JSU Football menu short on games

Jackson State football fans were befuddled last week when the schedule was announced and only 10 games were listed. Athletic director Bob Braddy isn't exactly thrilled with it either, but said he was unable to secure other games. "We would have loved to have an 11-game schedule ... it just didn't materialize," Braddy said. "It's not ideal." Braddy said he's still looking to add one or two more games, but is not having a lot of luck at the moment.

"It's very difficult at this time because most schools have completed their 2009 schedule," Braddy said. "So, it's very unlikely." One thing he would like to do is move the Capital City Classic against Alcorn State from Nov. 21 to Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 26. Braddy hopes the influx of people home for the holiday would help attendance. The move would also cut down the time in between the final game and the SWAC championship on Dec. 12, if the Tigers were to win the East Division for the third consecutive year. Currently, JSU would have three weeks in between the games, whereas the later date would be just over two weeks.

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JSU 2009-2010 Football Schedule

Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result
09/05/09 at Mississippi State Starkville, MS TBA
09/12/09 Tennessee State Memphis, TN TBA
09/19/09 Grambling St. Jackson, MS 3:00 p.m. CT
10/03/09 at Southern Baton Rouge, LA TBA
10/10/09 vs. Arkansas - Pine Bluff Jackson, MS 4:00 p.m. CT
10/17/09 vs. Texas Southern Jackson, MS 4:00 p.m. CT
10/24/09 at Mississippi Valley State Itta Bena, MS TBA
11/07/09 vs. Alabama State Jackson, MS 4:00 p.m. CT
11/14/09 at Alabama A&M Huntsville, AL TBA
11/21/09 vs. Alcorn State Jackson, MS 1:00 p.m. CT

12/12/09 vs. SWAC Championship Game Birmingham, AL 1:00 p.m. CT

Vikings waive RB Maurice Hicks

The (NFL Minnesota) Vikings waived running back Maurice Hicks on Wednesday after their 2008 free-agent signee averaged only 23.8 yards per kickoff return. He didn't have any carries as a running back in 2008, and he was inactive for five of the Vikings' 17 games. He did have the second-most kickoff return yards (133) in Vikings playoff history against the Eagles, which was the first playoff game in his five-year career.

Before coming to Minnesota, Hicks held the top two single-season kickoff return yardage marks in 49ers history. His 1,428 total return yards (all on kickoffs) set a 49ers franchise record (2006) in his first season as the full-time kick returner. Ranked fifth in the NFL and third in the NFC in that category, he had only 82 yards rushing on 29 attempts, and 13 receptions for 137 yards.

Former North Carolina A&T Aggies RB Maurice Hicks (Tom Dahlin/Viking Update)

The 5-11/205 five year NFL veteran is the all-time leading rusher at North Carolina A&T with 2,812 yards in only two seasons at the school. Hicks was named third-team Division I-AA All-American and Black College Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in rushing as a senior with 1,325 yards and 15 rushing TDs on 181 attempts with a long play of 79 yards. He was a two-time first-team all-MEAC winner leadind the Aggies with 92 points in 2001.

Hicks also led the MEAC with 165.6 rushing yards per game and 7.3 yards per carry. and set an NCAA Division I and II single-game record with 437 rushing yards on 34 carries vs. Morgan State (10/6/01). He added six receptions for 41 yards in eight games played as a senior and rushed for 1,487 yards as a junior in his first season at N.C. A&T.

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Money to be top priority for next athletics director at WSSU

Chancellor Reaves says he wants to pick replacement for fired Caldwell quickly

There's no mystery about the primary duty of Winston-Salem State's next director of athletics. "Raising money is paramount," Chancellor Donald Reaves said. "We need somebody who can raise money and engage the community in trying to get support for athletics." Reaves, hoping to act quickly in replacing Chico Caldwell, spent the weekend writing a job description for the advertisement that WSSU will run as part of its national search. "I don't have a timetable, but I do want to get this done as fast as possible," Reaves said.

Caldwell, who was fired Feb. 9 after nine years, had his critics and his allies. Although Caldwell spent time traveling around the country and attending alumni meetings to talk about WSSU's program, some older alumni have said they felt as if they weren't being heard. On the other side, current athletes wonder what Caldwell did to get fired. Bryant Bayne, a senior wide receiver, said he thought that Caldwell worked very hard behind the scenes, especially with the football program.

"I know he worked very closely with our program, and I really didn't know him that well, but once I did get to know him, I thought he was a good guy," Bayne said. Reaves would not go into detail about why he fired Caldwell, saying only that he is looking for fresh ideas. Also unresolved is the status of Caldwell's contract. Caldwell had two years left at an annual salary of about $107,000, according to the university. Neither Reaves nor Caldwell would discuss the contract buyout.

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Victory says it all for DSU

Hornets women rally to knock off MEAC leader North Carolina A&T

DOVER, DE -- When the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament starts next month, Delaware State should be the top seed. That's the opinion of junior Selena Galloway, who helped the Hornets deliver that message Monday afternoon at Memorial Hall. Delaware State, down by 14 early in the second half, embarked on a furious rally over the final seven minutes to upend MEAC leader North Carolina A&T 68-66 in a showdown between the conference's top two teams.

Galloway's driving layup with 1:52 to play forced a 63-63 tie, and her two free throws with 1:35 left put the Hornets ahead after they had trailed from almost the opening tip. Delaware State coach Ed Davis called the victory his team's most significant in two years. Galloway agreed. "It's very, very, very big," said Galloway, a reserve who came off the bench to score 13 points.

DSU Hornets forward Ashley Thompson fights for ball with Lady Aggies Tierra Thomas.

"We're actually underrated in the MEAC conference. Nobody looks at us as the No. 1 seed, but I think we proved it [Monday]." The conference tournament starts March 9. Delaware State (14-11, 10-2) has four conference games remaining -- all on the road -- before the Hornets can worry about tournament seeding. Still, the statement was made. The Hornets ended North Carolina A&T's 12-game win streak and handed the Lady Aggies (18-6, 11-1) their first conference loss. More importantly, the Hornets pulled within one game of first place.

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NCCU announces fan friendly football schedule

Complete Schedule in PDF Format

DURHAM,N.C. -- Prestige and proximity are the keywords for N.C. Central's 2009 football schedule, which was announced Friday. Four home games plus trips to cross-town foe Duke and Appalachian State -- the dominant power in the Football Championship Subdivision in recent years -- highlight the 11-game slate. NCCU's two biggest rivals, North Carolina A&T and Winston-Salem State, are on the schedule, along with former CIAA rival Hampton.

Those five games will be played on the road, as will contests at Liberty and Old Dominion, making each of the seven road trips shorter than 200 miles. The Eagles, who went 4-7 in 2008 in their second season of Football Championship Subdivision competition, will be at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium against Savannah State and Morehead State as well as Division II Central State of Ohio and NAIA member Central Methodist. All home games are at 1:30 p.m.

Six opponents -- Duke, Appalachian, Liberty, ODU, Morehead State and Central Methodist -- are on NCCU's football schedule for the first time. "I think it's a great schedule, a very challenging schedule for our football team," NCCU coach Mose Rison said. "We wanted to have five games in Durham, and we were able to accomplish that. Another good thing is that all those teams we play on the road, except Appalachian and obviously Duke, will return the dates."

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Grambling State's James 'Shack' Harris hired as senior exec with Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions General Manager Martin Mayhew announced today the hiring of James Harris as Senior Personnel Executive. He will assist Mayhew with the day-to-day management of the player personnel department, and he will assist in the player evaluation process for college and pro talent. Terms of his contract were not disclosed. Harris joins the Lions player personnel department after spending the past six seasons (2003-08) as the Jacksonville Jaguars vice president of player personnel. While directing the Jaguars player personnel area, he oversaw all player acquisitions, including: college draft, free agency, undrafted player signings and the scouting of players in other professional leagues.

Known affectionately as "Shack," Harris brings 34 years of NFL experience to the Lions' front office, with the past 22 years working in player personnel and scouting. Harris originally began his front office career in 1987 when he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a scout, a position he would hold for six years (1987-92). He then moved on to the New York Jets and served as the team's assistant general manager from 1993-96. In 1997, Harris was named the director of pro personnel for the Baltimore Ravens. He was a member of the Ravens' player personnel department from 1997-2002, and he earned a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens as the team claimed a world championship with a victory in Super Bowl XXXV.

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Gulf Coast Classic participants Alabama State, Southern still waiting for payout from game organizers

The foundation owes Southern $103,900 and Alabama State $88,319, Hodge said. He said both schools expect to be paid in full, but have agreed to be patient.

Three months after the Gulf Coast Classic was played, the organization that runs the game still owes the two schools involved nearly $200,000. Game organizers said they have some concerns that their revenue shortfall could cause the two teams to back out of next season's contest, but so far neither one has indicated they would do so. Because of the shortfall, organizers said they also were unable to give out any scholarship money.

Despite all that, officials with the Gulf Coast Classic Scholar & Sports Foundation remain upbeat about the game's prospects. Board members Ray LaPierre and Taylor Hodge said they plan to make several changes before this year's game, such as requiring the teams to sell more tickets, holding the parade on Friday night instead of Saturday morning and, most importantly, adding a title sponsor.

LaPierre said the foundation has an agreement in principal with a national company for a three-year title sponsorship starting with this year's game. LaPierre said board members are hoping to get a signed letter of intent and announce the company next week. "With the upcoming improvements to (Ladd-Peebles Stadium) and the hospitality of the city, all the elements are there to make this a good event," Hodge said. "We just need to overcome the negative thought processes or clouds that may be over us at this point in time."

Before 2008, the Classic had been played in Mobile for 34 years as an Alabama State home game, with the school footing most of the expenses and playing a randomly scheduled Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent. Last year, game officials decided to try to make Mobile's game more like successful classics in New Orleans and Birmingham by locking in two teams that would play every year. The foundation offered Southern University $250,000 a year and Alabama State $225,000 a year to enter into a two-year contract with two option years for the game.

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If $275,000 is coming from the City of Mobile and $50,000 from the Mobile County Commissioners (total: $325,000), why does Southern and Alabama State need the Gulf Coast Classic Scholar & Sports Foundation? Last years attendance was 25,378. At $15.00 per ticket average, you got $380,670 at the gate -- before concession sales, tailgating fees, parking, reserve seating and sponsorship. With 24 corporate sponsorships and other paying events such as Rayco Industrial Mayors’ Luncheon at the Riverview Plaza Hotel and the McDonald’s Stomp the Bay Step Show, presented by AT&T, held at the Saenger Theater, there was some serious cash made at the '08 Gulf Coast Classic events.

I am not saying there was not overhead and other expenses to promote this event, but some M'fers got paid and it wasn't Southern University and Alabama State University. Clear case of breach of contract, and who would execute a contract calling for "unspecified" scholarship money to be provide and without a required audit of all income for this event? You got screwed once--why go down that same path in '09 SU and ASU? Your students deserve better and your lazy athletic departments need to get off their butts and earn their pay by being their own promoter for this game. Otherwise, keep it home and home between the respective schools. Stop pimping your brand and assets to the local hustlers!

-beepbeep

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