costs of big-time football. “We promise national excellence and prominence to the citizens of the Commonwealth,” Holub said in April 2011.
Five years later, the school’s plan appears, at best, naively optimistic. The projected revenue has failed to materialize, and the athletic department now relies on more financial support from the university than it did before its football team joined the Football Bowl Subdivision. Fewer than 15,000 fans on average attended UMass home games this season. The Minutemen no longer belong to a conference and won’t play a single game at Gillette in 2017.
“I see nothing changing in terms of the financial viability, the attendance or the conference opportunity,” said Max Page, a UMass architecture professor who co-chaired the faculty senate’s Ad Hoc Committee on FBS Football in 2014. “It’s going to continue to drain money from the core mission of the university. And there’s no end in sight. How many years do we do this?”
Quite possibly forever. Once a school fields a top-division football team, it’s nearly impossible to reverse the commitment. UMass is one of 10 schools to join the FBS since 2009, and most are struggling financially. In theory, they have alternatives—drop down to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), known until 2006 as Division I-AA, or cut football entirely. Neither is a panacea, as the University of Idaho and the University of Alabama at Birmingham are learning.
CONTINUE READING
Could FSU Football’s Game vs. Delaware State be Worst in Program History?
FSU will pay Delaware State a $475,000 guarantee for the game
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Last week, FSU football announced that they had found a 12th team for their schedule next season. After presumably looking across the nation for an opponent they would pay hundred of thousands of dollars to come to Tallahassee and get beat, the Seminoles settled upon…drumroll please… The Delaware State Hornets!
That’s right, ladies and gentleman – a team that went 0-11 last season as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (the same one Tallahassee neighbors FAMU play in) will be the team Florida State will be beating up on come November 18th in the home finale next season.
It’s no secret that the ‘Noles have started to adopt the SEC schedule theory of playing at least one cupcake each season – usually from the FCS group. The Hornets – who lost by an average of 25 points a game last season and had just three defeats of 10 points or less – will be the ninth FCS team FSU has played since Jimbo Fisher’s first year in 2010 (and the third MEAC team).
The argument from FSU officials and Fisher himself is going to be the fact that the 2017 schedule is already chalk full of battles. The Seminoles start the year with Alabama in Atlanta while including home games against Louisville and Miami to go along with road games at Clemson and the season finale at Florida.
CONTINUE READING
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Last week, FSU football announced that they had found a 12th team for their schedule next season. After presumably looking across the nation for an opponent they would pay hundred of thousands of dollars to come to Tallahassee and get beat, the Seminoles settled upon…drumroll please… The Delaware State Hornets!
That’s right, ladies and gentleman – a team that went 0-11 last season as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (the same one Tallahassee neighbors FAMU play in) will be the team Florida State will be beating up on come November 18th in the home finale next season.
It’s no secret that the ‘Noles have started to adopt the SEC schedule theory of playing at least one cupcake each season – usually from the FCS group. The Hornets – who lost by an average of 25 points a game last season and had just three defeats of 10 points or less – will be the ninth FCS team FSU has played since Jimbo Fisher’s first year in 2010 (and the third MEAC team).
The argument from FSU officials and Fisher himself is going to be the fact that the 2017 schedule is already chalk full of battles. The Seminoles start the year with Alabama in Atlanta while including home games against Louisville and Miami to go along with road games at Clemson and the season finale at Florida.
CONTINUE READING
College Football Teams Are Risky and Expensive—and Schools Keep Adding Them
Universities still think the sport’s benefits outweigh the costs
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- At many schools, the costs of football are starting to challenge the benefits. It’s expensive, it doesn’t always make money, many academic faculty resent it, and the ongoing debate over health risks and players’ labor rights put universities in an awkward position.
Taken together, football could look like the kind of hassle a university president might try to avoid.
Yet few do. In the past eight years, 57 colleges and universities have started an NCAA football program. The University of Alabama, at Birmingham, restored its team to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Another 11 joined the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA), and the rest are competing at lower levels—Divisions II or III. For all but UAB, there’s little money to be made from TV or ticket sales.
In the past decade, annual football expenses at a typical FCS school have increased from less than $2 million to $3.5 million. In the same period, revenue has expanded from $430,000 to $1 million. Middle-of-the-road FCS programs—a division that includes University of Maine, Colgate, Portland State—are losing millions on football altogether.
In spite of all this, East Tennessee State University still decided to add football in 2015. The team costs about $4 million to field, one-quarter of the overall department budget. Encouraged by the school’s president, students approved a $125 fee that would cover $2.8 million of the football team’s costs. “That was the only way we could do it,” said Richard Sander, originally a consultant on the football revival and later hired as the school’s athletic director.
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Why TV Riches Aren’t Enough to Keep College Football Alive Anymore
Programs and conferences have sacrificed ticket sales for media money. What happens when that dries up?
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The business model of college football, long a financial boon to universities, is breaking down. A weeklong look at the pressures of rising costs, falling revenue and what, if anything, universities can do about it. Read the rest of the series here.
College football is sloshing around in television money. You can see it in inflated coaching salaries and practice facilities that feature spas, juice bars, and movie theaters. Clemson’s football players are getting a mini-golf course and an indoor slide.
One athletic director, in little Las Cruces, N.M., is trying to rebalance the scales. For the next couple of years, Mario Moccia plans to do all he can to keep the New Mexico State University Aggies off TV. Think of it like an NFL broadcast blackout.
“I’m choosing not to do damage to myself,” Moccia said. He suspects more people will come to the games if they can’t watch from home and the school will make up any lost revenue at the gate. Only 5 percent of the Aggies' $29 million annual athletic budget comes from TV, and Moccia figures it’s worth experimenting.
It's hard to overstate how unusual Moccia is. The pursuit of TV money has led programs and conferences to make all kinds of concessions, and while that might make short-term sense -- media money is guaranteed, ticket sales are not -- it threatens to irritate and alienate the fan base over the long term.
CONTINUE READING
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The business model of college football, long a financial boon to universities, is breaking down. A weeklong look at the pressures of rising costs, falling revenue and what, if anything, universities can do about it. Read the rest of the series here.
College football is sloshing around in television money. You can see it in inflated coaching salaries and practice facilities that feature spas, juice bars, and movie theaters. Clemson’s football players are getting a mini-golf course and an indoor slide.
One athletic director, in little Las Cruces, N.M., is trying to rebalance the scales. For the next couple of years, Mario Moccia plans to do all he can to keep the New Mexico State University Aggies off TV. Think of it like an NFL broadcast blackout.
“I’m choosing not to do damage to myself,” Moccia said. He suspects more people will come to the games if they can’t watch from home and the school will make up any lost revenue at the gate. Only 5 percent of the Aggies' $29 million annual athletic budget comes from TV, and Moccia figures it’s worth experimenting.
It's hard to overstate how unusual Moccia is. The pursuit of TV money has led programs and conferences to make all kinds of concessions, and while that might make short-term sense -- media money is guaranteed, ticket sales are not -- it threatens to irritate and alienate the fan base over the long term.
CONTINUE READING
College Football’s Top Teams Are Built on Crippling Debt
Football’s critics often point to multimillion-dollar coaching salaries. They should be more worried about debt, which costs more and lasts longer
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The business model of college football, long a financial boon to universities, is breaking down. A weeklong look at the pressures of rising costs, falling revenue and what, if anything, universities can do about it. Read the rest of the series here.
By many standards, University of California, Berkeley has an incredible sports program. Its 30 sports are second only to Stanford in the Pac-12 Conference, and the school has won 22 national titles in the past decade. At the Rio Olympics, current or former Cal athletes collected 21 medals, including eight golds.
By another measure, Cal sports are in big trouble. After completing the most expensive college football stadium overhaul ever, the Golden Bears now owe more money than any other college sports program. Hobbled by debt service payments, the athletic department ran a $22 million deficit last year and expects to end this fiscal year deep in the red.
A university task force is looking for possible solutions, including reducing the total number of Cal’s sports programs. Any cuts could endanger some of the school’s most successful teams, which cost a lot more than they bring in, and Chancellor Nicholas Dirks recently gave the group more time. “Everything is on the table,” said Robert O’Donnell, a lecturer at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business who co-chairs the task force.
Football critics nationwide often point to multimillion-dollar coaches as emblems of excess. They should be more worried about debt, which costs more and lasts longer. A high-priced coach might earn $4 million to $5 million a year. Meanwhile, according to public records, athletic departments at least 13 schools in the country have long-term debt obligations of more than $150 million as of 2014—money usually borrowed to build ever-nicer facilities for the football team.
CONTINUE READING
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The business model of college football, long a financial boon to universities, is breaking down. A weeklong look at the pressures of rising costs, falling revenue and what, if anything, universities can do about it. Read the rest of the series here.
By many standards, University of California, Berkeley has an incredible sports program. Its 30 sports are second only to Stanford in the Pac-12 Conference, and the school has won 22 national titles in the past decade. At the Rio Olympics, current or former Cal athletes collected 21 medals, including eight golds.
By another measure, Cal sports are in big trouble. After completing the most expensive college football stadium overhaul ever, the Golden Bears now owe more money than any other college sports program. Hobbled by debt service payments, the athletic department ran a $22 million deficit last year and expects to end this fiscal year deep in the red.
A university task force is looking for possible solutions, including reducing the total number of Cal’s sports programs. Any cuts could endanger some of the school’s most successful teams, which cost a lot more than they bring in, and Chancellor Nicholas Dirks recently gave the group more time. “Everything is on the table,” said Robert O’Donnell, a lecturer at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business who co-chairs the task force.
Football critics nationwide often point to multimillion-dollar coaches as emblems of excess. They should be more worried about debt, which costs more and lasts longer. A high-priced coach might earn $4 million to $5 million a year. Meanwhile, according to public records, athletic departments at least 13 schools in the country have long-term debt obligations of more than $150 million as of 2014—money usually borrowed to build ever-nicer facilities for the football team.
CONTINUE READING
The Unravelling of College Football Starts With All These Empty Stadiums
Low attendance threatens today’s ticket revenue and tomorrow’s alumni donations.WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The business model of college football, long a financial boon to universities, is breaking down. A weeklong look at the pressures of rising costs, falling revenue and what, if anything, universities can do about it. Read the rest of the series here.
On a warm November Saturday in Boca Raton, 5,843 people turned out to see Florida Atlantic University play its final home football game of the year. With 80 percent of the seats empty, it was the Owls’ smallest audience since the team jumped to college football’s top division in 2005.
A week later and a world away, the Florida State Seminoles played their last home game in front of a crowd of more than 78,000. The student section alone had three times as many fans as FAU had in its whole stadium.
With the fanfare building for the College Football Championship on Monday, it’s hard to remember that packed stadiums like Florida State’s are the exception. FAU’s empty stands are the rule, and lackluster ticket sales are starting to take a financial toll on programs across the country.
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Hodge earns Nuggets' 1st GCAC weekly honor of 2016-17
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Jalyn Hodge has been named Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's basketball for Dec. 26-Jan. 1.
Hodge, a 5-foot-8 freshman guard from Plano, Texas, and a graduate of Plano West High School, scored 11 points Saturday in the Gold Nuggets' 78-42 victory at Dallas Christian. The winning margin was XULA's largest of the season.
Hodge is averaging 5.1 points in 15 games. She is the first Gold Nuggets freshman to win a GCAC weekly award since another Plano West alum, Carmen Holcombe, did it in December 2010. During Bo Browder's 18 seasons as head coach, 21 Gold Nuggets have won a combined 32 GCAC weekly awards.
The Gold Nuggets (9-6) will play their GCAC opener at 3 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo (4-3) at XULA's Convocation Center.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Confirmed: Mike London expected to be named head football coach at Howard University
London won the 2008 FCS National Championship in 2008 at Richmond
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Mike London, Maryland football’s associate head coach, is expected to be named head coach at Howard, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
London, 56, who resigned as Virginia’s head coach in 2015 after five seasons, spent just one year on DJ Durkin’s staff in College Park, where he also served as a defensive line coach and helped bolster the program’s recruiting presence in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region. Neither Maryland nor Howard officials would confirm London’s hiring on Friday evening. London did not respond to a request for comment.
He was one of Durkin’s first hires at Maryland, signing a two-year, $800,000 deal last December and becoming a key figure on a diverse staff that briefly included three former head coaches. London also played a pivotal role in Maryland’s 2017 recruiting class, which comprises 29 prospects and is projected to be the highest-rated class in program history.
It was widely assumed that London would be a head coaching candidate at another area school this offseason. He will return to the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision eight years after he left his post as Richmond’s head coach to take the same position at Virginia. At Howard, London will take over for Gary Harrell, who was fired in November after serving six seasons as head coach.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Mike London, Maryland football’s associate head coach, is expected to be named head coach at Howard, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
London, 56, who resigned as Virginia’s head coach in 2015 after five seasons, spent just one year on DJ Durkin’s staff in College Park, where he also served as a defensive line coach and helped bolster the program’s recruiting presence in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region. Neither Maryland nor Howard officials would confirm London’s hiring on Friday evening. London did not respond to a request for comment.
He was one of Durkin’s first hires at Maryland, signing a two-year, $800,000 deal last December and becoming a key figure on a diverse staff that briefly included three former head coaches. London also played a pivotal role in Maryland’s 2017 recruiting class, which comprises 29 prospects and is projected to be the highest-rated class in program history.
It was widely assumed that London would be a head coaching candidate at another area school this offseason. He will return to the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision eight years after he left his post as Richmond’s head coach to take the same position at Virginia. At Howard, London will take over for Gary Harrell, who was fired in November after serving six seasons as head coach.
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Howard University Bison picks up commitment from Cam Newton's brother, Freshman 3-Star QB Caylin Newton
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On Thursday, Howard picked up a commitment from Georgia prospect Caylin Newton, the younger brother of Carolina Panthers star quarterback Cam Newton. Caylin Newton will be taking his talents to Howard University in Washington, D.C.
The younger brother of former Auburn and current NFL star Cam Newton announced his decision Thursday on Twitter.
I am extremely blessed to be attending Howard University for this upcoming Spring semester! On to the next chapter in my life! #TherealHU
As a senior at Grady High School in Atlanta, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 33 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2016. He also led his team rushing, carrying 92 times for 1,036 yards and 13 more touchdowns.
Newton camped at Auburn once and made multiple visits, but the Tigers didn't offer. According to 247Sports, His only other offers were from Hampton, Kentucky Christian and Savannah State.
"To be honest I think (his recruitment) should have gone much better than it did," Grady head coach Earthward Moreland told AL.com. "But moving forward I think he's happy with his decision he's made. He's just going to go from there.
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Nuggets move from 32nd to 35th in NAIA coaches poll
The Gold Nuggets are in the "others receiving votes" category for the eighth time in the last nine polls. They're 35th overall with four points. In the previous poll (Dec. 6), they were 32nd with 11 points. Two teams behind XULA in the Dec. 6 voting passed the Nuggets despite a combined three losses between polls.
"Can't worry about that," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "We're just trying to get our young team better."
XULA, 9-6 and winner of three straight and six of its last seven games, will play its Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at 3 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo at XULA's Convocation Center. The Gold Nuggets tied for second in the GCAC regular season a year ago, then won the GCAC Tournament for a league-record 15th time.
Freed-Hardeman is No. 1 for the second consecutive poll. The next poll will be announced Jan. 17.
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 1)
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Last |
| 1 | Freed-Hardeman (9) | 13-0 | 250 | 1 |
| 2 | Lewis-Clark State (1) | 15-0 | 242 | 2 |
| 3 | Westmont | 12-1 | 231 | 4 |
| 4 | Lindsey Wilson | 13-0 | 228 | 5 |
| 5 | MidAmerica Nazarene | 9-2 | 216 | 3 |
| 6 | Vanguard | 12-1 | 207 | tie-6 |
| 7 | Campbellsville | 14-2 | 206 | tie-6 |
| 8 | Oklahoma City | 11-1 | 192 | 9 |
| 9 | Lyon | 10-2 | 182 | 8 |
| 10 | Shawnee State | 17-1 | 180 | 10 |
| 11 | Montana State-Northern | 11-2 | 172 | 11 |
| 12 | Columbia (Mo.) | 12-2 | 156 | 13 |
| 13 | Great Falls | 11-2 | 153 | tie-14 |
| 14 | Baker | 9-3 | 150 | 12 |
| 15 | Cumberland | 11-2 | 135 | 19 |
| 16 | Central Methodist | 10-2 | 130 | 17 |
| 17 | The Master's | 9-3 | 123 | 16 |
| 18 | John Brown | 9-4 | 108 | 20 |
| 19 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 7-5 | 101 | tie-14 |
| 20 | Loyola (N.O.) | 11-2 | 91 | 22 |
| 21 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 8-6 | 90 | 18 |
| 22 | Our Lady of the Lake | 8-6 | 85 | 21 |
| 23 | Pikeville | 11-4 | 72 | 24 |
| 24 | Lindenwood-Belleville | 9-4 | 63 | 23 |
| 25 | Carroll (Mont.) | 11-3 | 47 | 25 |
Dropped from previous rankings: none Others receiving votes: Montana Western 40, Wayland Baptist 39, Talladega 33, Biola 19, Harris-Stowe 8, Wiley 8, William Penn 8, Martin Methodist 6, William Woods 6; XULA 4. Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold | ||||
Rush, Nuggets to open outdoor season in town March 3
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will open its 2017 outdoor track and field schedule March 3 at a city rival's meet, the Tulane Early Bird Twilight.
Coach Joseph Moses announced Wednesday the eight-meet schedule, which also includes competitions in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas.
XULA, an NAIA member, will compete at four meets hosted by NCAA Division I members: Tulane, the McNeese Cowboy Relays at Lake Charles, La., on March 11, the Rice Victor Lopez Classic at Houston on March 24-25 and the Southern Miss Invitational at Hattiesburg on March 31-April 1. XULA will compete at a fifth Division I venue — South Alabama's Jaguar Track — in the University of Mobile Invitational on April 7.
The Tulane meet and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships (April 21-22) will be run at the same venue, Tad Gormley Stadium.
Xavier also will compete in the Emory Invitational March 17-18 in Atlanta.
Student-athletes who meet qualifying standards will be eligible to compete at the season-ending NAIA National Championships May 25-27 at Gulf Shores, Ala.
XULA will attempt to win the GCAC women's team championship for the sixth time in eight attempts. The Gold Nuggets won three straight GCAC team titles from 2013-15.
2017 Xavier University of Louisiana
Outdoor Track and Field Schedule
March 3 (Fri.): Tulane Early Bird Twilight at Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans, La.
March 11 (Sat.): McNeese Cowboy Relays at McNeese Cameron Communications Track and Field Complex, Lake Charles, La.
March 17-18 (Fri.-Sat.): Emory Invitational at Woodruff P.E. Center Track, Atlanta, Ga.
March 24-25 (Fri.-Sat.): Rice Victor Lopez Classic at Wendel D. Ley Track, Houston, Texas
March 31-April 1 (Fri.-Sat.): Southern Miss Invitational at Southern Miss Track and Field and Soccer Complex, Hattiesburg, Miss.
April 7 (Fri.): University of Mobile Invitational at Jaguar Track, Mobile, Ala.
April 21-22 (Fri.-Sat.): Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans, La.
May 25-27 (Thu.-Sat.): NAIA Outdoor Championships at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium, Gulf Shores, Ala.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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