2012 Cleveland Classic to Feature Morehouse College and Winston-Salem State University

CLEVELAND, Ohio  -- The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission will host the second annual Cleveland Classic HBCU football game presented by McDonald's on September 15, 2012 where Morehouse College will battle Winston-Salem State University at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Cleveland Classic is an entire weekend full of dynamic activities and events for all ages while celebrating premier historically black universities. Festivities will include a College Readiness Fair presented by McDonald's and College Now Greater Cleveland, Greek Step Show, Tailgate Party presented by University Hospitals, KeyBank Marching Band Half-time Show and the Cleveland Classic game presented by McDonald's.

The Cleveland Classic is one of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission's proprietary events that will serve as a vehicle to bring the community together through exciting sports, educational and cultural activities.

“We are thrilled to once again host the Cleveland Classic. We have two high-caliber schools playing in the game and have enhanced the offering of cultural and educational weekend activities in which the Cleveland community can participate. It's our goal to continue to build an exciting tradition and economic generator for our region,” stated David Gilbert, President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. “This year, the Cleveland Classic weekend is expected to infuse an estimated $3 million of economic activity.”



The weekend will begin on Friday, September 14 with a College Readiness Fair presented by McDonald's and College Now Greater Cleveland. The College Readiness Fair offers an opportunity for the Cleveland Municipal School District and surrounding suburban area students to prepare for life after high school by learning the different options for post-graduate education and methods to achieve their learning goals. An estimated 1,500 select students will be transported free of charge to Cleveland Browns Stadium where lunch will be provided.

The festivities continue Friday evening with a Greek Step Show at Quicken Loans Arena from 7:00pm-10:00pm.

This exciting competition will celebrate the cultural art of stepping as nine nationally recognized HBCU fraternities and sororities showcase their talents and compete to be named the 2nd Annual Cleveland Classic Greek Step Show Champion. Kym Whitley, actress and comedian, along with Ahmaad Crump of the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the evening once again. The Greek Step Show is free to attend with a Cleveland Classic game ticket which will be available for purchase at the event.



On Saturday, September 15th, before entering the stadium for the main event, fans can show their spirit by attending the official Tailgate Party presented by University Hospitals on the north side of Cleveland Browns Stadium. Admission to the Tailgate is free with a Cleveland Classic game ticket. This family-friendly event will feature live entertainment, health screens, vendors, food, beverages, games and more.

The Cleveland Classic football game presented by McDonald's will kick off at noon on Saturday and will feature Morehouse College versus Winston-Salem State University at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Tickets to the Cleveland Classic football game are now on sale through Ticketmaster and are $15 for general admission seats or $40 for reserved seating (processing fees are additional). Groups of 20 or more individuals can purchase tickets for $10 general admission or $35 for reserved seating.



“It is an honor and a privilege to play in the 2012 Cleveland Classic. We look forward to coming to Cleveland, Ohio to face a very formidable Morehouse College Tiger football team. This is a great opportunity for Winston-Salem State University to face a tough opponent in a professional football venue and we look forward to putting on a great show,” said Connell Maynor, Head Football Coach for the Winston-Salem State University Tigers.

“The entire Morehouse family – players, coaches, fans and alumni – is looking forward to participating in the Cleveland Classic,” said Yusuf Davis, Morehouse College Sports Information Director. “We are certain that the Classic will be a success on every level and we anticipate that this will be one of the highlights of our season.”



Additional highlights of the Cleveland Classic include:

Tom Joyner, heard on Cleveland's 93.1 WZAK and host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, will broadcast live from 6:00am-10:00am from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on Friday, September 14th. Joyner is also slated to attend the Tailgate party and toss the coin at the beginning of the Cleveland Classic game.

The National Anthem will be performed by national R&B recording group, Dru Hill.

The KeyBank Marching Band Half-time Show will electrify the crowd with high-light performances by Morehouse College and Winston-Salem State University marching bands and drum lines.



“Radio One is honored to partner with the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission to build the Cleveland Classic into a pillar of Cleveland's rich history. This year, we are thrilled to welcome Tom Joyner back to Cleveland and his live national broadcast from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame preceding the Cleveland Classic that will showcase this great city and event,” stated Jeff Wilson, Regional Vice President of Radio One, Inc.

The Cleveland Classic Local Organizing Committee (LOC) is chaired by Jakki Nance, Spelman graduate and Chief Operations Officer for Swin Cash Enterprise, along with Eddie Taylor, Practice Leader for Oswald Companies, Donnie Perkins, Vice-President of Diversity and Inclusion for University Hospitals and Herb Washington, Owner and Operator of McDonald's. Their leadership and resources will enhance the efforts of the Sports Commission and bring much awareness to the community.

TJ Ward, starting safety for the Cleveland Browns, has been named honorary chair for the 2012 Cleveland Classic. He is a fan favorite that is known for his hard-hitting, aggressive playing style on the field and his commitment to inspiring youth in the community. Ward is slated to attend the Greek Step Show on Friday, September 14th and participate in various
promotional efforts leading up to the event.



For more information on the Cleveland Classic weekend or to purchase tickets, visit www.clevelandclassicfootball.com.

ABOUT THE GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION:
The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission prides itself on being one of the most distinguished Sports Commissions in the country, effectively leveraging sports events and activities to further economic development in Northeast Ohio. The philosophy of the Sports Commission sets it apart from others by operating as an economic and community development organization utilizing sports as a vehicle to forward other community agendas. The organization takes the unique approach of becoming a management and financial partner in each event with the goal of producing events that are more successful in Cleveland than other cities in which they have been held. Since 2000, the Sports Commission has been responsible for attracting, creating and/or managing over 124 sporting events resulting in more than $385 million in economic activity. For more information, please visit www.clevelandsports.org.


Yusuf Davis, Sports Information Director
VISIT: MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
VISIT: MOREHOUSE MAROON TIGERS

Zimbabwean-Born Businessman Commits $6.4 Million to Send 40 African Students to Morehouse

Econet Wireless Cbairman Strive Masiyiwa with
incoming Morehouse College African Students
(Photo Courtesy Morehouse College)

ATLANTA, Georgia - Nigena Hamim knew exactly why he wanted to leave the African nation of Burundi and come to the United States to attend Morehouse College.

“I have a dream of fighting ethnic divisions in my country and I am encouraged to realize my vision…After all, I believe that I was born at a time like this to serve and develop my community.”

Zimbabwean-born businessman and philanthropist Strive Masiyiwa is helping to make Hamim’s dream a reality. Hamim is one of 10 students – two from Burundi and eight from Zimbabwe – who will be attending Morehouse on full, four-year scholarships, beginning this fall.

They are the first class of the new Ambassador Andrew Young International Scholars program. Masiyiwa, founder and chairman of Econet Wireless, wants African students to earn a world-class education that they can take home with them after graduation. Forty African students in all – representing an investment of $6.4 million – will go through the program.



Masiyiwa believes Morehouse and Atlanta, the center of the civil rights movement with leaders such as Ambassador Andrew Young, will be the perfect place for the students to develop.

“For us, the civil rights movement and our fight against colonialism was almost synonymous,” he said. “We knew people like Ambassador Young and Martin Luther King Jr. I remember reading about King and his life, and of course I got to know about Morehouse and the fact that he had been here and (HBCUs) were very proud institutions. So I got to know about Morehouse fairly early and it really resonated in the struggle that we were involved in.

“What I want to see coming from the student who comes out of the Morehouse system is a much more confident, self-assured, more complete young man who is not struggling to find out who he is in the world,” he said.

The 10 students, some of the top students in their countries, were chosen from a larger pool of 20 young men, chosen by Capernaum Trust, the education arm of Masiyiwa’s Higher Life Foundation.

“Mr. Masiyiwa and his wife really have a heart for seeing talented students who have leadership potential go get the best education in the world and then come back to Africa to lead the kind of changes they want to see on the African continent,” said Philip Howard ’87, vice president for Institutional Advancement.

“They hope the young men will bring the kinds of 21st -century management, leadership, social justice, civic engagement, all those things Morehouse provides, back to the continent to lead Africa into the 21st century.”

Howard; William Bynum, vice president for Student Services; and Kevin Williams ’85, dean of Admissions, flew to Zimbabwe to interview the 20 students in June. Ten were chosen, though the other 10 received scholarships to a South African university.


CNN's Don Lemon talks to Morehouse College senior Derrius Quarles about helping students tap into scholarships.

“All of them, without fail, talked about returning home to do something related to their fields to improve the conditions of their fellow countrymen,” said Bynum. “I’m very excited about these young men. They are academically talented, driven, and once they make that cultural adjustment, the sky’s the limit on what they can achieve.”

The students arrive in Atlanta on Aug. 5, four days before New Student Orientation so they can adjust to their new surroundings. All will have American roommates in the College’s Dubois International House residence hall.

Spelman College officials will observe the Morehouse program this year as Masiyiwa will send 10 female students to Spelman next year.

For now, the 10 young Africans are ready to take advantage of their time at Morehouse.

“I expect Morehouse to help me become the agent of positive change in the community and in people’s lives,” said Abel Gumbo.

By ADD SEYMOUR JR. COURTESY MOREHOUSE COLLEGE

2012 Labor Day Classic: PV Panthers vs. TxSU Tigers

ASU to play at Soldier Field against Kentucky State

CHICAGO, Illinois — Albany State football players got an experience of a lifetime last season when they played in the Circle City Classic against Kentucky State at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This year, the Rams are going a little more north and a little more historic.

The Rams will play Kentucky State in the 15th annual Chicago Football Classic at Soldier Field on Sept. 29, making one of the longest road trips in the history of the program.



“The players were very excited last year when we went to Indy where the Super Bowl was and where the Colts played, and I expect them to feel the same this year,” said ASU coach Mike White, who played against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field when he was a defensive lineman in the NFL three decades ago. “I think they will look forward to the trip. How we get there is a question I have been asked several times.”

Transportation was White’s biggest concern when the Rams played in Indianapolis last October, and he remained uneasy about it when talking about this year’s trip.

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SWAC teams ‘motivated’ as practice starts

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - The poll released at Southwestern Conference Media Day on July 16 represented one of the last gasps of speculation that fuels football fans during the offseason, but a few coaches in the room were happy to use it for their purposes as well.

Southern coach Stump Mitchell, whose Jaguars were picked fourth in the five-team SWAC West, made extra sure his players saw that prediction, and it made an impact.

“It brings up a bit of anger inside of me because I know we shouldn’t be in this position,” defensive tackle Casey Narcisse said. “But we got ourselves here, and all we have to do is get in a dog fight and win it all out so six months later we’ll be crowned champs.”

Though the first punches in that fight are a little more than a month away, the SWAC’s teams will begin lacing up their gloves in the next few days.  With the exception of Texas Southern, which will hold its first ...



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Barbarino gives FAMU Rattlers high marks

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Still trying to catch his breath after completing the final dash of a shuttle run Thursday morning, Florida A&M freshman defensive end Caleb Helms walked into the direction of strength and conditioning coach Russell Barbarino.

“My legs are about to explode, coach,” the former North Florida Christian standout told Barbarino. “Oh yeah,” Barbarino responded, stop-watch and time charts in hand with a whistle around his neck as he kept an eye on the next group of runners.

Several other groups went through the shuttle drill, one of the many physical tests that the entire FAMU football team will go through next week. The players who ran Thursday, providing they passed, will skip the run when testing begins Monday as a prelude to the start of pre-season camp on Aug. 8.

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S.C. State Bulldogs have a rallying cry after summer practice

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  Time will tell if South Carolina State will regain the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football title this season. From an overall physical health standpoint, team strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll is ready to declare the Bulldogs championship-ready.

“The team is in a lot better shape actually than they were last year,” Carroll said. “The volume has increased dramatically. We took those guys up. They’re doing probably 30 percent more work in probably 20 percent shorter time. They just responded to it great.”



A total of 78 returning players and incoming freshmen participated in the monthlong workouts held during the Summer II session at S.C. State. Four times a week — two days in the weight room and two days on Willie Jeffries Field at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium — the players were put through the rigors physically in preparation for the upcoming season.

Donations raised from the “Lift-The-Bulldog” campaign made the workouts possible for the third straight year. Yet for the investment to pay dividends, Carroll said ...

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