N.C. Central & Savannah State Become Full Members Of MEAC

NORFOLK, Va..- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) confirmed today that North Carolina Central University and Savannah State University have met the criteria to become full members of the conference effective September 1, 2011.

"We are elated to have North Carolina Central and Savannah State to become full members of the MEAC family," said Commissioner Dennis Thomas. "I am pleased to announce that both institutions have done a great job at meeting detailed criteria to be confirmed for full membership."

Thomas added, "Their additions sustain our long range and strategic plan of adding up to 14 members. Adding these outstanding academic institutions completes the geographical footprint that bridges our South Carolina and Florida institutions. "

As a full member, North Carolina Central and Savannah State are immediately eligible to participate in all conference championships and earn the conference's automatic berth to NCAA postseason competition in all sponsored sports.

The additions give the MEAC a total of 13 conference members with 11 football playing institutions. The conference is in its 42nd year of operation heading into the 2011-12 academic school year. The MEAC sponsors 15 Division I (FCS) sports with automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason competition in baseball, bowling, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, softball, and volleyball.

Today's announcement reaffirms the provisional membership status North Carolina Central received in 2009 and Savannah State received in 2010.

North Carolina Central recently received approval from the NCAA to reclassify from Division II to active Division I status. NCCU is one of seven founding member institutions of the MEAC.

Savannah State, which previously competed as a Division I independent, is the only institution in the MEAC from the state of Georgia.

Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 13 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and South Carolina State University.

Carson Newman crushes Fayetteville State

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — The No. 20-ranked Carson-Newman College football team dismantled visiting Fayetteville State Thursday night. The Eagles defense recorded five sacks and the offense scored eight touchdowns on its way to a 56-7 victory over the Broncos at Burke-Tarr Stadium.

“It was very pleasing,” head coach Ken Sparks said. “I was excited about how they responded. We just have to keep it going. We’re glad to be where we are right now. I think we’ve got something special going. I thought the offense, at times, was very solid and the defense, at times, was almost spectacular. ”



It was a banner day for the Eagles defense. In addition to the five sacks and seven tackles for a loss, Carson-Newman picked off two passes and held Fayetteville State to just 165 total yards.

On offense, the Eagles were nearly unstoppable. C-N piled up 478 total yards, with 417 coming on the ground. Carson-Newman was 7-of-9 on third down conversions and 5-for-5 in the red zone. The Eagles’ first punt came with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter.

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Morehouse looks for upset of Howard

Washington, D.C. - The idea of the Nation’s Football Classic is to pit Morehouse against Howard in a meeting of two prominent historically black colleges and universities.

By the time the game kicks off Saturday at RFK Stadium, there will have been plenty of activities surrounding the game. The schedule started Thursday with a symposium at Howard and continued with events that included student debates and step shows for fraternities and sororities.

But for the Morehouse football team, all the hoopla of the weekend boils down to a chance to make a statement against the Bison.

“Kids at a Division II school always have chip on their shoulders that they didn’t get a chance to get recruited by I-AA [now FCS],” Morehouse coach Rich Freeman said. The Maroon Tigers may be fired up for an upset, but they will have a significant disadvantage in manpower. Freeman said his team has 22 scholarships compared to 55 for Howard, which plays at the FCS level.

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NEXT GAME: Morehouse vs. Howard , (RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C), 3:30 p.m.

KSU-Lincoln game will be battle of QBs

Frankfort, KY -- Kentucky State’s football home opener could be an air show. The Thorobreds (1-0) host Lincoln University Saturday with kickoff set for 5 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

Both teams’ quarterbacks had big days in their season openers last week.

Lincoln lost on the road last Saturday to Cheyney, 21-19. In that game freshman quarterback Doug Cook went 30-for-47 for 317 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions.

Senior quarterback Jerel Noland earned SIAC offensive player of the week honors for his performance in the Thorobreds’ 39-21 win over Central State Sunday in the Dayton Classic. Noland went 13-for-16 for 218 yards. He threw for four touchdowns and had no interceptions.

Lincoln rallied late last week before falling to Cheyney.

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Florida A&M falls to Hampton, 23-17

Hampton, VA - This time was a little better. But for the second consecutive visit, the Florida A&M football team was turned away at Armstrong Stadium and unable to give coach Joe Taylor his first victory on the same field where he had won hundreds of football games.

Taylor's former team took advantage of a FAMU offense that misfired all night and a defense that gave Hampton University one opportunity after another. When the Pirates were done, they racked up 428 yards in total offense and earned a 23-17 victory Thursday night.

Through the first three quarters, FAMU ran 51 plays that produced 164 yards of total offense. By that time, the Pirates had 334 yards on 60 plays. Quarterback David Legree threw for 261 of those yards.

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Saint Augustine's, UNH have something in common

New Haven, CT - Saturday's meeting between Saint Augustine's College and the University of New Haven (1 p.m., DellaCamera Stadium in West Haven) is the first between the schools, although the two teams have something in common: Both have recently reinstated their football programs. In 2002, Saint Augustine's revived football, while the Chargers did the same in 2009 as a varsity sport. Both schools also finished 8-2 last season, barely missing NCAA bids.

Junior quarterback Ryan Osiecki will lead the Chargers after sparking their 35-32, season-opening win over West Chester last Saturday. Osiecki went 16-for-27 and threw for 194 yards and three touchdowns, including the clincher in OT. Saint Augustine's (1-1, 0-1 CIAA) defeated Catawba 30-5 last weekend.

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Kirk's a big hit in Gold Nuggets' victory against Judson

NEW ORLEANS — Moira Kirk produced 14 kills, a .619 attack percentage, five aces and three blocks Thursday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-12, 25-11, 25-17 women's volleyball victory against Judson (Ala.) at The Barn.

Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills for the Gold Nuggets (2-2), and Taylor Reuther had five kills, eight digs and three aces. Celeste Poe served a career-high-tying four aces and had nine digs.

Xavier served 14 aces and had a .200 attack percentage, both season bests. The Gold Nuggets are 2-0 at home for the first time in the program's four-year history.

Judson is 4-2.

The Nuggets served six first-set aces — three by Poe during a 9-0 run, two in a row by Kirk to give Xavier a 19-10 lead, and the last by Reuther to end the set. Kirk served three consecutive aces to give Xavier a 16-6 lead in the second set.

Judson offered its most resistance in the final set, leading 6-4 and 11-10 before Xavier scored 12 of the final 16 points to break out of a 13-all tie. Three Kirk kills and a Joyy Joseph ace keyed an 8-0 run which gave the Nuggets their first of two match points.

Kirk's attack percentage and aces are the best by a Xavier player in a match this season. She entered the match with one ace this season.

Xavier is 3-0 all-time against Judson and will visit the Eagles on Oct. 15.

The Nuggets will continue a busy stretch — four matches in five days — when they travel to Alcorn State for a 7 p.m. Friday contest. Xavier will play Mississippi Valley at The Barn at 3 p.m. Saturday. Alcorn and MVSU are NCAA Division I opponents.

NOTES: Five freshmen started for Xavier — Kirk, Echebelem, Reuther, Jeanay Butler and Alexandra Rencher . . . Reuther's streak of three consecutive matches with 10 or more kills ended . . . Alcorn will be the first of seven XU matches this season against NCAA D-Is . . . Alcorn is 1-6 after a 22-25, 25-20, 25-14, 25-17 loss Thurs OF day at SUNO, a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rival of Xavier. Alcorn won in five sets Wednesday at Dillard, the defending GCAC Tournament champion.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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