Howard football players declared ineligible for season-opening games

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Up to 14 Howard University football players have been declared ineligible to participate in season-opening games by the NCAA, the result of the organization’s continuing investigation into the student-athletes’ improper use of their textbook allowances.

“Right now, it’s not a distraction,” Bison Coach Gary Harrell said Thursday. “We understand the situation. Whatever the ruling is, whatever the NCAA’s plan, we have our plan as well.”

The names or the exact number of the players who will miss time were not immediately made available by the school or the NCAA, but those players will miss one to three games, depending on the extent of the violation. Harrell said the affected players will be able to practice while they wait to regain eligibility.

Howard opens the season Sept. 1 against rival Morehouse at RFK Stadium.

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2012 NCCU Football Training Camp Wrap-Up

MSU Volleyball Opens Up 2012 Season This Weekend At Home In Battle At The Bay

BALTIMORE, Maryland - The Morgan State volleyball team will kick off its 2012 campaign this weekend (Aug. 24-25) when they host the Battle at the Bay tournament at Hill Field House. This will be the first year the Lady Bears will serve as host of the entire tournament and the third consecutive year Morgan State has served as host of at least one day.

The two-day tournament, formerly known as the Battle of Baltimore, featured the Baltimore area's Division I schools (Coppin State, Loyola-Md., Morgan State, Towson and UMBC) for a weekend get together. The University of Maryland-College Park and the Naval Academy (Navy) in Annapolis have also participated in the event when it was known as the Battle of Maryland.

This year's tournament will welcome its first opponent from outside the state of Maryland, as St. John's will replace Loyola-Md. Morgan State is a combined 1-9 in this tournament dating back to 2009 with its lone victory coming at Navy (9/4/09).

The Battle at the Bay gets underway on Friday, August 24th at noon when Towson takes on UMBC. The host Lady Bears will take to the court for the first time in 2012, when they face St. John's at 2:30 p.m. The St. John's match will mark the first season-opener at home for Morgan State since the 2004 season. The second half of Day 1 competition will start back up at 5 p.m. when UMBC faces Coppin State and concludes with St. John's and Towson meeting at 7:30 p.m.

The Lady Bears return to the court on Saturday, August 25th, when they take on UMBC at 10 a.m. St. John's and Coppin State will meet at 12:30 p.m., while Coppin State will conclude its tournament play against Towson at 3 p.m. UMBC and St. John's will meet at 5:30 p.m. and Morgan State will face Towson at 8 p.m. to wrap up the tournament. Morgan State and fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foe, Coppin State will not meet each other this weekend.

Last season the Lady Bears finished 10-19 overall, 8-4 in the MEAC good for second-place in the MEAC North Division. MSU head coach Ramona Riley-Bozier enters her 25th season at the helm of the Lady Bears' program and is 17 wins away from reaching 400.


COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

2012 Labor Day Golden Classic

Previewing The Oklahoma Sooners 2012 Schedule (Part 1 of 2)

EXCERPT:

NORMAN, Oklahoma - The Oklahoma Sooners have shown over the past few seasons they are not afraid to play a tough schedule year in and year out, and 2012 is no exception. This season, the Sooners will take on six teams ranked in preseason polls, and eight teams that went to a bowl game in 2011. News9.com will be taking a look at the opponents for the Sooners this season in a two-part series. Here's a breakdown of each of the Sooners' opponents in the first half of the season.

9/8 Florida A&M

The Sooners' only FCS opponent in 2012 is coming off a 7-4 season in the MEAC last season. The Rattlers also return four all conference selections from the 2011 season. Offensively, the Rattlers return sophomore quarterback, who passed for over 1,600 yards last season as a true freshman. The top two running backs return as well Eddie Rocker and Al-Terek McBurse rushed for over 850 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Leading receiver Lenworth Lennon is back as well, but behind him is an unproven group of young receivers. Florida A&M will need several of them to step up if they want to make a run in the FCS playoffs this year. Defensively for the Rattlers, just three of the top eight tacklers from a year ago are returning, led by linebacker Brandon Hepburn, who made 63 tackles last season. The secondary should be a strong point, as both starters from a year ago return. Unfortunately for OU fans, the Florida A&M band is still suspended, so they won't be making the trip to Norman. Shame, because it most certainly would have been the most exciting part of the game.

 

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Ashley Robinson named MVSU Athletic Director

ITTA BENA, Miss. -- Mississippi Valley State has hired Ashley Robinson to be its athletic director. Robinson returns to his alma mater, where he was a standout basketball player in the early 2000s. He was also the school's compliance director in 2007 and '08.

He comes to MVSU after a three-year stint working in compliance and academic advising at Prairie View A&M.

Robinson will oversee a department that has one of the smallest budgets in NCAA Division I -- $3.2 million in 2011.

Robinson is a native of Jackson, Miss., and says in a statement he is "elated that this opportunity brought me back home to the place it all began. Mississippi Valley State is embedded in my pedigree and I look forward ...

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TSU Tigers football host 2012 Media Day

HOUSTON, Texas  -  The Texas Southern Tigers football team held their annual media day on Saturday.TSU head football coach Darrell Asberry opened the event addressing a packed room of media members from local television, radio, and print journalism.

“I fully understand the high expectations that members of the TSU family have for this football program,” stated Asberry. “As head football coach of this team it will be my main focus to make sure we live up to those high expectations and give Texas Southern University fans and supporters a team that they can be proud of on and off the field.”

Eight members of the Texas Southern football team fielded questions from media at the event. The message that definitely seems apparent from all members of the team that spoke is a great level of optimism for the road that lies ahead.

“We want to go out and prove everyone wrong that picked us to finish in last place in our division,” said TSU quarterback Dantavious Parker. “Our goal everyday in camp and at practice is to continue to get better. Everyone is on the same page and we’re looking forward to getting this season started.”

 Tigers will open the season on September 1st in the Labor Day Classic versus cross-town rival Prairie View A&M. Prairie View has prevailed in the last several meetings of the LDC, a trend in which Texas Southern is eager to break.

“Every new season brings with it a new team and elevated expectations,” added Asberry. “Here at TSU we want to build a program that can compete for championships every year. For us that journey will start on September 1st. I can guarantee that the Texas Southern Tigers football team will be hungry and ready to play football when the 2012 season gets kicked off.”

Texas Southern will prepare to wrap-up fall camp in the upcoming days as classes get set to start on August 27th.

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION