GCAC Unveils New Conference Logo

                                                                           

Hattiesburg, Miss. - The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference recently released a new logo that will be used by the GCAC. This logo was chosen from a design submitted by Eddie Frances, Director of Public Relations at Southern University of New Orleans.

Frances provided the following information concerning the design of the logo:

The five stars represent the five pillars of the Champions of Character program.

The letter A signifies the commitment to our athletes' successful matriculation through college.

The biggest star shows our commitment to Servant Leadership (keeping in mind our particular institutions' connection to their respective communities).

Dr. Thomas Howell, Commissioner of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, expressed his appreciation to Mr. Frances and stated that "I'm proud of the result and will delight in showing it off to commissioners of other conferences".

The president of the GCAC, Kiki Barnes of Dillard University, echoed Dr. Howell's comments concerning the logo and also stated "I would like to thank all of the conference sports information directors for your submissions and work in getting this done. Thanks again for your hard work and the great spirit in which you do it."

VISIT: GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

TSU Tigers looking to defend their SWAC Championship

Houston, TX - SWAC Football Media Day concluded Tuesday at the Birmingham Sheraton with coaches and media awarding Jackson State quarterback Casey Therriault and Prairie View defensive back Moses Ellis preseason player of the year honors. Grambling and Jackson State were also voted to be the favorites in their respective divisions.

SWAC Predicted Order of Finish (1st-place votes)

Western Division
Grambling State (12) 103 points
Texas Southern (8) 79 points
Prairie View A&M (2) 74 points
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1) 56 points
Southern 33 points

Eastern Division
Jackson State (13) 88 points
Alcorn State (6) 84 points
Alabama State (3) 82 points
Alabama A&M (1) 62 points
Mississippi Valley State 27 points


NEXT GAME: 9/10/11 PRAIRIE VIEW AT DELMAR STADIUM, HOUSTON, TX  7 PM
VISIT: TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
VISIT:  TSUTIGERS

Shaw University Bears lead All-CIAA

Raleigh, N.C. - The preseason All-CIAA football team was released on Tuesday, as was the conference's predicted order of finish. Both lists were selected by the CIAA Football Coaches Association. Shaw, Elizabeth City State and Winston-Salem State each had five players chosen to the 26-player preseason All-CIAA team. Two players were selected from St. Augustine's.

PRESEASON ALL-CIAA TEAM

OFFENSE
QB - Creven Powell, sr., Elizabeth City State
RB - Daronte McNeill, jr., Elizabeth City State
RB - Nicholas Cooper, sr., Winston-Salem State
WR - Robert Holland, jr., Chowan
WR - Tehvyn Brantley, so., Winston-Salem State
TE - Bobby Holiday, sr., Shaw
OL - Larry McDonald, sr., Fayetteville State
OL - Baron Coffin, sr., Elizabeth City State
OL - Bryan Garnett, sr., Elizabeth City State
OL - Allen Buckner, sr., Shaw
OL - Markus Lawrence, jr., Winston-Salem State
PK - Austin Turner, sr., Fayetteville State
KR - Tyron Laughinghouse, jr., St. Augustine's

DEFENSE
DB - Andre Lyles, sr., Fayetteville State
DB - Kenny Turner, sr., Bowie State
DB - Darrell Evans, so., Shaw
DB - Alton Keaton, sr., Winston-Salem State
DL - Larry Jones, sr., Elizabeth City State
DL - Charles Deas, sr., Shaw
DL - Stanley Porter, sr., Shaw
DL - Akeem Ward, sr., Winston-Salem State
LB - Delano Johnson, sr., Bowie State
LB - Brucelee Sterile, sr., Lincoln
LB - Jeremy Pruitt, sr., Va. State
P - William Rudd, so., Va. State
PR - Tyron Laughinghouse, jr., St. Augustine's

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NEXT GAME: 9/3/11 AT STILLMAN COLLEGE, TUSCALOOSA, ALA. AT 5 PM
VISIT: SHAW UNIVERSITY
VISIT: SHAWBEARS

Hope keeps MVSU Devils ticking as new season approaches

Delta Devils Coach Karl Morgan

BIRMINGHAM — Mississippi Valley State's Karl Morgan is hoping - a lot.

He's hoping his team will win a game this season - they lost all 10 in 2010. He's hoping his starting quarterback won't get injured - two have over the past year. He's hoping the junior college transfers he added in January will help out - he signed a whopping seven of them.

"Hopefully," the second-year coach said, "we're better, and I think we will be."

Morgan returns about half of his starters, just three on offense and seven on defense. Most of them are young players, like Robert Simpson, who started some games as a true freshman last season.

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NEXT GAME: 9/3/11 ALABAMA STATE, RICE-TOTTEN STADIUM, MS, 5 PM
VISIT: MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: MVSUATHLETICS

Winston Salem Rams picked to finish second in division

Winston Salem, N.C. - Winston-Salem State, heading into its second season back in the CIAA, is predicted to finish second in the league's Southern Division in football. The CIAA coaches' preseason poll has defending champion Shaw predicted to finish in front of the Rams in the division.

"That's about where I thought we'd end up," said coach Connell Maynor of the Rams. WSSU was 8-2 last season and finished second behind Shaw in the division. "I mean, Shaw's won three out of the last four championships, so I knew they would be picked to win the division," Maynor said.

Maynor said he doesn't put much stock in preseason polls because the competition still has to be decided on the field. "We played them pretty good last year, but came up short and lost," Maynor said. "We know it's going to be another good game with them this year, so it's a natural rivalry and we'll do our best to be prepared."

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NEXT GAME: 9/3/11 AT ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY, ELIZABETH CITY, N.C., 6 PM
VISIT: WINSTON SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: WSSURAMS

ECSU, with 5 All-CIAA picks, gets nod in division

Elizabeth City, N.C. - Heading into the 2011 football season few people are questioning Elizabeth City State’s ability to score points. The biggest question is how the Vikings will manage to stop opposing teams with the loss of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year Malcolm Jenkins.

CIAA coaches think the Vikings will do just fine as they have picked the team to win the Northern Division in their annual preseason ranking.

The regard for ECSU’s offense is shown in the preseason All-CIAA team, where five Vikings were selected, four from the offensive side of the ball. Two Elizabeth City native lead the way...

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NEXT GAME: 8/27/11 at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS at 6:00pm CST
VISIT: ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: ECSUVIKINGS

ASU's Andrews accustomed to offensive changes

Montgomery, AL - At this point in his Alabama State career, senior receiver Nick Andrews isn't fazed by a change of offensive coordinators. He'd be surprised if there wasn't one. This is Andrews' fourth year at ASU. Fred Kaiss, hired prior to spring practice, is his fourth offensive coordinator.

"It's not unusual at all," Andrews said, smiling. "In a way, I think it's kind of helped us. We've learned a lot of different styles and techniques, and I think we're better off. And really, it's not that big of a deal. Football's football, you know. The terminology might be a little different, but we're still trying to do the same stuff out there."

What the Hornets are trying to do, of course, is work their way back to Birmingham and the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game. They were there last year and fell to Texas Southern.

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