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HAMILTON, ONTARIO, Canada -- Canadian Football season is here! MEAC/SWAC SPORTS MAIN STREET has confirmed that 37 formerHBCU players are currently signed to CFL contracts for the coming season. Like the NFL, the CFL finds talent wherever it plays and regardless of what conference is on the badging -- be it NAIA, NCAA Division II or FCS Division I. From Virginia Union, Mississippi Valley State, Winston-Salem State or Fayetteville State, the CFL will find you if you are talented enough to rise up to the next level.
CFL TEAMS -- NUMBER OF HBCU PLAYERS
BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS - 7
EDMONTON ESKIMOS - 3
CALGARY STAMPEDERS - 2
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS - 8
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS - 3
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS - 4
TORONTO ARGONAUTS - 2
OTTAWA REDBLACKS - 2
MONTREAL ALOUETTES - 6 # NAME POS. SIZE AGE SCHOOL CFL TEAM
81 Johnson, Jamel WR I 6'2 217 26 Alabama State, Toronto Argonauts
84 Arceneaux, Emmanuel BC SB I 6'2 210 30 Alcorn State, BC Lions
41 Gatewood, Warren DB I 6'0 190 24 Alcorn State, Saskatchewan Roughriders
62 Timothy Gardner, OL 6'5 305 23 Alcorn State, Saskatchewan Roughriders
86 Turner, JarvisWR I 6'1 195 24 Alcorn State, Edmonton Eskimos
17 Larry Brihm QB 5'11 209 24 Bethune-Cookman, Calgary Stampeders
50Phillip NormanOL 6'3 318 22 Bethune-Cookman, BC Lions
66 Bladek, Dariusz SSK OL I 6'4 300 24 Bethune-Cookman, Saskatchewan Roughriders
79 Hubert, Chris HAM WR I 5'9 170 25 Fayetteville State, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
5 Walker, Brian WPG DB I 5'9 184 22 Fayetteville State, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
77Stevenson, David DB I 5'9 170 25 Fayetteville State, Edmonton Eskimos
-- Dornevil, JulesDB I 5'11 185 Florida A&M, Ottawa RedBlacks
9 Elliott, KevinBC WR I 6'3 213 29 Florida A&M, BC Lions
18 Tyms, Brian TOR WR I 6'3 204 29 Florida A&M, Toronto Argonauts
26 Conteh, AbubakarrWPG DB I 6'1 202 22 Grambling State, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
26 Hollins, Tyree DB I 5'9 190 26 Grambling State, Montreal Alouettes
9 David Watford, QB 6'2 212 24 Hampton, Saskatchewan Roughriders
77 Peguese, Brandon CGY DL I 6'1 255 30 Hampton, Calgary Stampeders
27 Porter, Robert WPG DB I 5'10 188 25 Jackson State, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
13 Young, Marcell BC DB I 6'0 190 30 Jackson State, BC Lions
68Coleman, Thaddeus SSK OL I 6'8 320 32 Mississippi Valley, Saskatchewan Roughriders
98 Trail, Lynden HAM DL I 6'7 277 27 Norfolk State, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
27 Francis, KevinSSK LB I 6'5 220 24 North Carolina A&T, Saskatchewan Roughriders
79 Raper, Larry WR I 5'10 174 28 North Carolina A&T, Montreal Alouettes
26 Moore, C.J. MTL DB I 6'2 200 24 North Carolina Central, Montreal Alouettes
63Olafioye, Jovan BC OL I 6'6 325 30 North Carolina Central, BC Lions
27 Jordan Holland, DB, 5'10 190 Prairie View A&M, Edmonton Eskimos
2 Ellis, DominiqueMTL DB I 5'11 204 28 South Carolina State, Montreal Alouettes
12 Jones, Mike WR 6'0 181 25 Southern, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
25 Quinn III, Willie 5'5 152 24 Southern, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
93 Miley, Arthur SSK DL I 6'6 270 25 Southern, Saskatchewan Roughriders
59 Gaines, Rogers BC OL I 6'6 329 28 Tennessee State, BC Lions
95 Leonard, A.C. OTT DL I 6'2 250 26 Tennessee State, Ottawa RedBlacks
69 Morris, AnthonyMTL OL I 6'7 300 26 Tennessee State, Montreal Alouettes
31 Stanback, William MTL RB I 6'0 233 23 Virginia Union, Montreal Alouettes
59Polite, Jac'Que BC OL I 6'5 300 25 Winston-Salem State, BC Lions
25 Johnson, Rudy DB 6'2 205 25 Winston-Salem State, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Nearly 70 CFL games will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ in 2018. Based on a multi-year agreement with the CFL, ESPN and ESPN+ have exclusive rights to present all regular season and postseason CFL games in the United States, including both the Eastern and Western Semi-Finals, as well as the 106th Grey Cup presented by Shaw. Production and commentator teams for ESPN telecasts are from TSN, Canada’s Sports Leader. ESPN International and its affiliated networks also distribute CFL games internationally to more than 47 million households and 74 countries.
The CFL has a $5.20 million salary cap in 2018 and a roster size of 56 players. Player salaries by position, age, years of experience or team are not known to the public. At the end of the day, the CFL is an opportunity to earn a good living in a new environment and a possible chance to make it to the higher paying NFL. For perspective, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan took home $42 million last year, enough to cover the salaries of every CFL player.
Follow your favorite HBCU players on ESPN2 or ESPN+ on their march to the 106th Grey Cup.
3-Star guard and Houston native joins Texas Southern Tigers as freshman in 2018-19.
HOUSTON, Texas -- After receiving a release from his University of Houston National Letter of Intent (signed on November 9, 2017; decommit on May 25, 2018), guard Antoine Davis has committed to Texas Southern University. Antoine is the son of Texas Southern head basketball coach Mike Davis and selected the Tigers over interests from Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Memphis and SMU. He previously selected Houston over offers from Nevada, Stephen F. Austin, UTEP, Colorado State, Cal State Bakersfield, Massachusetts, Tennessee-Martin and Arkansas Little-Rock.
Davis, who measures 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, was a 3-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals. As a junior with the Homeschool Christian Youth Association in Houston, he averaged 23.0 points per game.
UH head basketball coach Kevin Sampson had this to say about Davis upon his signing with the Cougars: “I am really excited about Antoine Davis. He comes from a basketball background. He is the best shooter I have seen in this State since I have been at Houston, but he is more than just a shooter,” Sampson said. “Antoine is a self-made player. He is a good ball-handler and a good passer.” “Antoine brings a high basketball IQ because he has been around the game all his life. He is just over the top in shooting skills. He works on his shooting like no one I have ever seen before,” said Coach Tony Lusk, who led Davis with HHA during the 2016-17 season. “He is very quiet but will give you the shirt off his back. He is a model citizen and a good young man to be around.”
His father, Mike Davis, is a long-time college basketball coach and has served as the head coach at Texas Southern since 2012. The Tigers of Texas Southern University saw their magical 2017-18 season come to an end with a 102-83 loss to Xavier University, the No. 1-seeded team in the West Region in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. Making their eighth appearance at the NCAA's Division I Tournament, the Tigers (16-20) claimed their first-ever win at college basketball's premier event with a 64-46 First Four win over North Carolina Central University. TSU's trip to the 2018 Tournament was the fourth in five seasons. Coach Mike Davis also claimed his eighth career Tournament win as a coach in the win over NCCU.
COURTESY: Excerpts from TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS AND UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
AUSTIN, Texas – Indiana baseball (39-18) picked up a 6-0 victory over the Texas Southern Tigers on Saturday afternoon to advance in the Austin NCAA Regional.
Junior starting pitcher Pauly Milto tossed a complete game for the Hoosiers, as he allowed just four hits while striking out 10 and walking two. It marked Milto's second complete game of the season (also did so against Boston College on Feb. 24). The 10 strikeouts were just one shy of his career-high (11 vs. N.C. State in Lexington Regional last season).
Indiana had 11 hits in the game, which included five extra-base hits and four different Hoosiers collecting multi-hit games. Junior Ryan Fineman led the way as he was 2-for-3 with a home run, double and two RBI. Sophomore Scotty Bradley also went 2-for-3 and drove in a run, while freshman Justin Walker was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Sophomore Matt Gorski additionally added two hits in the win.
In the top of the fourth, Bradley worked a two-out walk to give the Hoosiers a runner. From there, Fineman cranked a double to the right centerfield gap to score Bradley from third. That would be the beginning of three consecutive extra base hits, as Walker and sophomore Jeremy Houston followed with an RBI double and triple respectively to make it a 3-0 advantage.
In the top of the fifth inning, Gorski reached first on a bunt single with one out and then stole second base. Following a pitching change, senior Logan Sowers doubled down the left field line to score Gorski from second to extend the lead to four runs. The fifth run of the game came on an RBI single by Bradley to give the Hoosiers a 5-0 lead.
With one out in the top of the eighth, Fineman added some insurance with a solo home run, his seventh home run of the year.
Indiana will play the loser of Texas and Texas A&M at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. BOX SCORE
CHAPEL HILL – A two-hour, twenty-eight-minute rain delay slowed down the conclusion of the best season in North Carolina A&T Aggies baseball history.
Once the skies did clear, Purdue, who had a double-digit lead when the delay started in the eighth inning, went on to defeat the Aggies 14-4 in an elimination game at the NCAA tournament Chapel Hill Regional at Boshamer Stadium Saturday.
But there is no timetable on how long the 2018 N.C. A&T baseball team will be remembered. The Aggies (32-25), the No. 4 seed out of the regional, won a school-record 32 games, ended a 13-year Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship tournament title drought, they won the regular-season for the first time in 13 years, they won a school-record 16 conference games and they were an impressive 20-11 at home.
To cap it off, they were rewarded with a trip to the NCAA tournament. The Aggies came into Saturday’s game not willing to concede their season would end, however.
Over the first three innings of the game against the Boilermakers (38-20), the second seed out of the regional, the Aggies were their equal. After giving up two runs in the visitor’s first, the Aggies got one of those runs back when junior Dawnoven Smith singled through the right side for an RBI single that scored senior Forest Kimbrell from second after Kimbrell singled and stole second.
It was the Aggies first run scored at Boshamer Stadium in five tries after being shut out by the North Carolina Tar Heels in 2008, 2014 and twice in 2018.
N.C. A&T evened the score at 2 in the second inning when Kimbrell hit a line-drive single over the head of Boilermaker shortstop Harry Shipley into left field. Redshirt freshman Justin Williams scored after he reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to second on a single from senior Greg White.
The Aggies then chased Purdue left-hand starter Gareth Stroh from the game in the third. Smith started Stroh’s troubles by opening the inning with a triple off the 400-foot signage marked on the wall in deep center field. RHP Trent Johnson replaced Stroh and had his first pitch roll to the backstop allowing Smith to score to give the Aggies a 3-2 lead.
But the Aggies relinquished the lead in the fourth. With the bases full of Boilermakers, Nick Dalesandro singled to right field to tie the game at 3 as Evan Warden scored. An RBI sacrifice fly by Skyler Hunter gave the Boilermakers the lead for good. When Jacson McGowan recorded an RBI single through the right side it gave Purdue a 5-3 lead and ended the afternoon of N.C. A&T starter Michael Johnson (RHP). Johnson went 3.2 innings and surrendered six runs with no strikeouts.
“They made it really tough on Michael Johnson and that was kind of the story of the game along with some mistakes and not filling up the zone throughout the game,” said Hall.
Purdue put the game away with a six-run sixth inning to take an 11-3 lead. The Aggies scored their final run of the 2018 season in the ninth inning. Junior pinch-hitter James Rorie reached on a two-base error and White brought him home with an RBI single through the left side.
White was 5-for-9 in the regional including a 3-for-5, one-RBI day on Saturday. Kimbrell went 2-for-5 with an RBI on Saturday and Smith added a 2-for-4 day that included a run scored and an RBI.
“I think we played our best ball in the conference tournament and then we had two weeks off while everyone else was still getting into their rhythm,” said Smith. “That hurt us in some areas, not being able to see live pitching. Our pitchers not getting up there and facing live batters definitely played a factor.”
Hall will have to say goodbye to a special senior class in RHP Marcello Betances, RHP Josh Bottenfield, third baseman A.J. Hunt, shortstop Forest Kimbrell, RHP K.J. McAlister, catcher Adan Ordonez, LHP Jonah Owenby, second baseman Milton Rivera, center fielder Myles Sowell, RHP Josh Stikeleather and left fielder Greg White.
Key sluggers in Smith and Zach McLean will return along with promising second baseman Justin Williams. Sophomore outfielder Shane Faulk also has a lot of promise and the Aggies played all season without All-MEAC shortstop Brandon Melendez. Sophomore Camden Williamson will also be coming back from injury.
Strong defensive outfielder Jason King and Rorie, a reserve first baseman, are slated to come back.
Perhaps best of all for the Aggies is that most of their pitching staff that posted a 4.18 ERA is back including weekend pitchers Johnson and Tim Luth (RHP).
“Our seniors may not have the ability to reflect on it this season for a few days because they’re disappointed in having their season ended today,” said Hall. “One day they’re going to be able to look back and be proud that they were a major part in building the foundation of this program.
My goal is to have this group of seniors come back and see an even better product than they saw when they were here and see guys have a better experience as well. We want to keep growing and getting better. I want them to be very proud of where we end up.”
BOX SCORE NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
LOS ANGELES, California — Two tables filled with family, friends and colleagues cheered at the mention of Fox Sports reporter Pam Oliver’s name during the 2018 Gracie Awards. She hadn’t taken the stage, but her father-in-law, phone in hand, began taking photos.
“She is the best ever at her job,” said Kevin Burkhardt, a play-by-play announcer for the NFL on Fox, during his introduction of Oliver. “She’s a trailblazer and an icon, and I’m lucky to call her my friend.”
Oliver, in a sequined pantsuit, was camera-ready as people pulled out their cellphones when she accepted the 2018 Gracie Award for on-air talent-entertainment and sports at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The awards, sponsored by the Alliance for Women in Media, recognizes “exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment,” according to its website.
“When I first heard [I was a recipient of the award], I was very excited because I knew about the Gracies,” Oliver said. “I went and looked at the previous roster from 2017, and then I saw some of the women that have been honored with me and I was floored. To somehow stand out and be amongst that group of women, I was somewhat thinking, gosh, I’m a little starstruck. Then you are like, ‘How did I get into this?’ Then I’m like, ‘You know what? I earned it,’ so I’m really honored. It’s really a career highlight.”
Among the women honored at this year’s Gracies were Rita Moreno, April Ryan, Issa Rae, Hoda Kotb and Niecy Nash.
“I had an opportunity to talk to a lot of media leading up to tonight about what it is I do and how much I love it,” she told the hundreds of women there. “There are two common denominators related to how I was raised, and my passion. One is sports and the other was journalism. One of my favorite questions is, ‘What can you teach young girls that want to do what you do?’ My thing first and foremost is you have to protect your dream. … I’d like to dedicate this to my family and parents who are up in heaven, John and Mary, probably talking about how proud they are of their daughter, and that’s given me wings for so many years.”
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Growing up, Demontrae Jefferson was almost always the smallest guy on the court. But even at 5-foot-7, he dominated the playgrounds of Milwaukee. Now his aspirations are bigger.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA,” said Jefferson, who’s featured in a mixtape that has more than 3 million views on YouTube. “The knock on me is my height. So when I play guys that are 6-1, 6-2, I have to show that they can’t guard me.”
Trayvon Reed — at 7-feet-2 — was always the biggest guy on the court, so NBA aspirations were always a given. Even on a troubled road that’s taken him to three college programs in four years, those dreams never faded.
“To play in the NBA, that’s the reason why I’m doing this,” Reed said. “People have always told me you’re so big, you’ll be in the NBA one day. I just hope that I can get a shot.”
Reed’s height and a wide wingspan will earn the junior an NBA look one day. Jefferson, despite his size, will get a look just for the way he’s dominated his position in almost every game he’s played this year (which has included averaging 24.2 points against the four ranked schools — Gonzaga, Kansas, Baylor and TCU — that Texas Southern has played this year).
AUSTIN, Texas—Hosting its first regional at UFCU Disch-Falk Field since 2011, No. 1 seed Texas Baseball opened with a 10-0 win over No. 4 seed Texas Southern to move to 1-0 in tournament play. The Longhorns will meet No. 3 seed Texas A&M on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Texas starter Chase Shugart (5-3) dealt against the Tigers. The junior right-hander went six shutout innings, allowing just four hits while fanning five on the night and his offense got going early to put the Longhorns out in front.
In the second, DJ Petrinsky worked a one-out walk and Tate Shaw, who reached base in four of five plate appearances on the night, followed with a single to put runners on the corners. A failed pick-off then advanced Shaw to second and allowed Petrinsky to score to put Texas on top, 1-0. After Jake McKenzie singled through the left side to again place Longhorns on the corners, David Hamilton squeezed home Shaw on a bunt single and Texas led, 2-0, after two.
In the third, the Longhorns broke things open. Zach Zubia opened the frame with a single before Masen Hibbeler drew a walk. With one away, Petrinsky drove the first pitch he saw over the left field fence to push the Texas lead to 5-0. The Longhorns would tack on one more in the inning thanks to a Duke Ellis RBI single and Texas was on top, 6-0, after three. WATCH ESPN REPLAY: Texas Southern vs. #13 Texas (Site 7 / Game 2) (NCAA Baseball Championship)
Texas wasn't done, however. In the bottom of the fifth, Shaw drew a walk and McKenzie singled to center for his second hit of the ballgame. After a fielder's choice error loaded the bases, Kody Clemens took a 1-0 pitch to center field to plate two and pushh the Longhorns lead to 8-0.
Then, with Clemens on first and Hamilton on second, the duo recorded a double steal with Hamilton swiping home to make it 9-0. The straight steal of home was the first for a Longhorn since Mark Payton did so on March 25, 2011, at Oklahoma State.
Petrinsky drove in the Longhorns' 10th run of the ballgame in the eighth when he plated Hibbeler, who had doubled to lead off the inning, and Matteo Bocchi finished with three innings of one-hit baseball for his first career save.
The Longhorns and Aggies meet Saturday evening at 6 p.m. to advance to the championship game of the regional. Saturday's contest will be televised nationally on ESPN2. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
ETTRICK, Virginia -- Tickets are now available for the 2018 Virginia State University Trojan Football season. The Trojans look to host four highly anticipated games at Rogers Stadium on the campus of VSU.
The Trojan had an amazing 2017 season where they secured the 2017 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship title, finished the regular season (10-0) undefeated the first time in school history and hosted the 2017 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Super Region II playoffs. Under the direction of head coach Reggie Barlow, entering his third season with the Trojans, Barlow is looking to "Leave No Doubt."
On Sept. 29, the Trojans will host their 2018 home season opener against the Bears of Shaw University, with kick off slated for 2 p.m. The matchup marks the first time the Trojans and the Bears have played in Roger Stadium since September 29, 2012, where Shaw defeated VSU, 16-6. On Oct. 6, the Trojans will welcome the Vikings of Elizabeth City State University to Rogers Stadium, with kick off slated for 2 p.m.
VSU will welcome home alumni, supporters, family and friends on Oct. 20 for Homecoming 2018. The Trojans will host the Lions of Lincoln University for a 2 p.m. kick-off. The last time the Trojans played the Lions for homecoming was on October 22, 2016, where the Trojans defeated Lincoln University, 69-7.
Rounding out the regular season at home, the Trojans will host Chowan University on Oct. 27. The Senior Day game is slated to have a 2 p.m. kick off. VSU last faced the Hawks of Chowan last season, where the Trojans secured a 26-23 victory.
For the most up-to-date information on VSU Football please visit www.govsutrojans.comand follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports.
Season Tickets are available:
$85 Tickets to all home games and parking.
Single Game Tickets:
$15 General Admission (Shaw University, Elizabeth City State University & Chowan University)
$20 General Admission Homecoming 2018 (Lincoln University)
$10 Visiting Students with School ID
$10 Senior Citizens with ID (born prior to 1962) Group Ticket Sales (Bring out 15 or more):
The ticket price is $8 per individual; however the group tickets must be purchased in advanced of game day. We cannot provide this rate at the gate or individually.
For more ticket information, please contact Sharon Wright at 804-524-5656
Parking Passes:
$20 Homecoming 2018 Parking
$5 Single Game Parking
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
Football (CAMP BROCHURE) 7-on-7 Team Camp: June 16, 2018 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Cost: $120 per team Offensive and Defensive Line Camp: June 16, 2018 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Cost: $25 Camp registration will be held from 8:00 a.m.- 9 a.m. Tennis (CAMP BROCHURE) June 18-29, 2018 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Ages: 10-17 (not open to high school graduates) Cost: $200 Women's Basketball(CAMP BROCHURE) June 18-21, 2018 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Ages: 7-16 (not open to high school graduates) Cost: $100 Camp registration will be held on Monday, June 19, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. Woo Woo Cheerleading(CAMP BROCHURE) June 25-28, 2018 (June 24: 12 p.m.Overnight Check-in) 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Age: 6-17 (not open to high school graduates) Camp Cost $125 - Commuting Campers $250 - Overnight Campers Men's Basketball (CAMP BROCHURE)
June 25-28, 2018 8:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. (Monday-Wednesday) 8:30 a.m.- 12 p.m. (Thursday) Age: 6-17 (not open to high school graduates) Cost: $150
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATION
ROCKLEDGE, Florida -- The 2018 season is rich in quarterbacks across FCS college football. It's only natural the wide receiver class is highly talented as well.
Last year's top three in the FCS in receiving yards - Sam Houston State's Nathan Stewart, UC Davis' Keelan Doss and New Hampshire's Neil O'Connor - are back and part of 12 returning 1,000-yard receivers set to chase the mark again.
Here is a countdown of the 10 best wide receivers in the FCS:
10. (Tie) Elijah Bell, North Carolina A&T, Jr., 6-1, 221
He's a difference-maker who consistently breaks tackles to reach the second level of a defense. He followed up 2016 MEAC rookie of the year honors with an even bigger sophomore campaign, catching 64 passes for 953 yards and 11 touchdowns. 10. (Tie) Dejon Brissett, Richmond, Sr., 6-2, 190
An ability to win 50-50 balls led to Brissett breaking out as an All-CAA wide receiver in 2017. After opening with a 172-yard outing against Sam Houston State, Brissett grabbed 63 receptions for 896 yards and seven touchdowns on the season while combining with big-play teammate Cortrelle Simpson to headline the fourth-ranked passing attack (341.0 ypg) in the FCS.
GREENSBORO, North Carolina — The program waited 13 years to get back into the NCAA baseball tournament.
And so N.C. A&T’s postgame team meeting under a searing sun was not a happy place Friday afternoon.
Michael Busch went 2-for-3 with a long home run and five RBIs, and top-seeded host North Carolina shut out fourth-seeded A&T 11-0 in the first game of the Chapel Hill Regional at Boshamer Stadium.
The Aggies (32-24) drop into the loser’s bracket and play an elimination game at 1 p.m. Saturday against the loser of tonight's game between Houston and Purdue.
“They’re as frustrated as I am,” A&T coach Ben Hall said. “That wasn’t a good (postgame) huddle right there. Because that’s not the team I’ve seen over the last couple of weeks.”
BRISTOL, Connecticut -- ESPN will celebrate the return of COLLEGE FOOTBALL with an early season schedule that is UNRIVALED and unmatched in the industry, featuring marquee teams from all 10 FBS conferences and the nation's top programs playing key conference and non-conference matchups across ESPN's networks. ESPN's first three weeks schedule launches a season-long regular season campaign which culminates with the six conference championship games and leads into a postseason featuring 35 Bowl Games - including the New Year's Six - and the COLLEGE FOOTBALL Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T. ESPN will also air every snap of the NCAA Division I Football Championship.
ESPN begins the season riding the momentum of a widely successful 2017 campaign, which concluded with the CFP National Championship generating the second largest audience in cable history and the CFP Semifinal at the ROSE BOWL GAME with the third largest cable audience ever. Furthermore, ESPN's entire presentation of the New Year's Six plus the CFP National Championship was the most-watched in the system's four-year history. The post season success was a continuation of the regular season superlatives, which included ABC's Saturday Night Football being the most-watched COLLEGE FOOTBALL franchise for the second consecutive year.
Welcome Back: ESPN's Networks Annual Five-Day Labor Day Weekend Extravaganza Celebrates the Return of COLLEGE FOOTBALL with Nearly 50 Games
ESPN's annual five-day kickoff weekend slate (Aug. 30 - Sept. 3) is peppered with the nation's best teams, including the top 4 teams and seven of the top 8 in ESPN.com's latest Way-Too-Early Top 25, playing key conference and non-conference games. Across all its networks, ESPN will carry nearly 50 games in the season's first week.
The defending CFP National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide open their title defense on ABC's Saturday Night Football vs Louisville (Sept. 1 at 8 p.m. ET) in the 2018 Camping World Kickoff from Orlando, only the fourth meeting between the two schools and the first in more than 25 years. The season debut of Saturday Night Football will cap a kickoff Saturday tripleheader on ABC, with all three games featuring a New Year's Six participant from last season. Ohio State hosting Oregon State (noon) will lead into the 2018 Chick-fil-A Kickoff between Washington and Auburn (3:30 p.m.). The Buckeyes are reigning Big Ten CHAMPIONS and went on to win the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, while Auburn participated in the Chick-fil-A Bowl PEACH BOWL last season.
ESPN Airs the Most Games of Any Network in Week 1 and the 2018 Season
ESPN will air the most games of any network in week 1, a theme that will continue throughout the season. The network's seven game kickoff weekend slate kicks off in earnest on the season's first full Saturday with a quadruple-header beginning with the 2018 AdvocCare Texas Kickoff from Houston between Ole Miss and Texas Tech (noon) and continues with the defending SEC Champion and COLLEGE FOOTBALL Playoff finalist Georgia Bulldogs hosting Austin Peay (3:30 p.m.).
ESPN's primetime slate will features familiar faces in new places, as Chip Kelly and Kevin Sumlin make their debuts with their respective programs. Both head coaches will be at home, with Kelly's UCLA Bruins hosting Cincinnati (7 p.m.) and Sumlin's Arizona Wildcats welcoming in BYU (10:45 p.m.)
Sunday and Monday Primetime Telecasts Featured in Season's Kickoff Week: Both Matchups Potential Top 25 Showdowns
A signature of kickoff week returns with special primetime telecasts on both Sunday and Monday night of Labor Day weekend, with two potential top-25 showdowns. Miami vs. LSU from AT&T Stadium in Arlington will air on ABC, the network's third consecutive year airing a Sunday night game during kickoff week. On Labor Day night, Virginia Tech travels to Florida State in a pivotal ACC matchup. This is the 15th year ESPN has aired a Labor Day night matchup.
Additional ESPN Kickoff Week Highlights:
Big Ten Opener: For the second consecutive year, a Big Ten matchup begins ESPN's kickoff week when Northwestern travels to Purdue (Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. on ESPN)
2018 MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Prairie View A&M vs. North Carolina Central (Sept. 2 at noon on ESPN2) will meet in the annual challenge, which will be played in ATLANTA for the first time.
SEC Network Begins Fifth COLLEGE FOOTBALL Season
SEC Network begins its fifth season airing football with an abundance of games in the season's first three weeks, beginning with Texas A&M hosting Northwestern State on the season's first Thursday (Aug. 30 at 8:30 p.m.). The game marks the debut of new Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher. The network, combined with its alternate channel, will air six additional games on Saturday, including Florida's home opener in primetime. A complete look at their schedule is below and available here.
ESPN+ Streams More than 20 Games in First Three Weeks, More than 100 Exclusive Games Throughout the Season
ESPN+, the first multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN, will stream more than 20 football games during the season's first three weeks, beginning a season where the subscription service carries more than a hundred exclusive games this season.
ACC Network Extra Streams Clemson's Home Opener, Five Total Games in Week 1
ACC Network Extra will stream the home openers for Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Virginia during week 1, beginning a season-long slate where the digital network will carry a number of games from ACC stadiums.
Week 2: Penn State-Pitt and Colorado-Nebraska Rivalries Take Center Stage, Dabo Swinney and Jimbo Fisher Meet Again
ABC will feature two of college football's oldest rivalries in week 2 as Penn State travels to Pitt (Sept. 8 at 8 p.m.) and Colorado heads to Nebraska (Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m.). ABC's Saturday Night Football will feature the 99th meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Panthers in a rivalry that was renewed the last two seasons, with both schools winning on their home field. Earlier in the day, the Buffaloes will take on the Cornhuskers for the first time since 2010 and 70th matchup overall.
ESPN's primetime game will feature Clemson at Texas A&M (7 p.m.), as head coaches Dabo Swinney and Jimbo Fisher face off for the ninth straight year; however, it will be the first ever non-conference matchup between the two national championship coaches, as the matchup will be just Fisher's second as head coach of the Aggies.
Additional ESPN's Networks Week 2 Highlights:
· Sweet Home Alabama: The Crimson Tide return to Bryant-Denny Stadium to host Arkansas State (3:30 p.m. on ESPN2)
Sparty Heads West: Michigan State will play its first road game of the year, traveling to Arizona State in a Big Ten-Pac 12 Showdown (ESPN at 10:45 p.m.)
Longhorn Network Airs Texas Football Games for Eighth Consecutive Year
Longhorn Network will televise a Texas football game for the eighth straight year when the Longhorns host Tulsa (8 p.m.). The 24-hour network devoted to the University of Texas is also expected to televise another game this season, with details announced at a later date. More details on LHN's production can be found here.
Week 3: Top Teams Face Conference and Non-Conference Road Competition
ESPN's week three slate features many top teams heading on the road, including Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma's first true road test of the season. The Buckeyes and Crimson Tide will be in primetime, as Ohio State plays TCU from AT&T Stadium in Arlington on ABC's Saturday Night Football (Sept. 15 at 8 p.m.) and Alabama heads to Ole Miss (7 p.m., ESPN) as both teams begin SEC play. Oklahoma will begin its Big 12 campaign looking to avenge its lone regular season loss last season as it heads to Iowa State (noon, network TBD). In the late afternoon, West Virginia travels to NC State (3:30 p.m., network TBD), playing in Raleigh, N.C. for the first time since 1978.
Additional conference matchups in week three include: Florida State at Syracuse (noon, network TBD) and Washington at Utah (10 p.m., ESPN). Other non-conference matchups set to air: UCF at North Carolina (noon, network TBD) and Middle Tennessee at Georgia (7:15 p.m., ESPN2).
Penn State, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma at West Virginia Highlight ESPN's Networks Additional Games
ESPN's has locked in a number of games to BEYOND the first three weeks of the season, including: Penn State at Indiana on Oct. 20 (time and ESPN network TBD), Notre Dame at Northwestern on Nov. 3 (time and ESPN network TBD), and Oklahoma at West Virginia on Black Friday (Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. on ESPN)
ESPN Televises Six Conference Championship Games, Most in the Industry
ESPN will televise six conference championship games to conclude the regular season, with the Marathon MAC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP on Friday, Nov. 30 and the Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game, American Championship, Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Game, Mountain West Championship and Sun Belt Championship on Saturday, Dec. 1.
FCS Kickoff Highlights Week 0 Schedule
The 2018 Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff featuring North Carolina AT&Tvs. Jacksonville State in primetime highlights ESPN's week 0 schedule. Additional games from both FBS and FCS will be added in the coming weeks.
ESPN's Networks COLLEGE FOOTBALL Current Schedule
Week 0
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Sat, Aug. 25 7 p.m. 2018 Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff featuring North Carolina AT&T vs. Jacksonville State from Montgomery ESPN
Week 1
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Thu, Aug. 30 7 p.m. UCF at Connecticut ESPNU Central Connecticut State at Ball State ESPN+ Kennesaw State at Georgia State ESPN+ 8 p.m. Northwestern at Purdue ESPN Southeastern Louisiana at Louisiana-Monroe ESPN+ 8:30 p.m. Northwestern State at Texas A&M SEC Network
Friday, Aug. 31 6:30 p.m. Monmouth at Eastern Michigan ESPN+ 7 p.m. Army at Duke ESPNU 9 p.m. Western Kentucky at Wisconsin ESPN
Sat, Sept. 1 Noon Oregon State at Ohio State ABC 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech from Houston ESPN James Madison at NC State ESPNU Coastal Carolina at South Carolina SEC Network Villanova at Temple ESPNEWS 12:20 p.m. Furman at Clemson ACC Network Extra 12:30 p.m. Alcorn State at Georgia Tech ACC Network Extra 1 p.m. Massachusetts at Boston College ACC Network Extra 2 p.m. Howard at Ohio ESPN+ 3:30 p.m. 2018 Chick-fil-A Kickoff: Washington vs. Auburn from ATLANTA ABC Austin Peay at Georgia ESPN Central Michigan at Kentucky ESPNU Marshall at Miami (Ohio) ESPN+ Albany at Pittsburgh ACC Network Extra 4 p.m. Eastern Illinois at Arkansas SEC Network Tennessee-Martin at Missouri SEC Network Alternate 6 p.m.Delaware State at Buffalo ESPN3South Carolina State at Georgia Southern ESPN+ Richmond at Virginia ACC Network Extra Boise State at Troy ESPNEWS North Carolina A&T at East Carolina ESPN3 Elon at South Florida ESPN3 7 p.m. Cincinnati at UCLA ESPN Louisiana Tech at South Alabama ESPN+ Mercer at Memphis ESPN3 Central Arkansas at Tulsa ESPN3 VMI at Toledo ESPN3 Nicholls at Kansas ESPN3 Grambling at Louisiana ESPN3 Southeast Missouri State at Arkansas State ESPN+ 7:30 p.m. Charleston Southern at Florida SEC Network Middle Tennessee at Vanderbilt SEC Network Alternate Stephen F. Austin at Mississippi State ESPNU 8 p.m. 2018 Camping World Kickoff from Orlando: Louisville vs. Alabama ABC 10:45 p.m. BYU at Arizona ESPN
Sun, Sept. 2 Noon 2018 MEAC/SWAC Challenge from Atlanta: Prairie View A&M vs. North Carolina Central ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Miami vs. LSU from Arlington, Texas ABC
Mon, Sept. 3 8 p.m. Virginia Tech at Florida State ESPN
Week 2
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Fri, Sept. 7 8 p.m. TCU at SMU ESPN2
Sat, Sept. 8 Noon Arizona at Houston ABC and ESPN2 Mississippi State at Kansas State ESPN Duke at Northwestern ESPNU Nevada at Vanderbilt SEC Network Towson at Wake Forest ACC Network Extra 12:30 p.m. Georgia State at NC State ACC Network Extra 1 p.m. Holy Cross at Boston College ACC Network Extra 2 p.m. William & Mary at Virginia Tech ACC Network Extra 3 p.m. Kansas at Central Michigan ESPN+ 3:30 p.m. Colorado at Nebraska ABC Arkansas State at Alabama ESPN2 North Carolina at East Carolina ESPNU Howard at Kent State ESPN+ Morgan State at Akron ESPN+ Wagner at Syracuse ACC Network Extra Buffalo at Temple ESPN3 4 p.m. East Tennessee State at Tennessee SEC Network Southern Illinois at Ole Miss SEC Network Alternate 6 p.m. Savannah State at Miami ACC Network Extra Maryland at Bowling Green ESPN+ Massachusetts at Georgia Southern ESPN+ 7 p.m. Clemson at Texas A&M ESPN Wyoming at Missouri ESPN2 or ESPNU Southeastern Louisiana at LSU ESPN2 or ESPNU Florida A&M at Troy ESPN+ UAB at Coastal Carolina ESPN+ Indiana State at Louisville ACC Network Extra Texas Southern at Texas State ESPN3 7:20 p.m. Samford at Florida State ACC Network Extra 7:30 p.m. Kentucky at Florida SEC Network Alabama State at Auburn SEC Network Alternate Utah at Northern Illinois ESPNEWS 8 p.m. Penn State at Pittsburgh ABC Tulsa at Texas Longhorn Network Cincinnati at Miami (Ohio) from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati ESPN3 Nicholls at Tulane ESPN3 10:15 p.m. Connecticut at Boise State ESPN2 or ESPNU California at BYU ESPN2 or ESPNU 10:45 p.m. Michigan State at Arizona State ESPN
Week 3
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Thur, Sept. 13 7:30 p.m. Boston College at Wake Forest ESPN
Fri, Sept. 14 7 p.m. Georgia State at Memphis ESPN
Sat, Sept. 15 Noon Oklahoma at Iowa State ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU Florida State at Syracuse ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU Miami at Toledo ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU UCF at North Carolina ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU UTEP at Tennessee SEC Network Murray State at Kentucky SEC Network Alternate Rhode Island at Connecticut ESPN3 12:20 p.m. East Carolina at Virginia Tech ACC Network Extra 12:30 p.m. Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh ACC Network Extra 3 p.m. Ohio at Virginia ACC Network Extra 3:30 p.m. BYU at Wisconsin ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 Boise State at Oklahoma State ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU Georgia Southern at Clemson ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU West Virginia at NC State ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU Central Michigan at Northern Illinois ESPN+ Southern Miss at Appalachian State ESPN+ 4 p.m. Colorado State at Florida SEC Network North Texas at Arkansas SEC Network Alternate Eastern Kentucky at Bowling Green ESPN3 6 p.m. Eastern Michigan at Buffalo ESPN+ 7 p.m. Alabama at Ole Miss ESPN Delaware State at Western Michigan ESPN+ Texas State at South Alabama ESPN+ Alabama A&M at Cincinnati ESPN3 Oregon State at Nevada ESPN3 Campbell at Coastal Carolina ESPN3 7:15 p.m. Middle Tennessee at Georgia ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Louisiana-Monroe at Texas A&M SEC Network Marshall at South Carolina ESPNU Western Kentucky at Louisville ACC Network Extra Louisiana at Mississippi State SEC Network Alternate 8 p.m. Ohio State vs. TCU from Arlington ABC 10 p.m. Washington at Utah ESPN
Additional Games
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Thu, Sept. 20 7:30 p.m. Tulsa at Temple ESPN
Fri, Sept. 21 7 p.m. Florida Atlantic at UCF ESPN Harvard at Brown ESPNU 10:30 p.m. Washington State at USC ESPN
Sat, Sept. 22 Noon Boston College at Purdue ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 6 p.m. McNeese at BYU ESPN3 TBD Air Force at Utah State TBD
Thu, Sept. 27 8 p.m. North Carolina at Miami ESPN
Fri, Sept. 28 7 p.m. Princeton at Columbia ESPNU 8 p.m. Memphis at Tulane ESPN2
Sat, Sept. 29 6 p.m. Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan ESPN+ TBD Toledo at Fresno State TBD TBD Nevada at Air Force TBD
Thu, Oct. 4 7:30 p.m. Georgia State at Troy ESPNU 8 p.m. Tulsa at Houston ESPN
Fri, Oct. 5 6 p.m. Dartmouth at Yale ESPNU 7 p.m. Georgia Tech at Louisville ESPN 9 p.m. Utah State at BYU ESPN2
Sat, Oct. 6 3:30 p.m. Ohio at Kent State ESPN+ Bowling Green at Toledo ESPN+ Miami (Ohio) at Akron ESPN+ TBD San Diego State at Boise State TBD TBD Fresno State at Nevada TBD
Tue, Oct. 9 8 p.m. Appalachian State at Arkansas State ESPN2
Thu, Oct. 11 7:30 p.m. Texas Tech at TCU ESPN Georgia Southern at Texas State ESPNU
Fri, Oct. 12 7 p.m. South Florida at Tulsa ESPN 10 p.m. Arizona at Utah ESPN
Sat, Oct. 13 Noon Iowa at Indiana ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 3 p.m. Western Michigan at Bowling Green ESPN+ 3:30 p.m. Ohio at Northern Illinois TBD TBD Hawai'i at BYU TBD TBD Army at San Jose State TBD TBD Wyoming at Fresno State TBD
Thu, Oct. 18 7:30 p.m. Georgia State at Arkansas State ESPNU 9 p.m. Stanford at Arizona State ESPN
Fri, Oct. 19 7 p.m. Yale at Penn ESPNU 9 p.m. Colorado State at Boise State ESPN2
Sat, Oct. 20 2 p.m. Bowling Green at Ohio ESPN3 3 p.m. Eastern Michigan at Ball State ESPN+ Western Michigan at Central Michigan ESPN+ TBD Fresno State at New Mexico TBD TBD Penn State at Indiana ABC, ESPN, ESPN2
Tue, Oct. 23 8 p.m. Troy at South Alabama ESPN2
Thu, Oct. 25 7:30 p.m. Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech ESPN Appalachian State at Georgia Southern ESPNU
Fri, Oct. 26 7 p.m. Miami at Boston College ESPN 10:30 p.m. Utah at UCLA ESPN
Sat, Oct. 27 TBD Northern Illinois at BYU TBD TBD San Diego State at Nevada TBD TBD Hawai'i at Fresno State TBD Tue, Oct. 30 8 p.m. Kent State at Bowling Green ESPN2 or ESPNU Miami (Ohio) at Buffalo ESPN2 or ESPNU Wed, Oct. 31 7:30 p.m. Ball State at Toledo ESPN2 Thu, Nov. 1 7:30 p.m. Temple at UCF ESPN Fri, Nov. 2 6 p.m. Penn at Cornell ESPNU 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Virginia ESPN2
Sat, Nov. 3 TBD Notre Dame at Northwestern ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 TBD BYU at Boise State TBD TBD San Diego State at New Mexico TBD
Tue, Nov. 6 7:30 p.m. Kent State at Buffalo ESPNU
Wed, Nov. 7 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Ohio at Miami (Ohio) ESPNU or ESPN2 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Toledo at Northern Illinois ESPNU or ESPN2
Thu, Nov. 8 7:30 p.m. Wake Forest at NC State ESPN
Fri, Nov. 9 7 p.m. Louisville at Syracuse ESPN2 10:15 p.m. Fresno State at Boise State ESPN2
Sat, Nov. 10 TBD UNLV at San Diego State TBD Colorado State at Nevada TBD
Tue, Nov. 13 6 p.m. Western Michigan at Ball State ESPN2
Wed, Nov. 14 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Buffalo at Ohio ESPNU or ESPN2 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. Miami (Ohio) at Northern Illinois ESPNU or ESPN2
Thu, Nov. 15 8 p.m. Tulane at Houston ESPN
Fri, Nov. 16 9 p.m. Memphis at SMU ESPN2
Sat, Nov. 17 TBD New Mexico State at BYU TBD TBD Yale vs Harvard from Fenway Park in Boston TBD TBD Air Force at Wyoming TBD 2 p.m. 2018 Florida Classic: Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman from Orlando ESPN Classic
Tue, Nov. 20 7 p.m. Ball State at Miami (Ohio) ESPNU or ESPN+ 7 p.m. Northern Illinois at Western Michigan ESPNU or ESPN+
Thu., Nov. 22 7:30 p.m. Mississippi State at Ole Miss ESPN
Fri, Nov. 23 TBD UCF at South Florida TBD TBD Virginia at Virginia Tech TBD TBD Houston at Memphis TBD 8 p.m. Oklahoma at West Virginia ESPN
Sat, Nov. 24 TBD Utah State at Boise State TBD TBD Hawai'i at San Diego State TBD TBD San Jose State at Fresno State TBD
Please Note: Not all ESPN3 and ACC Network Extra games are exclusive
Conference Championship Weekend
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Fri, Nov. 30 7 p.m. Marathon MAC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP from Detroit ESPN2
Sat, Dec. 1 TBD Dr Pepper ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME from Charlotte TBD TBD American Championship Game (campus site TBD) TBD TBD Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Game from Arlington TBD TBD Mountain West Championship Game (campus site TBD) TBD TBD Sun Belt Championship Game (campus site TBD TBD
Robert and Pam Champion’s son, Robert, was found unresponsive on a bus parked outside of the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando on Nov. 19, 2011. A drum major in Florida A&M University’s famed Marching 100, the 26-year-old was pronounced dead at an Orlando-area hospital. Robert Champion graduated from DeKalb County’s Southwest DeKalb High School.
Fifteen FAMU students were charged in connection with Champion’s death. Many took plea deals.
The Champions will be among 16 parents included in the show, including parents of hazing victims from incidents at West Virginia University, Penn State and Texas Tech. CONTINUE READING
AUSTIN. Texas — Nothing went right the first time around.
Texas Southern allowed 10 runs, committed three errors and left 11 men on base in a 10-2 loss to Texas on April 18 at Constellation Field in Sugar Land. But that was the last real shellacking coach Michael Robertson’s team endured.
In 15 games since that meeting, TSU (27-26) has outscored opponents 165-70, including 46-19 in a four-game SWAC tournament sweep. That high-octane production has generally been enough to offset a pitching staff that ranks as one of the nation’s worst.
Now TSU enters the Austin Regional as the No. 4 seed, and another matchup with Big 12 champion and No. 1 seed Texas (37-20) looms. The two meet Friday at Disch-Falk Field.
“When you look at Texas Southern, who we were matched up with down in Houston, this is a team that is a little different from the SWAC team you’ve seen in the past,” UT coach David Pierce said. “First of all, they’re older. They’re very physical and they can run. They are a very qualified four seed.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) made a significant impact during the 13th hosting of its annual men's and women's basketball tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This year's tournament delivered record attendances at many of the conference's annual community service events, crowned Virginia Union University men's and women's basketball teams as tournament champions and created welcoming atmospheres both in-arena and at other official events, while boosting the local economy.
CIAA Tournament By The Numbers
Approximately, $1.6 million were raised in scholarship funds for current and future students to receive an education across the CIAA's 12-member institutions. These dollars are generated from support provided by our sponsors, alumni and fans who purchase tickets, and tax dollars generated from visitors traveling to town to be a part of the CIAA tournament experience.
According to the 2018 CIAA Post-Tournament survey and economic impact report conducted by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority:
$28.8 million in direct spending was made by visitors on hotel accommodations, local transportation, food, shopping and entertainment during their tournament week stay
$9.7 million in indirect spending was made by local businesses who increased their advertising and communications efforts, and purchases of miscellaneous supplies and services to meet the incremental demand of CIAA tournament visitors
$12 millionin labor wages were earned by the high volume of workers needed to support activities during tournament week and re-spent by those employees within the local economy.
These figures combine for a total economic impact of $50.5 million, which is a 6.5 percent increase from 2017, and supportive of 436 jobs.
"This year's tournament was truly a homecoming celebration for CIAA students, alumni and fans," said Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams. "We are grateful for the continuous support of our alumni and fans who attend from near and far, member institutions, and local and national partnerships. The combined efforts play a key role in the annual successes of the CIAA Basketball Tournament, and we look forward to forging stronger partnerships with the hospitality community to ensure that the support of our alumni and fans can benefit our CIAA institutions."
For the second year, the conference held early round games sessions at Bojangles' Coliseum on Tuesday and Wednesday and continued with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship finals at Spectrum Center on Thursday through Saturday. The collective game attendance for both venues was 73,343—a 5.8 percent increase from 2017.
"We are pleased with the continued growth we've been able to achieve by moving our early-round games to Bojangles' Coliseum," stated Dr. James Anderson, Chairman of the CIAA Board of Directors. "Not only have we created an exciting atmosphere for our student-athletes, alumni, and fans; but we've been able to deepen our relationships and persistently expand our engagement within the communities outside of Uptown Charlotte."
CIAA Supports The Community
Throughout tournament week, CIAA staff, student-athletes, and corporate partners demonstrated their commitment to service through CIAA Supports community initiatives.
Approximately 5,544 high and middle school students from Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and surrounding counties were reached during the annual CIAA Education Day program. Approximately 537 high school seniors were admitted to CIAA member institutions on-site.
Approximately 95 volunteers, including 40 student-athletes, distributed 800 pairs of new shoes to Nathaniel Alexander Elementary students. This initiative was a part of the 4th Annual Shoes of Hope project in partnership with Samaritan's Feet and Coke Zero.
The CIAA Career Expo drew a record crowd of 550 attendees, providing over 60 vendors inclusive of employers and recruiters with the opportunity to meet recent graduates, graduation candidates, current students from CIAA member schools and area universities, as well as local residents seeking job opportunities.
The CIAA Minority Business & Leadership Symposium drew in 215 minority and small business owners, and featured a panel discussion of candid conversations with business leaders on building and achieving generational wealth and prosperity through business ownership. President & CEO of Black Enterprise, Earl "Butch" Graves Jr., delivered a keynote address to attendees. The CIAA also provided leadership development training to 40 of its student-athlete leaders from across all 12-member institutions.
The 2018 John B. McLendon CIAA Hall of Fame ceremony welcomed 508 attendees who celebrated the four individual inductees and the 13 members of the 1967 WSSU men's basketball team (under the leadership of legendary Head Coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines) into the new class.
Toyota Fan Fest and Super Saturday, part of the tournament's annual lineup of free activities for families, welcomed over 23,000 students, alumni, and fans to the Charlotte Convention Center.
CIAA Tournament Remains in Charlotte
The 2019 CIAA Tournament will be held in Charlotte from February 26 to March 2, 2019.
Early-round basketball games will be played at Bojangles' Coliseum on February 26 and 27, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals competitions at Spectrum Center from February 28 to March 2.
The conference plans to continue building upon its past year's efforts of weaving the Charlotte community and beyond into the fabric of the CIAA experience from basketball games and family-friendly activities to community programs that focus on components such as employment, diversity and inclusion, and entrepreneurship.
For more information about the upcoming 2019 CIAA Tournament and the conference, visit CIAATournament.org and TheCIAA.com.
About the CIAA Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first African American athletic conference and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 16 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member-institutions: Bowie State University, Chowan University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Saint Augustine's University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com. For more information on the CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit CIAATournament.org, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
