Langston University Lions Fall Camp Opens August 1st

LANGSTON, Oklahoma  --  The Lions will start their 2013 campaign on August 1^st when players report for fall camp. Head Coach Dwone Sanders' squad will have four weeks to prepare before they head to Greeley, Colorado to face NCAA Division I FCS foe Northern Colorado. The schedule features three more FCS opponents: Incarnate Word, Nicholls State, and Northwestern State. LU will be on the road for all of them.

Langston's NAIA Central States Football League title defense starts Week 6 in Waxahachie, TX, marking their fifth straight away game. The annual homecoming game will take place on October 19^th against Texas College.

The Lions' national championship bid starts with defense. LU ranked third in the NAIA last year and will return nine players. Pierre Alexander and Ronald Burgess anchor the front four. Burgess is a highly touted prospect coming off the edge. He stands at 6'3, 245 pounds and runs a 4.6 forty. Behind them is the leader of the defense, inside linebacker John Hunter. "I'm impressed with his mental and physical development this offseason," said Coach Sanders. Impact hybrid player Chace Green will stay at striker this season. Finally, there is four year starter, safety Isaiah Ross. Coach Sanders: "He's my version of the Honey Badger. Same size, same speed as Tyrann Mathieu. And they're both from New Orleans."


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Offensive Coordinator Darryl Mason will bring a multiple system from Arkansas Baptist. Jac'Quon Miles is his quarterback. Miles is a returning starter and a three year letterman. He threw 5 touchdown passes last season. Sheldon Augustine caught 2 of them and returns along with another playmaking wideout, Asphen Gaines. They want to stretch the field vertically and give Will Taylor the opportunity to find the running lanes.

After a successful golf tournament in the spring raised over $100,000, there are new expectations around LU football: "Langston is on the brink of greatness. We've been putting in work this offseason that other teams simply cannot match. We have the talent. We have the coaching. We're ready to make this a national championship caliber squad," said Coach Sanders. Everyone is looking forward to one date: August 31^st. The talk ends then. Northern Colorado awaits.

2013 LU LIONS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (.html)

Date	Time		Opponent	Location
8/31/2013	1:30 PM		Northern Colorado	Greeley, CO
9/14/2013	6:00 PM		Incarnate Word	San Antonio, TX
9/21/2013	6:00 PM		Nicholls State	Thibodeaux, LA
9/28/2013	6:00 PM		Northwestern State	Natchitoches, LA
10/12/2013	2:00 PM	*	Southwestern Assemblies of God	Waxahachie, TX
10/19/2013	2:00 PM	*	Texas College (Homecoming)	W.E. Anderson Stadium
10/26/2013	2:00 PM	*	Oklahoma Baptist	W.E. Anderson Stadium
11/2/2013	2:00 PM	*	Oklahoma Panhandle State	Goodwell, OK
11/9/2013	2:00 PM	*	Bacone	Muskogee, OK
11/16/2013	2:00 PM	*	Wayland Baptist	W.E. Anderson Stadium

BOLD: HOME GAMES

Texas College Steers looks to win CSFL

TEXAS COLLEGE STEERS 2013 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

	Day	Time		Opponent
August
	31	7:00 PM	@	Belhaven University
September
	7	6:00 PM	@	Incarnate Word University
	14	12:00 PM	vs.	Hardin-Simmons
	21	7:00 PM	@	Houston Baptist University
*	28	2:00 PM	@	WBU
October
	12	1:00 PM	@	Oklahoma Panhandle State
	19	2:00 PM	@	Langston
*	26	2:00 PM	vs.	Bacone
November
*	9	2:00 PM	vs.	SW Assemblies of God
*	16	2:00 PM	vs.	OBU

 BOLD: HOME GAMES
•* CSFL Conference Game
•Game times are (CST)

Virginia University of Lynchburg has date with WSSU Rams

LYNCHBURG, Virginia  --   Virginia University of Lynchburg have a 10-game schedule for the 2013 includes four home games and six road games. Last season VUL were road warriors, playing seven road games and three home games.

For the first time in three seasons the VUL Dragons will start the season at home. Virginia University of Lynchburg opens the 2013 season at Lynchburg City Stadium on September 7^th. They will welcome the Dragons of Lane College, marking the first every meeting between these teams.

The following week the Dragons will travel to Winston Salem, NC for a one game road trip September 14^th. It will be the first ever meeting between the Rams of Winston Salem State University who are  the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Champion, after finishing last season with a  14-1 record, and a loss to Valdosta State in the Division II National Championship.

The Dragons are home for it USCAA football opener in week three, hosting conference opponent Southern Virginia University on September 14^th. VUL will hit the road the next three weeks, playing at Alderson-Broaddus on September 28^th, at Edward Waters College October 5^th in Jacksonville, FL their longest trip of the season. Rounding out VUL’s three game road swing, is the Wesley College Wolverines on October 12^th. This will the Dragons second time traveling to Scott D. Miller Stadium in Dover, DE and third meeting all-time.

The ensuing week, the VUL Dragons returns to Lynchburg City Stadium to do battle against Concordia-Selma College, for their only home game of October.   Following a bye, Dragons fans will travel to familiar territory November 2^nd, playing against North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro, NC. The Aggies have had the Dragons number over the past two seasons, holding a 2-0 series lead.

VUL will return to Lynchburg November 9^th for Homecoming 2013. The Dragons are welcoming the Blue Bears of Livingstone College to the Lynchburg City Stadium. The regular season finale will conclude on November 16^th when VUL travel to Pembroke, NC and square off against the Braves of UNC Pembroke.

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2013 Dragons Football Schedule (Print Copy)

Date	Time	Opponent	Location
9/7/2013	1:00 pm	Lane College	Lynchburg, VA
9/14/2013	6:00 pm	Winston Salem State University	Winston Salem,	NC
9/21/2013	1:00 pm	Southern Virginia University	Ronoake, VA
9/28/2013	12:00 pm	Alderson-Broaddus College	Philippi, WV
10/5/2013	2:00 pm	Edward Waters College	Jacksonville, FL
10/12/2013	1:00 pm	Wesley College	Dover, DE
10/19/2013	1:00 pm	Concordia College	Lynchburg, VA
Homecoming 2013
11/2/2013	1:00 pm	Livingstone College	Lynchburg, VA
11/2/2013	1:30 pm	North Carolina A&T State University	Greensboro, NC
11/16/2013	2:00 pm	UNC Pembroke University	Pembroke, NC

COURTESY VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY OF LYNCHBURG SPORTS INFORMATION 

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats employ MMA-style training

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  Bethune-Cookman's summer football workout Saturday morning ended with 20 players trying to choke each another out.

 

And Wildcats coach Brian Jenkins was happy to hear about it.

 

That is because the workout-ending scrum was by design – the end of a four-session, alternative method of training endorsed by Jenkins and directed by Fight Sports Daytona instructor Todd Cutler and B-CU Director of Strength and Conditioning Medgar Harrison.

 

Cutler, who trains mixed martial artists at his Fight Sports Gym – an old white building located along Ridgewood Avenue -- said the program is based on the principles and conditioning of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

 

It is a style of training that seems to be gaining ground with professional athletes – perhaps most notably Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen – looking to augment their normal training methods.

 

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Concordia-Selma Hornets prepares for first football practice

SELMA, Alabama  --  Entering his first full season as head coach at Concordia College Alabama, Don Lee cannot wait for football season to arrive.

“I’m excited. I get to start a team fresh,” Lee said. “Starting off in the springtime, we came in and we put in our system, but now it is good going into the season to see how well your system can be executed.”

The Hornets will start two-a-days Aug. 4, which will give Lee his first look at his team since spring practices.

After taking over as head coach following the third game last season, Lee led Concordia to a 6-3 record.

He said he fought the urge to change up the offensive and defensive schemes to what he likes to do when he took over in 2012, because he knew it would disrupt the Hornets’ season. Instead, he used last season to evaluate the talent on the roster to see what he had to work with.

COACH DON LEE

“It was an opportunity for us to evaluate a lot of things; evaluate the system, evaluate the players and then come into spring ball and see what fits into your system,” Lee said.

Lee’s pass heavy, Air Raid offensive system will give opponents little time between plays, while his defensive schemes are based around applying a lot of pressure to opposing offenses to force turnovers.

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2013 Concordia Hornets Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Time
Aug-31	Abilene Christian University	Abilene, Texas	6 PM (CST)
Sep-7	Stillman College	Tuscaloosa, AL	5 PM (CST)
Sep-14	open
Sep-21	Miles College	Fairfield, AL	6 PM (CST)
Sep-26	University Of West Alabama	Demopolis, AL	7 PM (CST)
Oct-5	Ave Maria University (Homecoming)	Selma, AL**	noon (CST)
Oct-12	Arkansas Baptist (Cross Road Classic)	Prichard, AL	2 PM (CST)
Oct-19	Virginia University of Lynchburg	Lynchburg, VA	1 PM (EST)
Oct-26	Fort Valley State University	Fort Valley, GA	2 PM (EST)
Nov-2	Georgia Military	Selma, AL**	1 PM (CST)
Nov-9	Delta State University	Cleveland, MS	2 PM (CST)
Nov-16	Warner University (Senior Game)	Selma, AL**	1 PM (CST)

BOLD: Home Game



COURTESY CONCORDIA COLLEGE - SELMA SPORTS INFORMATION

South Carolina State still draws respect in MEAC

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  As compared to the larger NCAA Division I football conferences like the Southeastern Conference, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s preseason luncheon did not garner national attention.

For those with team members and Football Championship Subdivision observers, the one-day event held this past Friday in Norfolk, Va., offered some interesting revelations which can only increase anticipation for the upcoming season:

1. Bethune-Cookman is considered the team to beat, but South Carolina State still commands   respect.

As the defending MEAC champions and owners of a 13-game conference-winning streak, the Wildcats enter the new season with great swagger and a high confidence level. Since taking over in Daytona Beach in 2010, Brian Jenkins has made a meteoric rise to the top of the conference coaching ranks in leading Bethune-Cookman to a 28-7 overall record, 21-3 in the MEAC and a share of two regular-season titles. Another perfect season in conference play would leave the Wildcats one shy of South Carolina State’s MEAC-record 22 straight conference wins set from 2007-2010.

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Mickey Clayton to host new sports talk show on Internet

(L) Clayton Smith and (R) Mickey Clayton will co-host, Insiight on Sports
with Alvin Hollins being the producer and Gerald Tookes will be director of the shows.
(Courtesy: INSiiGHTS ON SPORTS)

Coming August 2, INSiiGHTS ON SPORTS (http://insiights.com/)

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The story that Mickey Clayton mentioned on Wednesday afternoon is sad, but it happens.

As he told it, an out-of-state high school sophomore was pulled from remedial classes by his parents after they were told that the boy could not remain in the developmental classes if he wanted to be on his school’s football team. The parent figures that football will be his ticket to playing in the pros as they decided to follow the coach’s edit, Clayton said.

“All their hopes are on (the child) but they couldn’t understand how important it is for him to do his math and pass his grades,” Clayton said. “There is an educational component that we want people to understand that it starts at this point to be ready for the next level.”

Clayton will use a sports talk show that he and a few of his friends have put together to bring issues like the one he discussed earlier to the forefront.

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Lincoln confirms school is dropping three sports

LOWER OXFORD, Pennsylvania  --  Athletic Director Dianthia Ford-Kee confirmed this week that Lincoln University is dropping men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s bowling, for the upcoming 2013-14 academic year. 
 

The move raises the number of discontinued sports at LU to four in the last two years, as men’s soccer was axed following the 2011 season. Lincoln now offers a total of 11 intercollegiate sports: men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, football, men’s and women’s track, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s soccer and volleyball. 

  

“Right now, it’s not etched in stone that none of these (suspended programs) will return,” Ford-Kee said. “That’s why we have elected to say we have suspended those sports.”    

 

In an era of tumbling state funding, universities across the country are being forced to cut back athletic department budgets. But according to Ford-Kee and Eric Webb, the school’s Director of Communications, the decision was made not to save money, but was a response to declining interest and low participation numbers.

 

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2013 Gateway Football Classic

 

ST. LOUIS, Missouri --  2013 marks the 20 year anniversary for the SLGCSF and the beginning of new traditions!

​

This year’s game features two highly anticipated collegiate teams. Central State University (Wilberforce, OH) returns to the Classic for the first time since the 90's and Tennessee State University making their first appearance ever. 

​

The Classic will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 28, 2013 at the Edward Jones Dome.  We are looking forward to making this year’s Classic Next Level - don't miss it!

Click here for tickets!​​

Gateway Classic Weekend Events

 

Central State Marauder Car on the football field for the first home game - September 7

WILBERFORCE, Ohio -- The Central State University Marauders football team opens the seaon at the annual Dayton Classic game.  This year the game will be held at McPherson Memorial Stadium on CSU's campus.

Don't miss the start of the SIAC season and all of the action as the Maraduers take on the Benedict College Tigers - Kickoff - 1:30pm.

2013 CSU MARAUDERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Tickets
 Adults - $12
CSU Students with I.D. - Free
Students w/o college I.D. - $8
Children under 12 - Admitted Free

Marauder Athletic Tent
Season VIP entrance - $200
Couples Season pass - $250
Individual ticket - $35
Children under 12 - $10



COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY (Ohio) ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Keaton likes what he sees for Stillman football

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama | Teddy Keaton is always looking for an edge. Stillman College’s head football coach has spent the offseason tweaking his football staff to bring in some fresh ideas and a couple of familiar faces.

Keaton has promoted Steve Mares, quarterbacks coach for the Tigers, to offensive coordinator, allowing the head coach to give up play-calling responsibilities so he can better oversee the entire team operation. Mares played under current University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban in the early 2000s while Saban was at LSU.

“He’s determined to be great,” Keaton said of Mares. “I felt like it was time to turn it over to someone else. I know someone gave me an opportunity when I was a young coach and this was a chance for me to do the same thing.

“He understands what I want. He knows what we want to do offensively.”

On the defensive side, Keaton brought ...



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FCS Football: North Carolina Central 2013 Preview

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  In his first season at North Carolina Central, Coach Henry Frazier’s team went 2-9. Last year they boosted that mark to 6-5. This year will be even better. In 2012 the Eagles faltered down the stretch, losing three of their last four games. Part of that was due to an overall lack of depth. With each new recruiting class, Coach Frazier is bringing in more players that fit his system and eventually that will get NCCU back towards the top of the conference standings.

2012 Record: 6-5, 5-3
2012 Postseason: None
Coach: Henry Frazier III (8-14 at North Carolina Central, 77-69 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Michael Bryant
Defensive Coordinator: John Morgan Jr.

Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Andre Clarke, RB, 349 yards
Passing: Jordan Reid, QB, 1,594 yards
Receiving: Marvin Poole, WR, 352 yards
Tackles: Tazmon Foster, LB, 80
Sacks: Ty Brown, LB, 3.0
Interceptions: Ryan Smith, S, 3

Other Key Returnees: FB Gabe Smith, WR Lamar Scruggs, OL Charles Goodwin, OL Michael Wells, OL Zachary Giles, Clevonne Davis, LB Matt Willson, LB Tyriqe Williams, LB Allonte Tuppins, DL Aaron Wallace, DB C.J. Moore.



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Dawson Odums, Southern Jaguars aim to make a statement

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Around the Southern football facility, there are signs that the Aug. 30 season opener against Houston could be more than a big payday.

One such sign is posted on the door to coach Dawson Odums’ second-floor office.

A black-and-white printout bears the logos for Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas, and it shows the score of their game last September: ULM 34, Arkansas 31.

“David has beaten Goliath — that does happen,” Odums said. “But it can’t happen if you don’t believe.”

Southern has bigger goals this season than simply posting an upset in the opener. But the trip to Reliant Stadium is, after all, the first order of business.

And such a tall task right out the gate, Odums said ...

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VUU picked eighth in CIAA; VSU 10th

VUU, VSU not deterred by preseason picks of 8th, 10th, respectively

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. Winston-Salem State’s football team will enter the 2013 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association season as it has ended the previous two — No. 1.

On Thursday, the two-time defending conference champion and reigning Division II runner-up was picked by conference coaches to capture the title during media day at the Donald J. Reaves Student Activities Center at WSSU.

“We don’t really like to talk about the past because that season is over with, that team is gone,” said Rams coach Connell Maynor.

“We’re going to be playing with possibly 30 less players who played last year and won’t be playing this year.”

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Gaither's Hunter Henderson to play baseball at FAMU

TAMPA, Florida  --  Gaither graduate Hunter Henderson, one of the area’s most versatile baseball players last spring, has signed with Florida A&M.

 

Henderson ranked fourth in Hillsborough County with a 0.73 ERA and hit .333 with 12 RBIs. He was essentially the top player on a team that included shortstop Oscar Mercado, who went on to become a second-round pick in the MLB Draft last month.

Henderson finished the year as a second-team selection at first base on the all-Western Conference team, which is selected by local coaches, and an honorable mention on the Tampa Bay Times’ all-Hillsborough team.

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YOUR HELP NEEDED! Howard U. sex assault person in video wanted (Video)

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has released this video of a man who may have information on the sexual assault of a female victim on Howard University's campus earlier this week.

Police want you to take a good look at the man in this surveillance video. It shows him getting on a metrobus outside the university on Monday – right after a disabled teenager was sexually assaulted. Police believe that the man in the video has information about the crime – a crime that Howard students tell us they can’t believe happened on their campus.

“When I first heard that, I was very surprised because Howard University is a very prestigious school and things like that usually do not happen here,” says junior David Bullock.



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Five DelState Hornets named to preseason All-MEAC First Team

COACH KERMIT BLOUNT
(Courtesy DSU Athletics)

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Delaware State has been picked to finish eighth in the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings, according to a poll of league head coaches and sports information representatives announced at the annual MEAC Kickoff Luncheon today.

The Hornets received a total of 201 points in the preseason poll. Bethune-Cookman is the overwhelming favorite to win its second straight MEAC championship. The Wildcats collected 16 of 21 first place votes and 480 points in the poll.

Delaware State exceeded the preseason MEAC expectations in 2012. The Hornets were tied for third in the final standings with a 5-3 record after a 10^th place prediction in the preseason poll last season.

“The preseason polls are good for conversation, but what happens on the field is all that matters,” said Delaware State third-year head coach Kermit Blount. “We lost a number of key players from last year, but we have a solid group of veterans returning and some promising newcomers. There are a lot of question marks on our team, and we have great deal of work to do to get ready for the new season.”

South Carolina State, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central and Florida A&M round out the top five in the 2013 MEAC preseason poll.

The MEAC also announced its 2013 preseason all-conference teams and players-of-the-year.



Five Delaware State players were selected to the preseason All-MEAC First Team: LB Ernest Adjei (sr.); DL Rodney Gunter; DB Terrick Colston (so.): C Brandon Cunningham (sr.); and RB Malcolm Williams.

Adjei, a 2012 All-MEAC First Team pick, Adjei was tied for sixth in the MEAC in tackles at 8.5 per game last season (93 total).

Gunter was a 2012 All-MEAC Second Team selection. He was tied for seventh in the MEAC in sacks (0.5 pg; 5.5 total) and tops among DSU defensive linemen with 49 tackles (27 solo) last season.

Colston, a 2012 Jerry Rice Award nominee (top FCS freshman), was second on the Hornets and fifth in the MEAC in tackles (8.6 pg; 95 total) a year ago.

A 2012 All-MEAC Second Team selection, Cunningham is the lone returning starter on the Hornets’ offensive line.

Williams is the Hornets’ top returning rusher with 437 yards despite missing two games due to an ankle injury in 2012. He had two 100-yard games last season, including 120 vs. FBS Cincinnati.

Delaware State free safety Davon Moore (jr.) was named to the 2013 preseason All-MEAC Second Team. A 2012 All-MEAC First Team pick, Moore was third in the league in tackles (8.8 pg; 97 total) and tied for third with four interceptions in 2012. His 175 interception return yards were tops in the MEAC and second among all FCS players last season.

Florida A&M quarterback Damien Fleming and Bethune-Cookman running back Isidore Jackson were selected as the MEAC’s 2013 Preseason Co-Offensive Players-of-the-Year; while Bethune-Cookman linebacker Jarkevis Fields was named as the top defensive player.

Delaware State was 6-5 overall in 2012, its first winning season since 2007.

The Hornets report for preseason camp on Aug. 7. The first camp day on the field is Aug. 9.

DSU will open the 2013 season with four consecutive road games, beginning at Delaware on Sep. 7 in the fifth meeting between the state’s two Division I football programs.  The Hornets will also visit Towson (Sep. 14), two-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State (Sep. 21) and Savannah State (Sep. 28) in the MEAC opener before playing at home.

The Hornets’ 2013 home opener is Oct. 5 against Bethune-Cookman. Game time is 2:00 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

Delaware State will also welcome Norfolk State (Oct. 12), Howard (Nov. 2) and Morgan State
(Nov. 23) to Alumni Stadium this season.



COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bethune-Cookman Coach raises concern about law

NORFOLK, Virginia   — The few hundred people who had gathered in the huge meeting room at the Waterside Marriott here were hushed. They came Friday afternoon to the media day luncheon to hear MEAC football coaches talk about the upcoming season.

But Brian Jenkins, head coach of defending league champion Bethune-Cookman University, stunned the audience when he challenged his peers to be proactive against stand your ground laws in their home states. Jenkins said he had to make the appeal in the wake of the recent acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford.

It could have been his 13-year-old son.

“I asked myself what would I do if he were a victim,” he said. “I couldn’t deal with that so I decided that I wouldn’t wait to see if he becomes a victim of such a silly act.”

The MEAC is made up of ...

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Mississippi Valley footiball season tickets on sale

(Courtesy MVSU Athletics)

ITTA BENA, Mississippi  –  Season tickets are now on sale for the 2013 Mississippi Valley State football season. This year's slate includes six exciting home games beginning Sept. 7 against Delta State.

General adult admission season tickets are on sale for only $80 while season passes for children ages 5-17 can be purchased for $50. Reserved chair-back seats, meanwhile, are priced at $150.

Season premium parking is also on sale for $150 to park inside the fence at Rice-Totten Stadium. RV and bus parking for the season is set at $180. Single game tickets will go on sale at a later date.

The Delta Devils' home schedule includes games against Delta State (Sept. 7), Southern University (Sept. 21), Jackson State (Oct. 12), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Homecoming –Oct. 26), Texas Southern (Nov. 9) and Alabama State (Nov. 16).

Tickets can be purchased at the MVSU Ticket Office or by calling 662-254-3313. 

View Brochure

Season Tickets

Reserved Chairbacks	$150
Adult General Admission	$80
Children (5-17)	$50
Children (0-4)	Free

Season Premium Parking

Stadium Parking (inside fence)	$150
RV and Bus Parking	$180

Single Game Tickets (vs. Delta State, Texas Southern and Alabama State)

Type	Advance Price	Game Day Price
Reserved Chairbacks	$30	$35
Adult General Admisson	$15	$20
Children (5-17)	$10	$20
Children (0-4)	Free	Free

Single Game Tickets (vs. Southern, Jackson State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff)

Type	Advance Price	Game Day Price
Reserved Chairbacks	$30	$35
Adult General Admission	$20	$25
Children (5-17)	$10	$20
Children (0-4)	Free	Free

Single Game Premium Parking

Stadium Parking (Inside Fence)	$30
RV and Bus Parking	$45

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern’s Dray Joseph: ‘We all can make this journey’

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  --  Southern’s players jokingly chide Dray Joseph after the senior utters a line during summer workouts.

As they pant and sweat under the sweltering sun, the senior quarterback will offer a refrain borrowed from a familiar source.

“We all can make this journey,” he says.

Chuckling and smiling, his fellow Jaguars offer a quick retort: “You sound just like Coach Odums.”



Relaying the anecdote to coach Dawson Odums, he only offers up a contended grin at the mind meld taking place to help Joseph evolve from the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s best passer into a field general mastering a West Coast scheme as the Jaguars try to end a stretch of three consecutive losing seasons.

“It’s great to see the leadership he’s displaying on and off the field,” Odums said Monday during SWAC Media Day. “It’s a tough position, and you want to be accepted as an individual, but it takes a quarterback to say, ‘I’m not really like everybody else.’ He’s accepted that pressure.”

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VUU Panthers Picked to Finish Eighth in CIAA Football

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Virginia Union University's football team was picked to finish eighth in the CIAA at the 2013 CIAA Football Media Day, held on Thursday, July 25, in Winston-Salem, N.C.

VUU's Denzel Duchenne earned Pre-Season All-CIAA Honors as a punt returner, it was released on the same day.

VUU finished 5-5 last season, including 3-4 in CIAA play.  The Panthers led the CIAA with an average of 4.9 yards per rush.

Duchenne, a sophomore from Brooklyn, N.Y., returned 22 punts for 319 yards (an average of 14.9 yards per return).  Duchenne also returned seven kickoffs for 115 yards and caught 19 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown.



COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

In the FCS Huddle: Depth underscores MEAC title race

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Pop open the hood on the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason football poll and the shiny engine that is defending champion Bethune-Cookman can make you reach for the sun-glasses.

Take a closer look, though, and you realize there's plenty of sparkling parts that comprise what could be a big season for MEAC football.

Plenty that threaten Bethune's title reign, too.

The Wildcats were the clear favorite at Friday's media day in Norfolk, Virginia, gaining 16 of the 21 first-place votes in the preseason poll, but an 11-team, one-division set-up makes for a grind each season, and the rise of North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T last season has heightened that scenario.

South Carolina State, which had been the recent MEAC power until ..,

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Hamilton: WSSU Rams’ success raises profile of CIAA

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  From start to finish Thursday, 11 CIAA football coaches stepped onto a small stage at Winston-Salem State and quoted from nearly identical scripts — list goals for the coming season and, at some point, kiss the host’s ring.

And why not? WSSU has earned any respect being thrown its way.
Since Connell Maynor took over as coach in 2010, the Rams are 35-4 overall, 21-2 against CIAA opponents and have won the last two league titles.

The 2012 team — one of the best in HBCU history — had a conference-best 14-1 record.

It also was the first HBCU team since ...



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Five Eagles earn preseason All-MEAC honors; NCCU picked 4th

NORFOLK, Virginia –  Five North Carolina Central University Eagles were named to the preseason all-conference team, while NCCU was picked to finish the upcoming season in fourth place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as voted by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors.

The announcements were made by the MEAC on Friday in Norfolk, Va., during the conference's annual football media day and luncheon.

The five Eagles named to the All-MEAC Second Team are senior quarterback Jordan Reid, senior offensive tackle Charles Goodwin, sophomore safety Ryan Smith, senior punter Matthew Cornelius and junior kicker Oleg Parent.

NCCU is coming off its first winning season since 2007 with a 6-5 overall record and a 5-3 conference mark. The Eagles tied for third place in the MEAC standings a year ago. With a fourth place prediction for 2013, NCCU is listed behind No. 3 North Carolina A&T, No. 2 South Carolina State and No. 1 Bethune-Cookman, the defending conference champion, on the preseason predicted order of finish.

Reid (High Point, N.C.) threw for 1,594 yards and 13 touchdowns, while breaking the NCCU single-season record by completing 62.3 percent of his pass attempts.

Goodwin (High Point, N.C.) started every game at left tackle for the Eagles last season, while recording an average grade of 89 percent with 19 pancake blocks and 28 knockdowns in 11 games.

Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) finished his rookie season as NCCU's second-leading tackler with 65 total takedowns. He also ranked second on the team with three interceptions and third on the squad with eight passes defended (three interceptions, five pass break-ups), while leading the MEAC and tying for second among NCAA-FCS leaders with four fumble recoveries.

Cornelius (Charlotte, N.C.) averaged 35.9 yards per punt with a long of 58 yards. He also placed 16 punts inside the 20-yard line with only two touchbacks.

Parent (Lake Forest, Calif.) was the No. 1 scoring kicker in the MEAC last year with an average of 6.2 points per game. He converted 11 field goals, including 3-of-6 from 40 yards or beyond with a career-long boot of 46 yards.

NCCU opens the 2013 season on Aug. 31 at Duke University inside Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.

The Eagles' first home game is on Sept. 7 against Saint Augustine's University inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. Season tickets to NCCU's six home games are still available for purchase online at www.NCCUEaglePride.com or at the NCCU Ticket Office (919-530-5170) on the lower level of W.G. Pearson Cafeteria.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Five SSU Tigers Receive Preseason All-MEAC Honors

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Head football coaches and sports information directors of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference have selected five Savannah State football players to the Preseason All-MEAC squad. The selections were announced at the annual MEAC football press luncheon held at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel.

Senior wide receiver Simon Heyward made the first team offense while senior defensive back John Wilson was named to the second team defense. Dylan Cook (wide receiver) and Kris Drummond (tight end) were named to the third team offense while senior Micah Blount (defensive lineman) was named to the third team defense.

Heyward (5-11, 185) had 44 receptions for 751 yards and six touchdowns last year. The Savannah, Georgia native enters his senior year with 116 career receptions for 1,381 yards and eight touchdowns. Earlier this summer, Heyward was named to the First Team by College Sports Madness Preseason All-MEAC team  Heyward is also on the watch list for the College Football Performance Awards FCS Wide Receiver Award.  The award is given annually to the top wide receiver in the Football Championship Subdivision.  Heyward is one of 34 players on the watch list.

Wilson (5-10, 175) finished last season with 68 tackles , three tackles for losses, four interceptions and seven pass break-ups. The Athens, GA native also blocked one kick.

Cook (6-2, 190), a senior from Hiram, GA, caught 37 passes a year ago for 491 yards and one touchdown while Drummond (6-5, 215), a junior who hails from Washington, D.C., hauled in 21 receptions for 318 yards and a touchdown. Blount (6-6, 225) played in nine games last year and had 37 tackles, four tackles for losses. The Stone Mountain, GA native also had 2.5 sacks.

Savannah State, which received one first place vote, was picked to finish 11th in the MEAC.

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION