XU Singleton's 3 at the buzzer beats Lady Bleu Devils

NEW ORLEANS — Kelsee Singleton, a career 17-percent shooter from 3-point range for Xavier University of Louisiana prior to Saturday, beat those odds and Dillard with one memorable shot.
     
The fifth-year senior center swished a trey at the buzzer to give the Gold Nuggets a 68-66 women's basketball victory against the Lady Bleu Devils in the Crosstown Classic at XULA's Convocation Center.
     
On an inbounds play that started on the XULA baseline with 2.4 seconds remaining, Mikayla Bates passed to Singleton, who beat the clock with her second 3-pointer of the game — her fifth of the season — and her first winning shot for XULA (13-7, 4-1 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference).
     
"I was wide open on the wing and called for it," Singleton said, "and I just felt really confident when it left my hand."
     
Bates' assist was her career-high seventh of the game.
     
Singleton's basket was one of two 3-pointers in the closing moments. With 8.2 seconds remaining, Alyssa Washington swished a three from the top of the key to give Dillard (12-6, 4-2) a 66-65 lead.
     
On Xavier's final possession, Adriiana Jackson nearly clinched a victory for Dillard with a back-tip as XULA guard Brittany Jackson frantically dribbled up court. But the loose ball rolled out of bounds in the corner next to the XULA bench, and the referees ruled that Dillard last touched the ball. One more opportunity awaited the Gold Nuggets.
    
"Dillard left Kelsee open for two seconds, and that's all she needed," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "I was happy to see Kelsee knock down that shot. She's a first-class young lady, a hard worker, and she's a senior. Seniors are supposed to make those kinds of plays for you."
     
XULA, winning for the seventh time in eight games and the seventh straight time at home, also got career highs of 17 points from Ireyon Keith and 13 from Jalyn Hodge. Jayla Nichols and Maya Trench scored eight points apiece, with Nichols grabbing a team-best eight rebounds and Trench producing a game-high four steals to become the first XULA freshman in eight seasons to reach 50.
     
Jackson scored a season-high 22 points for Dillard — she was 7-of-8 from the floor — Keona Favis and Shaelynn Moore scored 11 apiece, and Washington had nine points and nine rebounds. Moore and Washington entered averaging a combined 31.7 points per game, and Browder said he was proud of his defense for holding those two below their averages.
     
"It wasn't our best game," Browder said, "but it showed that we had played a lot of tough games this year. We weren't giving in."
     
XULA replaced Dillard as the GCAC's second-place team. If the Gold Nuggets can win Monday at Talladega, they'll ascend to first place by a half-game over the Lady Tornadoes.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Hilton named first men's golf coach in ASU history

HEAD COACH GARY HILTON

ALBANY, Georgia -- Gary Hilton is entering his first season as the head men's golf coach at Albany State University, which will be the program's inaugural season. Previously, Hilton led the Darton State College men's golf program from 2013-2016.

Hilton is also a former Darton State College golfer. He played for the Cavaliers from 2000-2002 and was a two-time team captain. During his playing days, Hilton helped begin the long winning streak of 15 straight Region XVII Golf Championships. He was on the school's first team to qualify for the NJCAA National Championships and was an all-region selection during his sophomore year. Hilton continued his collegiate golf career at Georgia Southwestern State University, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Education.

During his tenure as Darton head coach, Hilton guided the Cavalier golf program to 13 tournament wins, including three Region XVII Championships and the 2014 District IV Championship. Hilton was named Region XVII Coach of the Year in all three of his seasons at Darton State College and District Coach of the year in 2014 during his first season at the helm.
In his first three seasons, Hilton's Cavalier golf teams finished the seasons nationally-ranked.

Hilton's program also produced student-athletes who were successful both academically and athletically. He coached three PING All-Americans, nine All-Region XVII selections & two national all-academic selections. Under Hilton's guidance, the Cavalier golf team continually sent student-athletes to the four-year colleges and universities at Division I, II, and II and NAIA levels.

ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

West Virginia State University Names John Pennington Head Football Coach

INSTITUTE, West Virginia — After a nationwide search, West Virginia State University (WVSU) today (1/27/17) announced the hiring of John Pennington as the school's new Head Football Coach.

Pennington has served as the Yellow Jackets' Offensive Coordinator for the past two seasons and was the offensive line and special teams coach in 2010. He has been the interim head coach since December.

"I am appreciative that John Pennington will take the lead as the Head Coach for the Yellow Jackets football team," said WVSU President Anthony L. Jenkins. "His leadership as offensive coordinator and history within athletics will provide a direct impact to our student-athletes as they excel in football, but also in the classroom."

Under Pennington's direction, WVSU moved from next to last in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) in total offense in 2014 to third in 2016. The Yellow Jackets led the conference in passing in 2015 and were second in 2016 when starting quarterback Matt Kinnick missed several games due to an injury.

WVSU averaged 13.1 points per game in 2014 and saw that increase to 30.5 in Pennington's first season as offensive coordinator.

"I'm extremely honored and grateful to be the next Head Football Coach at West Virginia State," Pennington said. "I want to thank President Jenkins, Nate Burton, and the search committee for giving me this great opportunity." 

A Charleston native, Pennington was a star football and baseball player at George Washington High School and played wide receiver for West Virginia University.

 "Since becoming the Interim Head Coach, I have been blown away by the pride and passion of our alumni, faculty, and fans," he said. "We are going to build a Championship Program that develops young men into extraordinary leaders." 

"I am blessed to be able to stay home, raise my family here, and have a positive impact on the community I was raised in.  Go State!"

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at West Virginia Wesleyan in 2005. Pennington then spent two seasons in Montgomery coaching defensive backs, offensive linemen, and ran the strength and conditioning program.

Pennington has also served as the Offensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach of the semi-pro West Virginia Lightning football team based in Charleston. During his time with the Lightning, the team won two United States Football Association championships.

From February 2011 until coming to Institute he had been on the staff at Concord University. There he held a variety of positions including Special Teams Coordinator, Head Strength Coach, Wide Receivers Coach and Director of Football Operations.

"I am looking forward to seeing what our young men can accomplish on the field, in the classroom, and in the community under Coach Pennington," WVSU Athletic Director Nate Burton said. "After a nationwide search it became obvious that he was the right person for the job."

The Yellow Jackets posted a 3-8 record in 2016 but ended the season winning their final two games. The program returns eight starters on offense and 10 on defense for the 2017 season.

Among the offensive players who can return are record-setting quarterback Matt Kinnick, top receiver Quinton Gray, and leading rushers Juwan Etheredge and Dionta Brown. The defensive leaders coming back include linebacker Trent Williamson, defensive back Kevin Coffie, and linebacker Kaylan Striggle.

Pennington resides in Charleston with his wife Andrea and their children, Nolan, 5, Levi, 2, and newborn Ava.

Pennington replaces Jon Anderson, who returned to the University of Sioux Falls as the Head Football Coach.  Anderson came to WVSU from Sioux Falls, where he served as Defensive Coordinator.
 
Follow West Virginia State University on Facebook and Twitter @WVStateU.

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Carter, DSU set for rough football slate vs. W. Va., Fla. State

DOVER, Delaware — Kenny Carter knows exactly what he’s getting into.

He’s the one who put this schedule together, after all.

So one year after getting crushed 79-0 by Missouri — a game in which 10 minutes were taken off the clock in the second half because it was so lopsided — the Delaware State football team is doubling down in 2017.

This year the Hornets are going to face two major-college programs.

On Sept. 16, DelState — which went 0-11 in 2016 — will play at West Virginia. Then, on Nov. 18, the Hornets will finish the season with a game at Florida State.

Both teams finished last year ranked in the top-20 in the national polls.

“I’m excited about it,” said Carter, who is entering his third season as DSU’s coach. “I like the way we have it structured. You always want to play up a level as much as you can. It doesn’t matter what our record was last year. We had a lot of young players who will be good players and this is a way to test them.”

CONTINUE READING

Howard University football to face UNLV in 2017 season opener

Howard Bison On the Road September 16 as new Head Coach Mike London faces his former team the Richmond Spiders.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- The UNLV football team will open the 2017 season against Howard University on Sept. 2 at Sam Boyd Stadium, the university announced Tuesday.

“We’re excited to face a program with a long history and proud tradition,” UNLV coach Tony Sanchez said. “They have a new coaching staff so I know they’ll be fired up and so will we, and we’re excited to open the year at home.”

It’s the first meeting between UNLV and Howard, a historically black college (HBCU) in Washington, D.C. The Bisons are led by first-year coach Mike London, a former head coach at Virginia.

This is the second season of a three-year partnership between UNLV and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to have the Rebels open against a HBCU opponent. Last season, UNLV defeated Jackson State 63-13.

“Last year’s first game in this partnership with the LVCVA saw Jackson State come in for a memorable season opener that drew a lot of new fans to our stadium, and we know that Howard University will do the same this fall,” UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said. “This series does a great job in helping the LVCVA promote our community and program, and we can’t wait to kick off the season against the Bisons.”

Howard’s “Showtime” marching band will make the trip to Las Vegas and will “appear at another event in the community as well as at the stadium for a halftime show.”

CONTINUE READING

Honda Battle of the Bands 2017 Showcase Rocks Atlanta

Wilson Central's Ray Coggins commits to TSU

LEBANON, Tennessee -- Wilson Central senior defensive back Ray Coggins has committed to play football at Tennessee State University.

Coggins announced his decision via Twitter on Wednesday morning, posting from his account, “It’s been a long and tough journey but I finally found a place to call home at Tennessee State University.”

Coggins, who had previously committed to Eastern Kentucky in early July, is a three-star prospect and the state’s 48th-ranked prospect according to 247Sports.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Coggins tallied 22 tackles and an interception as a senior last season, helping lead the Wildcats to an 8-3 record — their best regular-season finish since 2011.

CONTINUE READING

XU Wednesday doubleheader with William Carey canceled

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana and William Carey University have mutally agreed to cancel their Wednesday (Feb. 1) basketball doubleheader.

William Carey's campus in Hattiesburg, Miss., was struck this past Saturday (Jan. 21) by an EF3 tornado (wind speeds between 136 to 165 mph). Campus damages included Carey's basketball facility, Clinton Gym.

"We are keeping William Carey and the Hattiesburg community in our thoughts and prayers as they repair and rebuild," XULA Director of Athletics & Recreation Jason Horn said. "At this point we have not decided if we will replace Carey with other opponents."

XULA's next games will be Saturday in the Crosstown Classic against Dillard at the Convocation Center. The women's game will tip off at 3 p.m., with the men to start at 5.



Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

6 student-athletes join XULA tennis for spring 2017

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has added six more student-athletes to the tennis teams for the 2017 spring semester.

Coach Alan Green announced the signing of five men and one woman:

     •  Pierre Andrieu, a sophomore from Tours, France, and a business major at XULA.
     •  Catalin Fifea, a junior from Bucharest, Romania. He's a sociology major.
     •  Moses Micheal, a freshman from Kaduna, Nigeria, and a business major.
     •  Oran Reznick, a freshman from Ashkelon, Israel. Reznick is majoring in business.
     •  Antoine Richard, a freshman from Laval, Quebec, and a finance major.
     •  Yi Chen Pao, a freshman from Taichung City, Taiwan. Pao is undecided on her major.
     
The XULA men, the NAIA national runner-up last season, will open their season Saturday with a pair of dual matches at NCAA Division I Louisiana-Lafayette. Times will be 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. At noon Sunday, the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will play city rival Loyola at XULA Tennis Center. Admission is free to all XULA home matches.
     
"We lost three All-Americans from a team that reached the national championship match last year," Green said. "We brought in some guys that we feel good about that can hopefully elevate our team to contend for another shot at the final match again. We will have some early tests in our schedule that will give us a good indication if we can get back there."
     
Of Pao, Green said, "She is going to add good depth to the Gold Nuggets."
     
Fifea is a transfer from NCAA Division I member VCU, where he was first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference this past season. The other men have considerable experience in junior tennis; all combined they've won nearly 30 tournament championships at that level.
     
Pao is one of four Gold Nuggets in their first year in the program. The others — freshmen Lacee Ancar of Harvey, La., and Lyndsey Clark of Jacksonville, Fla., and seniorEmma Kranendonk of Heemskerk, The Netherlands — competed for XULA during the fall semester.
     
XULA's men were No. 2, and the women were No. 19 in the NAIA coaches polls announced Tuesday.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Huss defensive end Devin Harrell commits to North Carolina A&T

GASTONIA, North Carolina – After setting the school record for sacks and helping the Huss football team to one of its best seasons in decades, Devin Harrell will be moving on to play football at the next level.

Harrell verbally committed to play Division I football at North Carolina A&T next season. He went on an official visit to Greensboro on Friday, Jan. 13 and shortly after made his choice to play for the Aggies. Harrell will sign his National Letter of Intent to make the decision official on Wednesday after school at the Hunter Huss High School library.

DEVIN HARRELL HIGHLIGHTS

“I loved it man,” Harrell said of his impressions after the visit. “It’s a nice school, nice environment. They have a good coaching staff there that can make me a better player and person.”

As a senior this fall, Harrell finished the year with 21 sacks on his way to being named Big South Conference defensive player of the year. He and fellow senior defensive end Amari Torrence (15 sacks) dubbed themselves the “Bash Brothers” and terrorized opposing quarterbacks in the backfield all season.

That defensive line was a key piece of a historic season for the Huskies. Huss went undefeated in the Big South and the Huskies won their first conference championship since 1996. The Huskiees went on to beat Parkwood and R-S Central in the first two rounds of the playoffs before falling to eventual state champion Shelby on the road in the third round.

CONTINUE READING

Tennessee Tiger Football Announces 2017 Schedule

Tentative 2017 Schedule

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State University released its 2017 football schedule on Wednesday. The Tigers’ slate is highlighted with a game at FBS Georgia State and matchups with two longtime HBCU rivals.

TSU will travel to Atlanta to face Sun Belt member Georgia State to open the season. The game is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 31. The Tigers will then travel to Memphis for its annual game with Jackson State in the Southern Heritage Classic on Sept. 9.

The following week (Sept. 16) will pit the Big Blue against Florida A&M at a location to be announced at a later date.

“We feel this contest is a terrific financial and recruiting opportunity for both our universities,” said Director of Athletics Teresa Phillips. “We have a great rivalry with Florida A&M and are excited about the prospect of continuing this series.”

TSU is also in negotiations with an opponent for the John Merritt Classic. The game will take place on either Oct. 21 or Nov. 4. Full details will be announced at a later date.



Tennessee State will begin Ohio Valley Conference play with a trip on Sept. 23 to take on UT Martin. The conference schedule will bring Eastern Illinois, Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri to Nashville, while the Tigers will take to the road for games at Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech and a Thursday night battle on Nov. 16 at Jacksonville State.

Austin Peay will provide opposition to the Tigers in this year’s homecoming contest. The game is scheduled for Oct. 14 at Nissan Stadium.

TSU is coming off a 7-4 finish and a 4-3 record in the OVC. The Tigers closed out the season with a 32-31 victory at Southeast Missouri.

Tentative 2017 Schedule

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

WSSU Rams Announce 2017 Football Schedule

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The Winston-Salem State Department of Athletics is happy to announce the 2017 football schedule.

The two-time defending CIAA Champion Rams will play five home games this season at Bowman Gray Stadium, including the Winston-Salem Football Classic.

WSSU will open the season on the road at UNC Pembroke on August 31st.

The Rams will host Catawba in the 2017 Winston-Salem Football Classic, on September 9th, and then will visit the state of Virginia, for two consecutive weeks. The Rams will travel to Richmond to take on Virginia Union University on September 16th, and will return to Petersburg the following week to take on Virginia State University on September 23rd. Winston-Salem State will wrap up September hosting Lincoln University on September 30th.

2017 WSSU football schedule

Aug. 31 WSSU at UNC Pembroke
Sept. 9 Catawba at WSSU
Sept. 16 WSSU at Va. Union*
Sept. 23 WSSU at Va. State
Sept. 30 Lincoln (Pa.) at WSSU
Oct. 7 J.C. Smith at WSSU
Oct. 14 WSSU at St. Augustine’s
Oct. 21 WSSU at Livingstone
Oct. 28 Shaw at WSSU
Nov. 4 Fayetteville St. at WSSU
*nonconference game

Winston-Salem State will host Johnson C. Smith at Bowman Gray Stadium on October 7th, before taking the show on the road for two straight weeks. On October 14th, WSSU will travel to Raleigh to face the St. Augustine's University Falcons. The following week, WSSU travels to Salisbury, to face the Blue Bears of Livingstone College. The Rams will wrap up October with a home game versus Shaw, for Homecoming 2017.

The month of November will find the Rams at home for Senior Day on the 4th, as WSSU will host the Broncos of Fayetteville State.

The CIAA Championship will be played on November 11th. The site has yet to be announced.

All game times and any television games will be released at a later date.

WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Rush, Nuggets return to court for duals this weekend

NEW ORLEANS — It's another star-studded, power-packed spring-semester schedule for the men's and women's tennis teams at Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will play this weekend the first four of a combined 36 regular-season dual matches in 2017. Saturday the XULA men will visit NCAA Division I's Louisiana-Lafayette for duals at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday the Rush and Nuggets will play city rival Loyola at noon at XULA Tennis Center.

Alan Green, in his 14th season as coach of the XULA men and women, announced the schedule Thursday. The competition will be XULA's first since the Big Easy Classic Oct. 28-29.

The Gold Rush — the NAIA national runner-up in 2016 and No. 2 in the preseason coaches poll announced Tuesday — will play five duals against NCAA Division I (UL Lafayette twice, Nicholls State, Florida Atlantic, Jackson State), two against top-10 NCAA Division II opponents (No. 6 Columbus State, No. 9 West Florida), one against a top-10 NCAA Division III opponent (No. 2 Emory) and six against ranked NAIA teams (No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett, No. 4 Keiser twice, No. 7 William Carey twice, No. 12 Cumberlands).

The Gold Nuggets — ranked No. 1 a combined five times in 2012 and 2013 and No. 19 in the 2017 preseason — will play seven duals against NCAA Division I (Tulane, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Nicholls State, Florida Atlantic, Jackson State, Southern), two against top-10 NCAA Division II opponents (No. 7 West Florida, No. 8 Columbus State) and nine against ranked NAIA teams (No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett, No. 4 Brenau, No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 11 Keiser twice, No. 12 William Carey twice, No. 14 LSU-Alexandria, No. 24 Cumberlands).

There also will be road exhibitions against two-year ASA Miami, whose men are No. 2 and women No. 3 in NJCAA Division I. ASA Miami will be the first of three Rush and Nuggets duals in south Florida in mid-March.

The NAIA National Championships will be played at Mobile, Ala., for the 14th consecutive season. The Gold Rush will attempt to qualify for nationals for the ninth consecutive year and the ninth time overall; the Gold Nuggets will try to qualify for the sixth consecutive year, the ninth time in 10 years and the 11th time overall.

2017 XULA Tennis Schedule
Team(s) Date(s) Opponent Site Time(s)

Men Jan. 28 (Sat.) at Louisiana-Lafayette (DH) Lafayette, La. 10 and 2 p.m.
Both Jan. 29 (Sun.) LOYOLA (N.O.) XU TENNIS CENTER Noon
Women Feb. 4 (Sat.) at South Alabama Mobile, Ala. 11 a.m.
Women Feb. 7 (Tue.) at Southern Miss Hattiesburg, Miss. 2:30 p.m.
Both Feb. 14 (Tue.) NICHOLLS STATE XU TENNIS CENTER 2 p.m.
Both Feb. 17 (Fri.) Keiser Lawrenceville, Ga. (1) 11 a.m. EST
Both Feb. 17 (Fri.) Cumberlands Lawrenceville, Ga. (1) 5 p.m. EST
Women Feb. 18 (Sat.) Indiana Wesleyan Lawrenceville, Ga. (1) 5 p.m. EST
Men Feb. 18 (Sat.) Emory Lawrenceville, Ga. (1) 6 p.m. EST
Both Feb. 19 (Sun.) at Georgia Gwinnett Lawrenceville, Ga. (1) 10 a.m. EST
Women Feb. 27 (Mon.) Brenau Mobile, Ala. 4 p.m.
Both March 3 (Fri.) WILLIAM CAREY XU TENNIS CENTER 3 p.m.
Both March 16 (Thu.) at ASA Miami (exhibition) North Miami Beach, Fla. TBA
Both March 17 (Fri.) at Keiser West Palm Beach, Fla. TBA
Both March 18 (Sat.) at Florida Atlantic Boca Raton, Fla. TBA
Women April 1 (Sat.) at LSU-Alexandria Alexandria, La. 1 p.m.
Women April 5 (Wed.) at Southern Baton Rouge, La. 3 p.m.
Both April 8 (Sat.) at Jackson State Jackson, Miss. Noon
Women April 9 (Sun.) at Tulane New Orleans, La. 3 p.m.
Both April 13 (Thu.) at West Florida Pensacola, Fla. 1 p.m.
Both April 14 (Fri.) Columbus State Pensacola, Fla. 10 a.m.
Both April 15 (Sat.) at William Carey Hattiesburg, Miss. 11 a.m.
Both TBA NAIA Unaffiliated Group
Tournament TBA TBA
Both May 16 (Tue.) -
May 20 (Sat.) NAIA National Championships Mobile, Ala. TBA

# Gulf Coast Athletic Conference dual match
(DH) doubleheader
(1) Georgia Gwinnett Grizzly Invitational
Home matches (in bold and CAPITAL LETTERS) are played at XULA Tennis Center (capacity 200), Xavier University campus, New Orleans
TBA — to be announced
All times are Central, except where noted
Schedule is subject to change

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

FCS Playoffs a ‘Break Even’ Proposition

CHENEY, Washington -- EWU football finished with an overall record of 12-2 on the year they advanced to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs and had two finalists for the Walter Payton award, along with six All-Americans.

With the accolades and three extra home games in the playoffs, one would think that the athletic department would make a little extra money. But, believe it or not, they do not.

When a team hosts a playoff game in the FCS, they have to go through a bid process in order to play the game at their venue. In order for the NCAA to keep the game as neutral as possible, it is not considered a home game but an NCAA event.

In the three playoff games at Roos Field, EWU could only use the NCAA game day graphics. They were not allowed to do the first down ‘caw’ or even the team’s pregame video.

“All the things that we put up on the video board are done through the NCAA in conjunction with our office,” said Chad Karthauser, associate athletic director for Business and Finance. “So, it really is about as neutral sided game as you can make it, it just happens to be on our home turf which is our home field advantage.”

CONTINUE READING

Florida A&M Releases 2017 Football Schedule

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Florida A&M University (FAMU) released their 2017 Football Schedule Wednesday, a lineup of games which features a season-opening home game for the first time since 2010.

The Rattlers, will open their third season under head coach Alex Wood on Saturday, Aug. 26 against an old rival from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the Tigers of Texas Southern University, in the inaugural Jake Gaither Classic in Bragg Memorial Stadium.

A portion of proceeds from that game will go towards the Jake Gaither House, to assist in the preservation of the home of the Hall of Fame coach, located just off the FAMU campus.



Bragg Stadium will also be the scene for three other home games: against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion Eagles of North Carolina Central (Sept. 30), the Aggies of North Carolina A&T for the 2017 Homecoming Game (Oct. 14), and the Bison of Howard University (Nov. 4), in the home finale.

Homecoming 2017 at FAMU will also feature the second annual Funkfest, the all-day music extravaganza, set for Homecoming Eve, Friday, Oct. 13 on the South campus.

The 2017 Rattler Road Tour features a seven-game slate opening Sept. 2 against the Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Other whistle stops on the Rattler Tour will feature face offs against the Tigers of Savannah (Ga.) State in the MEAC opener (Sept. 23) at Savannah, Ga.; the Spartans of Norfolk (Va.) State (Oct. 7, Norfolk, Va.); the Pirates of Hampton (Va.) University (Oct. 21) at Hampton, Va., and the Bears of Morgan State at Baltimore, Md. (Oct. 28).

The Tigers of Tennessee State make a return to the FAMU schedule on Sept. 16, at a site to be announced shortly.

FAMU closes out the regular season with the annual Florida Blue Florida Classic against archrival Bethune-Cookman University, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on Nov. 18.

Start times for all games will be announced in the coming weeks.



2017 FAMU Football Schedule

AUG. 26 TEXAS SOUTHERN Jake Gaither Classic/HOME

Sept. 2 at University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark.

Sept. 16 Tennessee State Site TBD

Sept. 23 at Savannah State* Savannah, Ga.

Sept. 30 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL* HOME

Oct. 7 at Norfolk State* ` Norfolk, Va.

OCT. 14 NORTH CAROLINA A&T* HOMECOMING

Oct. 21 at Hampton University* Hampton, Va.

Oct. 28 at Morgan State* Baltimore, Md.

NOV. 4 HOWARD UNIVERSITY* HOME

Nov. 18 Bethune-Cookman*# Orlando, Fla.

*MEAC Games. #Florida Blue Florida Classic/Orlando, Fla.



FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

New Orleans Saints Draft: WR Chad Williams, Grambling

NEW ORLEANS -- Steve McNair, Doug Williams, Michael Strahan, Jerry Rice, and Walter Payton have all come from historically black colleges. Those are just a few. Many of these players have come from the SWAC Conference. Wide receiver Chad Williams is just trying to get the chance to make his mark in the NFL.

Chad Williams comes from Grambling University. The university used to send a lot of guys onto the NFL when Eddie Robinson was still coaching. Things have changed quite a bit since then. For instance, Williams is trying to be the first player from Grambling to be drafted since 2006 11 years ago.

Williams is very fortunate to even get this far.



“It’s an overwhelming experience. I’m just soaking in everything and trying to take in as much as I can from these guys.”

Former Rams WR standout Torry Holt is trying to to help Williams to get to that next level. Holt was one of the receivers that was on the “greatest show on turf” team with Kurt Warner. Williams caught 90 balls for 1,337 yards with 11 touchdowns. All were the best in the SWAC this past year.

CONTINUE READING

ASU AD Hines expresses support for Jenkins

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State athletic director Melvin Hines remains in full support of his head football coach – Brian Jenkins.

In a letter posted last week on ASU’s athletic website, Hines spoke highly of Jenkins, saying he and the “university leadership stand firmly behind Coach Jenkins and all of his staff with enthusiastic solidarity and support as they gear up for the 2017 season.”

The Hornets are 10-12 in their two seasons under Jenkins since he replaced Reggie Barlow. Jenkins suffered his first losing season ever as ASU went 4-7 last season, but Hines is optimistic about the football program’s future under the coach he lured from Bethune-Cookman to lead the Hornets.

ASU will renew its rivalry with Tuskegee to open the 2017 season Sept. 2 at ASU Stadium.

CONTINUE READING

Gold Nuggets begin spring semester 19th nationally

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana is 19th in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday. It's the Gold Nuggets' same position as in the 2016 postseason rankings.

The top-25 ranking is the 40th in a row for the XULA women and their 85th in the last 95 polls dating to Feb. 25, 2004.

XULA, 8-14 a year ago, will play its first dual match of the spring semester at noon Sunday against city rival Loyola at XULA Tennis Center. The Gold Nuggets' first duals against ranked teams will be Feb. 17 against No. 11 Keiser and No. 24 Cumberlands in the Grizzly Invitational at Lawrenceville, Ga.

Defending champion Georgia Gwinnett received all 13 first-place votes.
The next top 25 will be announced Feb. 14.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records from previous season)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Georgia Gwinnett (13) 18-2 343 1
2 Lindsey Wilson 21-5 332 2
3 SCAD Savannah 18-2 321 4
4 Brenau 17-7 310 5
5 Cardinal Stritch 19-2 297 6
6 William Woods 19-3 289 7
7 Indiana Wesleyan 33-7 276 8
8 Middle Georgia 15-8 263 10
9 Davenport 25-6 244 11
10 Northwestern Ohio 14-10 230 13
11 Keiser 11-9 224 17
12 William Carey 12-12 223 12
13 Arizona Christian 17-5 209 18
14 LSU-Alexandria 12-7 202 14
15 Olivet Nazarene 13-10 201 15
16 Mobile 12-7 171 16
17 Cumberland 12-9 165 20
18 San Diego Christian 4-9 150 RV
19 Xavier 8-14 147 19
20 McPherson 13-5 122 22
21 Westmont 10-8 119 9
22 St. Thomas (Fla.) 8-8 107 23
23 Reinhardt 12-5 102 24
24 Cumberlands 12-10 80 NR
25 Marian (Ind.) 14-8 73 RV

Dropped from rankings: No. 3 Auburn Montgomery, No. 21 Lewis-Clark State, No. 25 Georgetown (Ky.)

Others receiving votes: Lewis-Clark State 66, Missouri Valley 64, Georgetown (Ky.) 43, Milligan 27, Southeastern (Fla.) 18, Southwestern (Kan.) 12, Morningside 12, Asbury 12, Texas Wesleyan 11, SCAD Atlanta 9, Campbellsville 5, Huntington 3, Dalton State 3

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

No. 2 Rush have NAIA's longest active top-25 streak

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana is No. 2 in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday.

It's the highest-ever preseason ranking by a XULA tennis team, male or female. The Gold Rush, 17-8 a year ago, were No. 2 in the 2016 postseason poll after becoming the first XULA team in any sport to reach the championship round of an NAIA national tournament. The Gold Rush lost the final 5-2 to Georgia Gwinnett at Mobile, Ala.

XULA has the longest active streak of NAIA men's tennis top-25 appearances, 78. The streak began April 4, 2007. The Gold Rush ascended to the top of the active-streak list after Auburn Montgomery departed the NAIA this past summer.

Georgia Gwinnett, winner of the last three NAIA team titles, is a unanimous choice for No. 1. The Gold Rush and the Grizzlies will meet Feb. 19 at GGC's Grizzly Invitational.

The XULA men will play their first dual matches of the spring semester Saturday at NCAA Division I Louisiana-Lafayette. The Gold Rush and Ragin' Cajuns will play at 10 a.m. and a second time at 2 p.m. The home opener will start at noon Sunday at XULA Tennis Center against city rival Loyola, which received poll votes.

The next top 25 will be announced Feb. 14.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records from previous season)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Georgia Gwinnett (13) 26-0 343 1
2 Xavier 17-8 332 2
3 Lindsey Wilson 17-4 321 3
4 Keiser 20-4 305 7
5 Northwestern Ohio 16-4 304 tie-5
6 Coastal Georgia 13-4 287 8
7 William Carey 13-8 275 9
8 Westmont 10-9 261 13
9 Cardinal Stritch 17-8 242 12
10 San Diego Christian 9-3 234 NR
11 Aquinas 23-8 226 10
12 Cumberlands 13-8 216 14
13 Lewis-Clark State 12-10 206 11
14 Olivet Nazarene 15-9 195 16
15 Warner 16-5 189 15
16 Reinhardt 14-4 172 18
17 McPherson 13-6 165 17
18 William Woods 8-8 162 NR
19 Mobile 11-8 146 19
20 Campbellsville 14-11 135 23
21 Bethany (Kan.) 13-4 114 20
22 Middle Georgia 11-9 111 21
23 Marian (Ind.) 16-10 92 RV
24 Tennessee Wesleyan 18-5 85 24
25 Cumberland 8-9 76 RV

Dropped from rankings: No. 4 Dalton State, No. 5 (tie) Auburn Montgomery, No. 22 Pikeville, No. 25 IU Southeast

Others receiving votes: Missouri Valley 66, Asbury 64, Pikeville 28, Biola 27, IU Southeast 19, Davenport 17, Indiana Wesleyan 17, SCAD Savannah 13, SCAD Atlanta 12, Missouri Baptist 11, Hastings 5, Loyola (N.O.) 3


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

6 Home Games, Road Date at FCS Champs Highlight Norfolk State Spartans 2017 Football Schedule

NORFOLK, Virginia – Norfolk State head football coach Latrell Scott announced his team's 2017 football schedule on Wednesday, a slate that includes six home games for the first time since 2013 and a road game at defending FCS national champion James Madison.

In addition to four MEAC home games, the Spartans also have home dates with Virginia State in the Labor Day Classic and a return game against in-state foe the College of William & Mary. Those two non-conference games kick off NSU's 2017 slate. VSU returns to the Spartans' schedule as the teams renew their Labor Day Classic rivalry at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2. The old CIAA rivals played every Labor Day weekend from 1991-2009, then again from 2011-12. The game will also be Scott's first against a VSU program which he led from 2013-14, and the 51st meeting all-time between the programs.

The matchup with William & Mary kicks off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9. The teams played on Sept. 17 of last season in Williamsburg, with the Tribe coming away with a 35-10 victory. The 2017 meeting is the seventh all-time between the two schools.

2017 NSU Football Schedule

Date		Opponent	Location	Time/Result
9/2/2017		Virginia State (Labor Day Classic)	Norfolk, Va.	6 p.m.
9/9/2017		William & Mary	Norfolk, Va.	6 p.m.
9/16/2017		James Madison	Harrisonburg, Va.	TBA
9/23/2017	*	Delaware State	Dover, Del.	TBA
10/7/2017	*	Florida A&M	Norfolk, Va.	2 p.m.
10/14/2017	*	Hampton (Battle of the Bay)	Norfolk, Va.	2 p.m.
10/21/2017	*	North Carolina Central	Durham, N.C.	TBA
10/28/2017	*	Savannah State (Homecoming)	Norfolk, Va.	2 p.m.
11/4/2017	*	North Carolina A&T (Senior Day)	Norfolk, Va.	1 p.m.
11/11/2017	*	Howard	Washington, D.C.	TBA
11/18/2017	*	Morgan State	Baltimore, Md.	TBA

NSU concludes its non-conference schedule with the program's first-ever meeting with James Madison. The game will be played in Harrisonburg on Sept. 16. The Dukes went 14-1 en route to the Division I FCS national championship this past season. Scott served as an assistant coach at JMU in 2012.

"We are excited about our non-conference schedule," Scott said. "Bringing back our old rival for the Labor Day Classic is a great way for our team and our fans to start the season. Then playing one of the top CAA programs in William & Mary, and the defending national champion in JMU, should be great tests for our team and will prepare us for our conference season."

NSU and Delaware State open their respective MEAC schedules on Sept. 23 in Dover. The Hornets return to the Spartans' schedule this season after two years off in the league's unbalanced schedule.

After a bye week on Sept. 30, NSU begins October with two consecutive home games. NSU hosts Florida A&M – which also returns to the Spartans' schedule after two years off – on Oct. 7 at Dick Price Stadium. The following week, the Spartans host Hampton in the Battle of the Bay on Saturday, Oct. 14. Both games kick off at 2 p.m.

The Spartans' lone road game in October is at MEAC champion North Carolina Central on Oct. 21. That game is actually the only road contest in a five-game span for the Spartans, who host Savannah State for Homecoming on Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. and North Carolina A&T on Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. for Senior Day.

NSU concludes the year on the road for the fourth straight season. After finishing the 2016 season with three straight road contests, the Spartans wrap up 2017 with two consecutive road dates – at Howard on Nov. 11, and at Morgan State on Nov. 18.

"The MEAC schedule is always difficult because there are no easy wins," Scott said. "But we expect our players will be up to the challenge."

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

NCCU Announces 2017 Football Schedule

DURHAM, North Carolina – With three straight conference championships and a trip to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl to build on, North Carolina Central University's 2017 schedule features three newcomers, two Triangle area foes and six home games inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

The 2016 Eagles collected the most wins in the program's Division I era with a 9-3 overall record and an unbeaten 8-0 mark in league play, finishing the season as the 19th ranked team in the FCS Coaches Poll. NCCU defeated nationally-ranked North Carolina A&T to capture the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship and earn the league's bid to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

NCCU broke the school's single-season record with 4,614 yards of total offense, averaging 384.5 total yards per game, and became the second-highest scoring team in school history with 347 points. The Eagles made more history by becoming the first NCCU football team to win a third consecutive conference championship, and are riding a 15-game win streak against MEAC teams entering the 2017 campaign.



Complete Schedule

NCCU kicks off the 2017 season on Sept. 2 against Durham neighbor Duke University in the Bull City Gridiron Classic. The Blue Devils have won all five contests in the series with the Eagles that started in 2009, including last year's 49-6 outcome.

The Eagles' first home game is on Sept. 9 versus Shaw, a former Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) opponent, in the "Prince Hall Shriners Diabetes Classic" at 6 p.m. inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. NCCU holds a 30-8-1 series advantage over the Bears. The Eagles own a 20-game win streak versus Shaw, including 21-12 victory in the last meeting on Sept. 9, 2006 in Durham. Shaw's last win in the series was a 20-0 shutout on Nov. 19, 1949. Second-year Shaw head coach Adrian Jones is a Durham, North Carolina native and former NCCU football student-athlete and coach.

Following a bye week, NCCU will begin its quest for a fourth consecutive MEAC title by hosting South Carolina State on Sept. 23 at 4 p.m. The Eagles last played the Bulldogs in 2014, resulting in a 48-35 NCCU road victory. The last time S.C. State visited O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium was in 2013. The Bulldogs lead the series 12-10 since the first match-up in 1927.

The Eagles then leave Durham for the first time with back-to-back road games, first visiting the Sunshine State for a Sept. 30 clash against Florida A&M. The Rattlers lead the series 6-3-1, but the Eagles have won the last two outings, including last year's 17-13 victory played in treacherous weather conditions during Hurricane Matthew.

NCCU travels to the nation's capital to challenge Howard on Oct. 7. The Eagles have downed the Bison in five straight contests to take an 11-9-1 advantage in the series, including last season's 30-21 triumph.

The Eagles return to the Bull City for three consecutive home games, starting with a non-conference match-up with Gardner-Webb of the Big South Conference on Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. NCCU and the Runnin' Bulldogs have met four times, from 1996-99, with each winning on the road for a 2-2 series tie. Gardner-Webb won the last contest 16-0 on Sept. 11, 1999.

NCCU returns to MEAC action by hosting Norfolk State on Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. The Eagles edged the Spartans 34-31 in Virginia last season for their fourth straight win over NSU to improve their series advantage to 9-5.

The Eagles wrap up a three-game home stand by celebrating homecoming with a confrontation against Delaware State on Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. NCCU has won eight of the last nine meetings against the Hornets, including four in-a-row, to improve its series lead over DSU to 17-6. The Eagles also boast a record of 62-19-2 (.759 winning percentage) on homecoming since 1931.

Hampton returns to the NCCU schedule for the first time since 2014 in a Nov. 4 showdown in Virginia. The Pirates lead the series 18-6 since the teams first met in 1924. Hampton has won eight of the past 10 meetings, but NCCU took the last meeting 47-13 in Durham.

NCCU will salute its seniors on Nov. 11 prior to a 2 p.m. kickoff against Bethune-Cookman in the final home game of the season. The Eagles snapped a six-game losing skid to the Wildcats with a 31-14 win in Daytona Beach last year.

The Eagles close out the 2017 regular season with the 89th meeting against rival North Carolina A&T on Nov. 18 in Greensboro. In each of the last three seasons, NCCU wrapped up the campaign with wins over the nationally-ranked Aggies with the conference title on the line. Last year's 42-21 victory propelled the Eagles to the second annual Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl.

The Eagles look to make a return trip to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl to help christen the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against the champion from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

NCCU will hold its spring football game on Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

Details about NCCU football season tickets will be announced on Friday, Jan. 27.

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION