TSU Football Will Play Four Games on ASN

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Ohio Valley Conference announced that Tennessee State will play in four of the six Conference football games this season that will be broadcast by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. on the American Sports Network (ASN).

The American Sports Network is an initiative of the Sinclair Networks Group, LLC, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., which owns and operates programs and provides sales services to 162 television stations in 79 markets, reaching approximately 37.5 percent of U.S. television households. It includes FOX, ABC, CBS, MyTV, CW, NBC, Univision and Azteca affiliates.

The first two matchups include Tennessee Tech at Murray State (Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. CT) and Murray State at Southeast Missouri (Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. CT). The third overall game in the series will be played on Saturday, October 10 and feature Tennessee State at UT Martin in a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff. The fourth overall game in the series will be Eastern Illinois at Tennessee State on Saturday, October 17 at 6:00 p.m. CT. The fifth overall game in the series will be played on Saturday, November 7 and feature Murray State at Tennessee State in a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff. The sixth and final game of the schedule will be on Saturday, November 21 and feature Tennessee State at Tennessee Tech at 2:30 p.m. CT.

The exact stations each of the games will air will be announced at a later date.

The announcement of six Conference games on ASN follows the previous announcement of eight Conference contests on ESPN3 in addition to 30 games that can be seen on the OVC Digital Network, the league's web streaming initiative.

The ASN announcement brings TSU’s televised game total up to six games in 2015.

TSU Football on ASN

10/10 – Tennessee State at UT Martin at 2:30pm CT/3:30pm ET

10/17 – Eastern Illinois at Tennessee State at 6pm CT/7pm ET

11/7 – Murray State at Tennessee State at 2:30pm CT/3:30pm ET


11/21 – Tennessee State at Tennessee Tech at 2:30 pm CT/ 3:30pm ET

Courtesy Ohio Valley Conference

5 biggest changes for JSU in 2015

JACKSON, Mississippi -- It's safe to say the Jackson State football program would welcome some changes this fall, especially after last season's 5-7 showing.

Here are the five biggest changes for the Tigers in 2015.

New faces on coaching staff

Earlier this year, JSU coach Harold Jackson said he wanted everyone in the program "pulling on one end of the rope instead of two separate ways."

Pulling in different directions may have been the case last season, and it looks like an overhaul of the coaching staff will aim to fix that. Of the eight positions on staff other than head coach — two coordinators and six assistant coaches — half will be overseen by new men.

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TSU's John Merritt Classic Press Conference Set for July 24

NASHVILLE --- Tennessee State will host the 2015 John Merritt Classic Press Conference on Friday, July 24 at Nissan Stadium. The press conference will begin at 11 a.m. in the stadium’s Press Room (Lower Level).

The 17th Annual John Merritt Classic football game on Sept. 6 will see the Tigers face the Hornets of Alabama State for the 13th time in the programs all-time series history. The game will be a rematch of last season when TSU fell to ASU, 27-21, on the road.

Head coaches Rod Reed and Brian Jenkins will join the director of athletics from both schools to address the media and speak on the upcoming contest. The honoree for the annual event will also be announced.

Nashville favorite and long time WSMV sports newscaster, Rudy Kalis, is set to MC the event.

In last season’s John Merritt Classic, the Tigers defeated Edward Waters College, 58-6, to improve to 11-5 all-time in JMC games.

The press conference will be streamed live on the OVCDigitalNetwork.

TSU Tigers Ticket Information

 

SEASON TICKET BROCHURE (First time season ticket holders)

Season Ticket Price - $70

TSU Faculty/Staff Price - $60

Young Alumni (Must be listed among TSU graduates from 2011-Present)

T

Kids 12 and under - $60 (Must specify at time of purchase)

2015 Football Single Game Tickets

Single game tickets for all four home games will go on sale July 15. All tickets will increase by $5 on game day.

Single Game Tickets at LP Field – Range from $15 - $40

Single Game Ticket at Hale Stadium - $15

 

For season tickets, call (615.963.5841) or visit the TSU Ticket Office.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

4-Star Freshman Recruit Trae Jefferson commits to TSU

WATCH ALL VIDEOS IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

HOUSTON, Texas -- Damontrae "Trae" Jefferson (Believe Prepatory School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin), one of the more entertaining players to watch in the Class of 2015, announced that he had committed to Texas Southern University on Tuesday afternoon via his personal Twitter account.

There’s no shortage of YouTube videos of the diminutive 5-foot-7 point guard. There’s this one from BallisLife that was uploaded last August and this one from last month of him torching defenders while wearing sweatpants.

Jefferson was once listed in the Rivals 150 and is still listed as a four-star recruit, according to the same recruiting service. Despite the ranking, he could only land offers from Atlantic 10, Conference USA, Horizon League and Big West programs, according to Rivals and ESPN, which rated him as a three-star prospect.

It’ll be interesting to track how Jefferson translates to the next level, but he should form an entertaining backcourt alongside rising junior guard Chris Thomas.



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TSU Men’s Basketball Releases 2015-16 Schedule

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University men’s basketball team released its schedule for the upcoming 2015-16 campaign. The Tigers will play a 29-game schedule and will match-up with opponents from the SEC, Patriot League, Mid-American League, Conference USA, Atlantic Sun, SWAC and Missouri Valley Conference before entering OVC action.

TSU will officially kick-off the regular season with two road games at Loyola University (MD) on Nov. 13 and Ohio University on Nov. 16 prior to returning to Nashville for home contests against Fisk (11/18), Middle Tennessee (11/21) and Reinhardt University (11/24).

The Tigers will close out the month of November on the road at Kennesaw State University (11/28) then host Stetson in the Gentry Center on December 5.

VIEW 2015-16 SCHEDULE

A week later, TSU will travel to Chicago, Ill. to face Grambling State in the HBCU Legends Hardwood Classic on Dec. 12. The Tigers will face Atlantic Sun opponents in the next two contests, a rematch at Stetson (12/14) and a home game versus Lipscomb (12/17).

On Dec. 19, TSU will head to Memphis, Tenn. to play Alcorn State in the HBCU Heritage Hardwood Classic. The Tigers will remain on the road the rest of December with match-ups against Illinois State (12/22) and Tennessee (12/29).

OVC action begins on Saturday, January 2 with a road contest at Southeast Missouri and will continue through February, with the Tigers closing out the regular season at home versus Belmont on Feb. 27.

The OVC Basketball Tournament is set for March 2-5 at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.

Tiger fans will get a chance to see the team in preseason action when TSU hosts Cal State East Bay in an exhibition game on Tuesday, Nov. 3 in the Gentry Center.

VIEW 2015-16 SCHEDULE


ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Rutgers Transfer Okoro Joins NSU Men's Basketball Program

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Norfolk State men's basketball program added another Division I transfer on Tuesday, as former Iowa State and Rutgers player Nkereuwem Okoro signed a grant-in-aid to play his last season with the Spartans.

Okoro, who goes by the first name Kerwin, is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound guard/forward. He will sit out the upcoming season and have one year of eligibility remaining in 2016-17. Okoro played at Iowa State in 2012-13 and the past two seasons at Rutgers.

"I have known Kerwin since he was 14 years old. He was once regarded as a top high school player nationally, and has played at the highest levels in college at Iowa State and Rutgers," NSU head men's basketball coach Robert Jones said. "His experience in the Big 12 and Big 10 should help provide immediate dividends for us."

Okoro played in 17 games and made one start in 2014-15 at Rutgers. He averaged 2.0 points and 0.9 rebounds while also adding eight total assists. Okoro appeared in 11 games as a sophomore in 2013-14 and averaged 2.7 points and 0.9 rebounds.



He scored 1.0 point per game in nine games as a freshman at Iowa State in 2012-13 before receiving a waiver and becoming eligible to compete immediately at Rutgers beginning in 2013-14.

Hailing from the Bronx, N.Y., Okoro earned first-team All-Bronx honors by the New York Post in 2011-12 as a senior after leading St. Raymond High School to the 2012 New York Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Class AA state title. He averaged 15.5 points per game that year and was also a two-time first-team All-CHSAA honoree as a junior and senior.

He originally chose Iowa State over Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Arizona and Texas A&M.

"At 6-4, Kerwin possess good size at the wing spot. He can handle the ball like a point guard and is developing into a deadly outside shooter," Jones added. "He will get an opportunity here to showcase his talents. We look forward to him pushing our guys this year in practice and competing for us in the 2016-17 season."

Okoro is the eighth player to join NSU's 2015 recruiting class. Junior college players Jonathan Wade, Preston Bungei and Devarus Craig signed in May, while JC transfer Brian Kelley and incoming freshmen Moses Toriola and Alex Long signed national letters of intent last November.

Okoro joins Iona transfer Daniel Robinson in sitting out the 2015-16 season at NSU.

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS

XU cross country teams to compete for Red River titles in 2015

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has received affiliation with the NAIA's Red River Athletic Conference for the 2015 cross country season. As a result, both the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will compete for RRAC team and individual titles and for automatic berths to the NAIA National Championships.

NAIA legislation approved in 2014 permits teams in conferences without automatic bids — five or fewer eligible teams — to pursue affiliate membership with automatic-bid conferences. The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, Xavier's home since 1981, will not qualify for automatic bids to nationals in cross country this year.

Xavier will continue to compete for GCAC championships and bids to nationals in women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball and men's and women's outdoor track and field. Men's and women's tennis will compete in an NAIA unaffiliated group for the sixth consecutive year.

Xavier won each of the last nine GCAC men's and women's cross country team championships and produced six men's and four women's individual champions during that time.

The Red River's full-time cross country members are Huston-Tillotson, Jarvis Christian, Langston, LSU-Shreveport, Our Lady of the Lake, Paul Quinn, Southwest and Wiley. The men and women of Wiley won the 2014 Red River team championships.

"I am very excited about the move, both for our teams and for me," said Joseph Moses, coach of the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets since 2004. "It will be a new challenge for our program. We have competed against some of these schools before, and it will be more difficult. But we're going in there with the thought of challenging for the championship. When the gun goes off, we'll be ready."

A second GCAC member from New Orleans, Dillard University, also will compete for the Red River's men's and women's cross country titles in 2015.

The Red River's championship meet will be Nov. 6 in San Antonio, Texas. The NAIA National Championships will be Nov. 21 in Charlotte, N.C.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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