No. 3 Nuggets match highest-ever finish in final poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was No. 3 Wednesday in the NAIA women's tennis coaches postseason poll. The Gold Nuggets matched their highest ever final national ranking.
     
The XULA women also finished third in 2013 and 2014. It's the fifth time in six years that the Gold Nuggets are in the final top 10.
     
The Gold Nuggets (19-8) won 2-of-3 dual matches at the NAIA National Championships in Mobile, Ala., last week. They had a first-round bye, then defeated SCAD Savannah 6-1 in the round of 16 and LSU-Alexandria 5-0 in the quarterfinals. Georgia Gwinnett eliminated the Nuggets 5-1 in the semifinals en route to the Grizzlies' third consecutive championship.
     
Georgia Gwinnett was a unanimous No. 1. The Grizzlies swapped positions with Keiser, the No. 1 team the previous four polls.
     
XULA was 12-3 this year against NAIA teams in the postseason top 25, including three wins against No. 8 LSU-Alexandria, two wins against No. 9 William Carey and another victory against No. 5 Brenau. The Gold Nuggets also produced two victories against NCAA Division I teams (Jackson State and Southern) and won 5-3 at West Florida, the NCAA Division II national runner-up.
     
It's the first time that both XULA tennis teams finished in the national top three in the same season. The XULA men were ranked third.
     
The Gold Nuggets' active poll streaks:
     •  57 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began May 1, 2012.
     •  57 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began May 1, 2012.
     •  16 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 28, 2017.
     •  7 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began Feb. 27, 2018.
     •  6 consecutive appearances in the top 5 . . . streak began March 13, 2018.
 

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Postseason Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through May 19)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	2	Georgia Gwinnett (14)	18-2	374
2	1	Keiser (Fla.)	23-3	362
3	3	Xavier (La.)	19-8	350
4	4	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	14-3	338
5	6	Brenau (Ga.)	16-8	326
6	7	William Woods (Mo.)	18-7	310
7	8	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	15-7	298
8	12	LSU-Alexandria (La.)	12-7	297
9	5	William Carey (Miss.)	11-6	272
10	10	Northwestern Ohio	15-5	261
11	11	Indiana Wesleyan	34-6	248
11	9	SCAD Savannah (Ga.)	13-5	248
13	14	Middle Georgia State	12-7	229
13	13	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	12-7	229
15	15	Westmont (Calif.)	10-12	203
16	16	SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)	12-7	199
17	18	Union (Ky.)	15-6	175
18	19	Cumberlands (Ky.)	10-11	170
19	17	Arizona Christian	10-12	154
20	22	Cumberland (Tenn.)	13-11	150
21	24	Mobile (Ala.)	11-7	133
22	20	Campbellsville (Ky.)	14-9	120
23	23	Reinhardt (Ga.)	12-7	103
24	21	Loyola (La.)	12-7	100
25	25	Marian (Ind.)	17-4	75

Others Receiving Votes: Southwestern (Kan.) 55; Asbury (Ky.) 45; Georgetown (Ky.) 36; Hastings (Neb.) 32; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 22; Missouri Baptist 19; St. Thomas (Fla.) 14; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 14; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 13; Tennessee Wesleyan 9; Huntington (Ind.) 3

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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No. 3 Gold Rush in final top 10 for 8th straight year

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed one place to No. 3 Wednesday in the NAIA men's tennis coaches postseason poll.
     
The Gold Rush (13-12) finished in the top 10 for the eighth consecutive year and in the top three for the third straight season. XULA was national runner-up in 2016 and 2017 and a semifinalist this year.
     
It's the Gold Rush's 13th consecutive season in the final top 25.
     
XULA extended its streak of consecutive top-25 appearances to 95. That's the longest active streak in NAIA men's tennis. The streak began April 4, 2007.
     
XULA won 2-of-3 dual matches at the NAIA National Championships in Mobile, Ala., last week. The Gold Rush had a first-round bye, then defeated Middle Georgia 5-1 in the round of 16 and William Carey 5-3 in the quarterfinals. Georgia Gwinnett eliminated the Rush 5-0 in the semifinals en route to the Grizzlies' fifth consecutive championship.
     
Georgia Gwinnett was a unanimous No. 1 for the 37th consecutive poll.
     
XULA was 4-3 this year against NAIA teams in the postseason top 25: 0-2 against Georgia Gwinnett, 2-1 against No. 4 William Carey, 1-0 against No. 11 Mobile and 1-0 against No. 13 Middle Georgia. The Gold Rush also produced four victories against NCAA Division I teams (Jackson State, Nicholls, Prairie View A&M and Troy) and two victories against teams in the final NCAA Division II top 25 (Bluefield State and Embry-Riddle [Fla.])
     
The Gold Rush active poll streaks:

     •  95 consecutive appearances in the top 25 . . . streak began April 4, 2007.
     •  86 consecutive appearances in the top 20 . . . streak began April 30, 2008.
     •  71 consecutive appearances in the top 15 . . . streak began Feb. 1, 2011.
     •  65 consecutive appearances in the top 10 . . . streak began May 3, 2011.
     •  27 consecutive appearances in the top 5 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
     •  27 consecutive appearances in the top 4 . . . streak began Jan. 26, 2016.
 

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through May 19)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	Georgia Gwinnett (14)	27-0	374
2	2	Keiser (Fla.)	18-7	362
3	4	Xavier (La.)	13-12	350
4	5	William Carey (Miss.)	13-4	327
5	14	Reinhardt (Ga.)	19-4	321
6	3	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	14-1	313
7	7	William Woods (Mo.)	16-7	307
8	6	Cumberland (Tenn.)	21-4	296
9	11	Campbellsville (Ky.)	20-7	271
10	9	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	16-5	265
11	8	Mobile (Ala.)	19-3	261
12	10	Arizona Christian	19-8	248
13	13	Middle Georgia State	12-8	232
14	17	Union (Ky.)	14-6	208
15	16	Tennessee Wesleyan	12-5	195
15	12	Northwestern Ohio	13-6	195
17	15	Westmont (Calif.)	8-10	185
18	18	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	8-8	167
19	25	McPherson (Kan.)	15-4	164
20	20	Lawrence Tech (Mich.)	20-6	144
21	19	Asbury (Ky.)	15-2	141
22	21	Coastal Georgia	11-7	112
23	22	Indiana Wesleyan	29-11	111
24	23	Point (Ga.)	15-8	94
25	24	Cumberlands (Ky.)	8-11	83

Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M-Texarkana 82, Bethany (Kan.) 44; Loyola (La.) 40; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 30; Missouri Valley 25; St. Francis (Ill.) 11; Aquinas (Mich.) 10; Bluefield (Va.) 7; Hastings (Neb.) 7; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 6

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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FAMU Athletics National Alumni Association Presentation

ORLANDO, Florida -- The FAMU Athletics Department presented today at the FAMU National Alumni Association. Here is the presentation in a PDF document:

dropbox.com/s/i17rk6oqaxh7q2a/FAMU%20Athletics%20NAA%202018%20Rev1.0.pptx?dl=0 …

FAMU ATHLETICS NAA PRESENTATION 2018

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU's Covington Named NBA All-Defensive First Team

NEW YORK, New York -- Tennessee State men’s basketball alumnus Robert Covington was honored for his performance this season for the Philadelphia 76ers by earning 2017-18 NBA All-Defensive First Team honors. The award is voted on by a global panel of 100 sportwriters and broadcasters.

• The 2013 graduate of Tennessee State University recently completed his fifth NBA season – his fourth with the Sixers.
• This year, the 6-9 forward averaged 12.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in helping the Sixers secure the three seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
• In the NBA Playoffs, Covington’s Sixers advanced to the second round after defeating the Miami Heat in the first round.
• Throughout the season, the Illinois native led the NBA in deflections and was first in the NBA in defensive win shares among players who played in at least 70 percent of their teams’ games.
• He was joined on the NBA All-Defensive First Team by Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans), Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz), Jrue Holiday (New Orleans Pelicans) and Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers).
• Covington was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection during his time with Tennessee State.
• For the Tigers, Covington finished as the team leader in rebounds and steals three seasons and blocks and points two seasons.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATION

TSU Volleyball Adds Three to 2018 Roster

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Head coach Donika Sutton welcomes three Tigers to the 2018 roster with the additions of Destiny Washington (Austin, Texas), Kayla Grady (Nashville, Tenn.) and Micahlea Njie (Nashville, Tenn.).

The three student-athletes boost the roster to 12, with four returners and eight newcomers.

Destiny Washington | 5-6 | Outside Hitter/Defensive Specialist | JUCO Transfer | Austin, Texas | Hill College“Adding Destiny to our roster is going to open up our offense, strengthen our ball control and deepen our depth chart. She plays a big game and knows how to lead her team, but the most important thing about her is her precision for excellence. She is a competitor and she wants to win. You can’t coach that,” said Sutton.

• Named to 1st Team All-Conference and All-Region
• Averaged 2.66 kills and 2.75 digs per set
• Helped the Lady Rebels register a 24-1 regular season
• Posted a season high 21 digs and 16 kills as a sophomore for Hill College
• Ranked on the list of Top 100 Liberos as a senior in the class of 2016
• Played club for Austin Juniors Volleyball
• Will major in Business Management

Kayla Grady | 5-7 | Right Side | Sophomore Transfer | Nashville, Tenn. | John A. Logan College/Hillsboro HS“Kayla is a kid that I think is going to help us in a lot of areas. She’s a right side, plays outside and can also play defense. She’s going to add a lot of depth to each position, and I’m excited to have her as a Tiger,” said Sutton.

• Averaged 1.88 kills and 2.43 digs per set and recorded 53 blocks and 37 service aces in 88 sets
• Helped the Vols claim the Great Rivers Athletic Conference regular-season title
• All-District and All-Region honors as a Burro at Hillsboro
• Played club for Club West under former Tiger Erika Moss
• Will major in Computer Science

Micahlea | 5-5 | Defensive Specialist/Libero | Incoming Freshman | Nashville, Tenn. | Antioch HS“Micahlea is going to be a great addition to our defense. She is a defensive specialist/libero from the metro area, and I’m really excited to watch her grow,” Sutton said.

• Named to the All-District and All-District teams
• Awarded Antioch’s MVP title
• Played club for Club West under former Tigers Erika Moss and Jaime Cooper

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICAIONS

Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Pipers Featured in Commercial With Shaquille O'Neal

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- The Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Pipers is featured in a commercial with former National Basketball Association Star (NBA), Shaquille O'Neal. The spot made its debut last Sunday.

Shaq, who in late March became the style ambassador for JCPenney's Big & Tall business, engaged with the Crimson Pipers during the commercial's filming. The commercial features Shaq at "the Penney Parade" with the Marching Band right behind him demonstrating one of its more famous routine dances usually seen when making their entrance at Cleve Abbott Memorial Stadium.

O'Neal, who played 19 seasons with six different teams is currently serving as a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA on TNT.



ABOUT THE BAND PROGRAM

The Marching Crimson Pipers -- "We are the Marching Crimson Piper Band...and we are the Best Band in the Land!"

This is the slogan of the high-stepping Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Pipers (MCP). As a part of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, the Tuskegee University Band Program consists of four band components:

Marching Band
Concert Band
Jazz Ensemble
Basketball Pep Band

The MCP have enjoyed a long history of excellence, including major appearances in the highly acclaimed Honda Battle of the Bands. This SIAC portion of the Annual Invitational Showcase is usually held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA and features Marching Bands from 10 participating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's). The event attracts and thoroughly entertains nearly 65,000 fans.

The Marching Crimson Piper Band marches over 150 members, including piperettes, flag line and drum majors.



For nearly 100 years, the Marching Crimson Pipers, known for their unique marching style, powerful music arrangements, intricate dance steps and quality presentations by the dancing piperettes, flag line and soulful drum majors, have performed at:

Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY
Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL (Calhoun Foods Battle of the Bands)
Crosley Field, Cincinnati, OH
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA (Honda Battle of the Bands)
Governor's Inaugural Parades, Montgomery, AL
Legion Field (Birmingham Stallions, World Football League), Birmingham, AL
Mardi Gras Parade, Mobile, AL
Peanut Festival Parade, Dothan, AL
Rynearson Stadium, Ypsilanti, MI
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
Stagg Bowl (NCAA Division III Championship Football Game), Phenix City, AL
Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FL
Tangerine Bowl, Orlando, FL
Texas Stadium, Dallas, TX
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
and numerous other stadiums, parades and functions throughout the nation.

The Honda Battle of the Bands program includes two components. The Celebration Tour provides an opportunity for 45 participating schools from around the country to earn a $1,000 grant for their halftime performances at selected football games during the fall.

At the end of the Tour, the 10 bands that demonstrate the most showmanship, musicianship and fan interaction will be invited to the Invitational Showcase. Each of the 10 schools selected will receive an additional funds toward its scholarship fund. The invitees will include the two top bands from each of the four HBCU athletic conferences (CIAA, SWAC, MEAC, SIAC) and two independent schools.



The selection process is based solely on a three-tiered process. Thirty-three percent of the vote will be from the on-line fan voting at http://www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com . Thirty-three percent will be from the commissioners of the four conferences and school presidents, and thirty-three percent will be from the band directors. Commissioners, presidents and band directors are not allowed to vote for their own school(s). All on-line surveys must be completed and submitted by the deadline.

The Marching Crimson Pipers of Tuskegee University, now under the direction of Mr. John Q. Lennard, historically brought a large number of fans to the Georgia Dome, which seemed to fuel the Crimson Pipers' already dynamic program and performance.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Tuskegee University 2018 Football Summer Camp Set For June 1

TUSKEGEE, Alabama --  Fresh off its 2017 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Football Championship season, the Tuskegee University football team is set to host its annual camp Friday, June 1.at 9:00 a.m. Designed for grades 4th-12th, the one day camp will concluded at 2 p.m. from Cleve Abbott Memorial Stadium.

The cost to join head coach Willie Slater and staff is $50.00 and you can register online now.  Each camper will get individual attention which is a great tool for the staff when it comes to future scholarship consideration. Participants are encouraged to bring their own cleats, shorts/shirts, socks, and towels. All campers are asked to sign a waiver form that must be completed prior to participating

The Golden Tigers open the 2018 season at Alabama State in the Labor Day Classic at 5 p.m.

Skills Camp

Each camper will get individual attention which is a great tool for our staff when it comes to future scholarship consideration.

Friday, June 1st

Entering Grades: 4th - 12th Time: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM Cost: $50.00

What To Bring:
Participants are encouraged to bring their own cleats, shorts/shirts, socks, and towels.

Additional Information:

• There will be an hour break for lunch, between practice sessions that day.
• Participants must sign a medical waiver and show proof of insurance prior to the start of the camp.
• A copy of a CURRENT ATHLETIC PHYSICAL (1 year old or less, come the camp start date) with a physician's signature MUST BE obtained before participation is permitted.

Refund Policy: Up to 30 day prior full refund minus the processing fee – within 30 days of camp No refunds.

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

George Williams and his St. Augustine’s Falcons chase a 40th NCAA track title this weekend

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- St. Augustine’s University’s highly decorated track and field coach might well be King T’Challa of his sport.

Now in his mid-70s, George Williams is in his 47th year at St. Augustine’s, including 41 as its track coach, and is one of the favorites again to lead his teams to titles when the Division II Outdoor National Championships get underway Thursday at Johnson C. Smith University’s Irwin Belk Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Williams and his fourth-ranked women and eighth-ranked men are performing this season with a new outlook, a new long-term goal and a new theme — the latter adopted after they went to see the box-office smash Black Panther.

“Our theme,” Williams said, “one person holds their hand out and we tap it three times, then cross our arms,” in the manner of Egyptian pharaohs and West African sculptures.

“We’re forever,” Williams said, referencing the Wakanda salute. “We started doing that this year after we watched the Black Panther.”

CONTINUE READING

Improved Aggies head back to NCAA tournament afteremotional championship

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Ben Hall tells the story with a poker face, his eyes hidden behind dark, wraparound sunglasses. They shield the sun, but they also don’t give away his feelings.

Feelings that run deep. Feelings that bubbled up to the surface on the last day of the MEAC baseball tournament in Hall’s hometown of Daytona Beach, Fla.

Tie game. Bottom of the eighth inning. N.C. A&T one victory away from the promised land.

Zach McLean’s one-out double drives home burly Dawnoven Smith with the go-ahead run, opening the floodgates on a four-run rally and A&T’s first MEAC championship in 13 long years.

“It’s hard to put into words how special this year has been,” Hall says on a sunny afternoon at practice at Memorial Stadium. “When we were in the eighth inning down there in Daytona and we took the lead, I got emotional in the third-base box, right in the middle of coaching.”

CONTINUE READING

FAMU President Larry Robinson asking alumni to raise $200,000 for athletics

FAMU MARCHING 100 SUMMER BAND CAMP 2018 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson is asking Rattler alumni attending this weekend’s national convention in Orlando to dig deep to support the financially strapped athletics department.

Three hundred people are registered for the annual convention, which opened Thursday and continues through Sunday morning at the Rosen Centre Hotel.

In an appeal this week to alumni, Robinson explained the athletics program is “a self-supporting auxiliary unit of the university,” which means it doesn’t receive money from either the education or general funds.

“In an effort to provide essential funding to the Athletics Program, the university would like to request financial support from the Florida A&M University National Alumni Association in the amount of $200,000,” Robinson said. “The funds will be used to support student athletes’ attendance in summer school, which is vital to their academic progression.”

The National Alumni Association has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the university during the tenure of its president, Lt. Col. Gregory Clark.

The appeal for athletics is part of the convention’s “Weekend of Giving” theme. Alumni association members also will be asked to donate to the university for scholarships and to the Marching 100’s trip to the Rose Bowl Parade next year.

CONTINUE READING

Goreau is Nuggets' 1st 3-time 1st-team All-American

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Charlene Goreau and Mariia Borodiiwere named Tuesday to the 2018 NAIA Women's Tennis All-America first team, and Angela Charles-Alfred was named to the second team.
     
Goreau, a junior from Toulouse, France, is the first Gold Nugget to make the first team three times. Borodii, from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, and Charles-Alfred, from Saint-Pierre, Martinique, are freshmen.
    
Receiving honorable mention was XULA's Yi Chen Pao, a sophomore from Taichung City, Taiwan.
     
These four student-athletes helped the Gold Nuggets finish 19-8, reach the semifinals of the NAIA National Championships, earn a No. 3 national ranking entering the tournament and set a school record with 16 consecutive dual-match victories.
     
XULA, NAIA champion Georgia Gwinnett and runner-up Keiser were the only schools with multiple first-team selections.
     
It's the fourth time in five years that a Gold Nugget freshman made first-team All-America.
     
End-of-season honors still to be announced include ITA All-America and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's All-Louisiana team.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Fifea, Richard repeat as 1st-team All-Americans

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Catalin Fifea and Antoine Richardwere repeat selections Tuesday on the 2018 NAIA Men's Tennis All-America first team, and Samir Chikhaoui was named to the second team.
     
Two XULA streaks continued. It's the seventh straight year that the Gold Rush are represented on the first team and the third straight year that Rush have a pair of first-team players.
     
Richard, from Laval, Quebec, is the first Gold Rush player to make the NAIA's committee-selected first team as a freshman and sophomore. Fifea is a senior from Bucharest, Romania, and Chikhaoui is a sophomore from Lille, France.
     
Receiving honorable mention was XULA's Shaikh Abdullah, a freshman from Hyderabad, India.
     
Fifea, Richard, Chikhaoui and Abdullah helped the Gold Rush finish 13-12, reach the semifinals of the NAIA National Championships and earn a No. 4 national ranking entering the tournament.
     
XULA, NAIA champion Georgia Gwinnett, runner-up Keiser and quarterfinalist Campbellsville were the only schools with multiple first-team selections.
     
End-of-season honors still to be announced include ITA All-America and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's All-Louisiana team.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Hayes dedicated his coaching career to leading HBCUs

RALEIGH, North Carolina — For some, coaching is a profession. For Bill Hayes, it was a calling.

That’s why he decided to jump off the ladder of mainstream opportunity just as he began climbing it in 1976 to take the head coaching job at Winston-Salem State.

Some, including his wife, considered the move a step down from his position at Wake Forest, where he became the first African-American assistant coach in ACC history. But it quickly became a passion for Hayes, who spent the rest of his career toiling and winning in relative anonymity at historically black colleges.



“I remember when I was at Wake Forest, and Winston-Salem State asked me to come be the head football coach. It was crazy,” Hayes said earlier this month when he was inducted as one of the newest members of the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame.

“I had to take a pay cut. My wife said, ‘Are you an idiot?’ But I just had a sense in my heart and soul that those kids needed a guy like me, a guy that was going to be there every day and give them a full day’s work.”

Hayes fulfilled that obligation to his players and then some while going on to become the winningest coach ever at both Winston-Salem State and NC A&T.

CONTINUE READING

Alabama A&M, Grambling State, Mississippi Valley State and Morgan State receive NCAA APR penalties

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- In 2018-19, nine Division I teams will be ineligible for the postseason due to their low Academic Progress Rates, down from 17 teams last year.

A dozen teams will take penalties in 2018-19 for not meeting the minimum academic standard set by member schools. Most of the teams ineligible for postseason play also are among those subject to penalties. In 2017-18, 26 teams were subject to penalties.

To compete in the 2018-19 postseason, teams must achieve a 930 four-year APR. NCAA members chose the 930 standard because that score predicts, on average, a 50 percent graduation rate for teams at that APR level. Additionally, teams must earn at least a 930 four-year APR to avoid penalties.

Teams scoring below 930 can face consequences intended to direct additional focus on academics. Those penalties can include practice restrictions and playing-season reductions, allowing teams to fill the time that would have been spent on athletics with academic activities.

The Academic Performance Program penalty structure includes three levels, with penalties increasing in severity at each level. Schools move through the penalty structure each year, progressing to the next level of severity if their multiyear APR remains below the benchmarks.

Georgetown President John J. DeGioia, chair of the Committee on Academics, explained the philosophy behind the Academic Performance Program’s penalty system.

“The goal of the Academic Performance Program is not to punish but encourage schools to support the academic success of student-athletes on every campus,” DeGioia said. “The Committee on Academics will continue to look for ways to support member schools and student-athletes in their pursuit of academic excellence.”

One of the ways the committee has supported HBCUs and limited-resource schools is by allowing teams that meet specific criteria to avoid penalties in some circumstances.

For example, HBCU and limited-resource teams historically avoided penalties by showing both improvement and a graduation rate that exceeds that of the student body at the school. That separate standard remains available, but a team cannot use it every year. The committee limited its use to spur schools to continue to work toward academic achievement.

Additionally, the national office provides educational initiatives to help limited-resource schools offer additional academic support to student-athletes. Since 2012, the Accelerating Academic Success Program has awarded more than $16 million to assist schools in developing and supporting academic programs that help student-athletes earn their degrees.

Schools may request a waiver from some or all penalty elements. Waivers are overseen by the Committee on Academics.

The specific penalties for each team are listed on the school’s report in the APR searchable database.

Postseason ineligibility

• Alabama A&M: Men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s track and field, and women’s cross country.
• Gardner-Webb: Men’s track and field.
• Grambling: Softball.
• Mississippi Valley: Baseball.
• Morgan State: Football.
• Wright State: Men’s tennis.

Level One Penalties

• Gardner-Webb: Men’s track and field.
• Grambling: Football, women’s volleyball.
• New Mexico State: Men’s cross country.

Level Two Penalties

• Alabama A&M: Baseball, men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s track and field, and women’s cross country.
• Grambling: Softball.
• Mississippi Valley: Baseball.
• Morgan State: Football.

COURTESY: NCAA MEDIA RELATIONS

All of Southern's teams out of the APR woods, eligible for postseason in 2018-19

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- He had inherited a mess of a men's basketball program at Southern, thin on talent and coming off the worst three-year stretch in school history.

It was 2012, and Roman Banks — then in his first season as the Jaguars coach — had engineered a remarkable 13-win turnaround, finishing second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

But because of a dangerously low Academic Progress Rate, Banks and the Jaguars couldn't punctuate their season with a trip to the SWAC tournament.

It was the beginning of a stormy time for Southern, whose football, baseball and basketball teams, as well as others, were severely penalized by the NCAA for low APR scores over the next five years.

But at long last, that ugly period at Southern is over.

Next season, all of Southern's athletic teams will be eligible for NCAA postseason play after a comprehensive effort spearheaded by the Athletics Office of Compliance and Student Services.

CONTINUE READING

XULA wins GCAC all-sports trophy for seventh time

NEW ORLEANS — The beat goes on at Xavier University of Louisiana, which was announced Monday as winner of the 2017-18 Thomas Howell Cup, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference's all-sports award.

It's the seventh time that XULA won the award, all in the last eight years. XULA won the Thomas Howell Cup for the second straight year.

The Thomas Howell Cup, named for the GCAC's longtime commissioner, is awarded annually to the school with the most points based on order of finish in various sports. XULA was boosted by GCAC championships in women's cross country, women's volleyball (regular season and tournament), men's basketball (a share of the regular-season title) and women's outdoor track and field.

"To win the Thomas Howell Cup is a credit to the efforts of our coaches and student-athletes," Director of Athletics & Recreation Jason Horn said. "It's a lot a fun here at Xavier — a fun environment to be around where people are always striving to be the best."

The conference did not announce point totals or standings for the Howell Cup, but unofficial scoring by XULA Assistant Athletics Director for Communications Ed Cassiere had XULA with 44 points, 6 1/2 more than in 2016-17. In the seven GCAC championship sports — men's and women's cross country, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball and men's and women's outdoor track and field — XULA scored 40 of a possible 45 points.

Although XULA won GCAC volleyball regular-season and tournament championships for the seventh consecutive year, the university was credited with all-sports points only for its regular-season standing. The GCAC also applied that method in men's and women's basketball.

Edward Waters finished second in Cassiere's unofficial scoring with 34 points, a half-point ahead of Dillard. Those schools tied for second place a year ago. SUNO was fourth with 22 1/2 points, followed by Talladega with 20, Tougaloo with 18 and Philander Smith with 17.

In addition to the conference titles, 8-of-9 XULA teams were represented in 2017-18 at NAIA National Championship events — volleyball, women's cross country, men's basketball men's tennis, women's tennis, men's cross country (individual athlete), men's track and field (individual athletes) and women's track and field (individual athletes). Both the men's and women's tennis teams reached the national semifinals last week.

The GCAC will increase to eight teams in 2018-19 with the addition of Rust College of Holly Springs, Miss.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Chowan Announces Conference Realignment

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina  –  Chowan University's President, Dr. M. Christopher White, and conference commissioners, Dr. Alan Patterson (Conference Carolinas) and Jacqie McWilliams (CIAA), announced today plans to forge new partnerships for the University and the athletic department.

Chowan's nineteen-sport athletic department will realign with the Conference Carolinas as a full-member while maintaining an associate relationship with the CIAA for both football and women's bowling.

"Chowan University is grateful to have been part of the CIAA," stated Dr. White. "I value the relationships we have established and look forward to continuing those friendships for a long time as an associate member for football and bowling. I also look forward to our new alignment with Conference Carolinas, which will bring more of our athletic footprint under a single conference membership."

The Hawks currently compete as an associate member of Conference Carolinas in eight sports (men's and women's soccer, women's swimming, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, and women's golf).

Chowan introduced a men's swimming program in the fall of 2018 that will compete immediately in Conference Carolinas alongside the women's program. The Hawks baseball program will also enter Conference Carolinas in 2018-19 academic year after playing as an independent for the 2018 season.

"We look forward to developing relationships in Conference Carolinas," stated Athletic Director Patrick Mashuda. "Realigning with Conference Carolinas allows 17 of Chowan's 19 sponsored sports to compete under one conference umbrella."

With the addition of Chowan as a full-time member of the league, Conference Carolinas will have a 12-team membership that includes Barton, Belmont Abbey, Chowan, Converse, Emmanuel (Ga.), Erskine, King (Tenn.), Lees-McRae, Limestone, Mount Olive, North Greenville, and Southern Wesleyan.

"We are thrilled to have Chowan joining our conference as a full member and the experience it will provide to everyone involved," said Dr. Alan Patterson, Commissioner of Conference Carolinas. "Our mission as a conference is to provide our student-athletes with as many possibilities to excel on and off the field of play, which this move will allow. Conference Carolinas provides a large number of Division II sports that Chowan sponsors and gives the student-athletes an opportunity to complete at the highest level in their respective sports."

Chowan has been a full-member of the CIAA from 2007-08 to 2018-19. At the time, Chowan and the CIAA made history after being accepted as the only full-time member institution that was not an HBCU. The Hawks will continue the relationship with the CIAA as an associate member for both football and women's bowling. A timeline for the official realignment has yet to be announced.

"It is a bittersweet moment for Chowan Athletics," stated Patrick Mashuda. "We are grateful to the CIAA for welcoming Chowan with open arms as the first non-HBCU into the conference. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the CIAA and their members, as well as, continuing our established rivalries within the CIAA. The CIAA has brought and will continue to bring rich and rewarding experiences for our student-athletes and coaches at Chowan."

"It has been a pleasure to have Chowan as a member of the CIAA," commented CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams. "Due to the growth of their athletic programs we understand their decision to transition to Conference Carolinas for all sports except football and bowling. We look forward to having them as associate members and working with their administration in the upcoming year."

Conference Carolinas make-up: Barton, Belmont Abbey, Chowan, Converse, Emmanuel (Ga.), Erskine, King (Tenn.), Lees-McRae, Limestone, Mount Olive, North Greenville, and Southern Wesleyan.

Conference Carolinas conducts conference championships in 21 sports (11 women and 10 men), with the addition of men's swimming and men's wrestling starting in 2018-19. Women's titles are determined in cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, indoor track & field, swimming, golf, lacrosse, softball, tennis and outdoor track & field outdoor track. Men's championships include cross country, soccer, basketball, indoor track & field, baseball, golf, lacrosse, tennis, outdoor track & field outdoor track and volleyball.

Timetable: Chowan will continue to compete in the CIAA in the nine sports (men's and women's basketball, bowing, men's and women's cross country, football, men's golf, softball, and volleyball) until the end of the 2018-19 academic year. Baseball and men's swimming will compete in Conference Carolinas starting in the fall of 2018. Football and bowling will remain as associate members in the CIAA starting in the fall of 2019. Chowan will begin play as a full-time member in Conference Carolinas in 17 sports during the 2019-2020 academic year.

CHOWAN UNIVERSITY HAWKS SPORTS INFORMATION