TSU Football Season Tickets Go on Sale July 1

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Season tickets for the 2016 Tennessee State football season will go on sale Friday, July 1. Tickets can be purchased by visiting or calling the TSU Ticket Office (615-963-5841).

The season-ticket package includes four home games with optional seating on or near the 50-yard line.

The Big Blue Tigers open the season on Saturday, September 3 against Arkansas Pine Bluff in the 18th annual John A. Merritt Classic. The game is set to begin at 6 p.m. in Nissan Stadium.

TSU will return to action on Oct. 1 against UT Martin for the Hale Stadium opener before hosting Eastern Kentucky in the Homecoming game on Oct. 15 at Nissan Stadium.

The Tigers close out the home schedule on Saturday, Nov. 12 versus Tennessee Tech on Senior Day at Hale Stadium.

Season tickets are $70 and season parking passes are $30. Fans can purchase one parking pass per season ticket. Discounted prices for kids under 12, young alumni and TSU faculty/staff are also available.

Ticket Information

Season Ticket Price - $70

TSU Faculty/Staff Price - $60

Young Alumni (Must be listed among TSU graduates from 2012-2016) $50

Kids 12 and under - $50 (Must specify at time of purchase)

2016 Football Single Game Tickets

Single game tickets for the John Merritt Classic will go on sale July 15 while single tickets for the rest of the games will begin Sept. 6. All tickets will increase by $5 on game day.

Single Game Tickets at Nissan Stadium – Range from $15 - $40

Single Game Ticket at Hale Stadium - $15

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

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Ball State Men’s Basketball Adds MEAC Big Man DouDou Gueye

DouDou Gueye

MUNCIE, Indiana -- The Ball State men's basketball program has signed post player DouDou Gueye to scholarship papers as a graduate transfer.

The 6-foot-10 Gueye, who spent the past two seasons at South Carolina State, will have one year of eligibility for the Cardinals in 2016-17.

“DouDou is a hard worker gifted with great size,” Ball State coach James Whitford said. “As a graduate student, he will bring some valuable experience to our front court.  DouDou is also an outstanding student and person, and he will be an asset to both our team and our campus at large. We are excited to have him join our program.”

Gueye (full name pronounced Doo-doo GUY-yay) played in all 34 games and made 18 starts last season for a South Carolina State team that reached the finals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament and competed in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).

A native of Dakar, Senegal, Gueye began his career at Western Nebraska Community College, where he played for two seasons before moving on to South Carolina State. He missed the 2014-15 campaign as a medical redshirt and then returned to the court last season.

While in Senegal, he attended SEEDS Academy, a high-level academic and basketball boarding school. As a youth, he took part in the Basketball Without Borders Africa program, an instructional camp organized by the NBA in conjunction with FIBA.

Gueye joins Kyle Mallers (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll HS), Zach Hollywood (Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais HS) and transfer Jontrell Walker (Aurora, Ill./Incarnate Word) in Ball State’s incoming scholarship class for the 2016-17 season. Walker will sit out the season as an undergraduate Division I transfer.XC

The Cardinals finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 21-14 record and shared the Mid-American Conference West Division championship with a 10-8 league mark. They went on to reach the quarterfinals of the CIT. The team’s improvement from a 7-23 record the year before marked the nation’s fourth-largest turnaround.

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FAMU Athletics Is Seeking "The New Voice Of Bragg"

FAMU Seeking New Announcer For Football Game Day

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – FAMU Athletics announces today that it is searching for “The New Voice of Bragg.” Longtime veteran stadium announcer Kenneth Jones, who just completed his 30th season behind the mic in the stadium, has stepped down. In filling the void, FAMU Athletics’ new Rattler Productions department has crafted a unique way to replace him. The search will take on the form of a reality show that has been picked up by Fox Sports-I.

FAMU athletic director, Milton Overton, commends Jones on his service to FAMU Athletics. “We owe a great deal of gratitude to Kenneth for his service to FAMU Athletics. He considered retiring last season, but I personally spoke with him to ask him to do one final year. He was an integral part of the fabric of FAMU game day and will be sorely missed,” Overton said.

The game day announcer, will be selected from the pool of applicants and rolled into three half hour shows. Director of Rattler Productions, Vaughn Wilson, will direct the series. It will be produced by Wilson and student intern Morgan Culler, with additional interns co-producing the series.

Applications for the position of Bragg Stadium Announcer will be accepted in the FAMU Sports Information/ Rattler Productions office between June 20 and July 1. The address is: Rattler Productions, 1835 Wahnish Way, Suite #204, Tallahassee, Fla. 32307. APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED IN OFFICE (Not postmarked) BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON JULY 1. The only requirements are that individuals exceed the age of 17 and have some knowledge of football. Applicants will receive invitations to the initial show via email. The initial show will detail the selection process and narrow the selection down to the top 10 applicants. The second show will narrow the selection down to just three contestants. The final show will result in the revealing of the New Voice of Bragg.

For any additional information, please send an email to Vaughn.wilson@famu.edu

Applicant Bio Form

Video release agreement

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Hits & Misses: NSU's athletics pay price for chaos

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State University spent years in chaos – financial, administrative, academic – that only began to substantively clear with the hiring of President Eddie Moore Jr.

On Thursday, the school found out that its sports teams were also victims of the administrative mayhem.

“Norfolk State’s athletic department has been placed on two years’ probation and will have a total of 97 wins – including its 2011 MEAC football championship – vacated across six sports because of athlete certification violations,” wrote Pilot sportswriter David Hall.

The penalties, announced by the NCAA and the school, appear to stem from the same kind of missing administrative oversight that helped imperil the school’s accreditation, beginning in 2013.

Last December, after two years of corrective work by Moore and a new team across multiple areas of the university, NSU’s accreditation was restored.

The violation at NSU wasn’t the kind of severe transgression that carries long-term penalties or postseason bans; indeed, the school’s institutional confession and its own efforts to reform have earned administrators an invitation to teach other colleges how to avoid similar mistakes.

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Langston Football Unveils 2016 Slate

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- Langston University head football coach Quinton Morgan has announced the team's 2016 schedule; the 2016 slate includes 10 total contests with four at home.

"We are excited about the 2016 schedule and are working hard to prepare our team for the upcoming season," said first-year head coach Quinton Morgan.

The season kicks off with the second annual LU Classic as the Lions square off against NCAA DII Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 2 p.m.

Langston's home slate includes a pair of non-conference opponents in different venues; the Lions' September 10th game against Bethany College will be played at Douglass High School in Oklahoma City, Okla. and the September 17th match against NCAA DII Lane College will serve as the Black Wall Street Classic on the campus of Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Okla.

The Lions host Central States Football League (CSFL) opponents Bacone College (Oct. 15) and Lyon College (Nov. 5) at home at the W.E. Anderson Stadium.

The Lions have a total of six road contests beginning with Lincoln University (Sept. 3) followed by NCAA DIII McMurry University (Sept. 24), Arizona Christian (Oct. 1), Southwestern Assemblies of God (Oct. 22), Texas College (Oct. 29) and Wayland Baptist (Nov. 12).

Langston finished the 2015 season at 7-3 overall and 5-1 in the Central States Football League.

To view the full schedule, dates and times, click here.

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Todd Day named Philander Smith Head Men's Basketball Coach

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- Philander Smith College has tapped a former first-round NBA Draft pick and the Arkansas Razorbacks’ all-time leading scorer to lead its Men’s Basketball Program. PSC President Dr. Roderick L. Smothers announced today that Todd Day, Sr., is the new Men’s Head Coach. Day takes over from former Head Coach Thurlon “Sam” Weaver who resigned in April.

A four- year letterman at the University of Arkansas from 1989-1992, Day was coached by the legendary Nolan Richardson. As a Razorback, Day broke records, was an All-American, led the team to an SEC title and a NCAA Final Four appearance, and to this day holds the title of all-time leading scorer. In 1992, he was selected in the first round (8th pick) of the NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. His NBA career also includes stints with the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Day embarked on a coaching career in 2007, and has since coached on the junior high, high school, and semi-pro levels. More recently, Day, who is a native of Memphis, Tenn., was head coach at Memphis Academy of Health and Sciences, and spent two seasons as head coach at his high school alma mater, Memphis’ Hamilton High. Additionally, he has experience as an assistant coach with “Team Penny,” the Memphis-based AAU team founded by former NBA star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.



“I felt like coaching on the college level at Philander Smith College was a natural next step in my career,” said Day. “Little Rock is like my second home, and it feels good to be able to come back and play a significant role in this community.” Day, inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2008, is married to Brenda Swinton-Day, who is from Little Rock.

The new coach is inheriting a competitive program. The Panthers have had three consecutive NAIA national tournament appearances and won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship during the 2012–2013 season. “Todd Day brings a wealth of knowledge and experiences to the Men’s Basketball program at Philander Smith College. The game of basketball has taken him all over the world, so he enjoys a unique perspective that will benefit our student-athletes and serve to strengthen our athletic program,” said President Smothers.

As he looks ahead to the upcoming season, Day says players and fans can expect a fast-paced and energetic style of basketball that will be exciting to watch. “I set my goals high, and all I can say is, I plan to win.”

Philander Smith is a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference of the NAIA.

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Former VUU football center now Roanoke’s new mayor

ROANOKE, Virginia -- Sherman Lea has gone from the center of the football action at Virginia Union University to the center of the political arena in Roanoke, where he is now the mayor elect.

The 63-year-old Danville area native will be sworn in as mayor June 27. He will officially take office on July 1.

Area football fans may recall Lea as the starting center on Coach Willard Bailey’s 1973 CIAA championship football team that posted an overall 9-1 record, including 9-0 in the CIAA.



“I remember Sherman as someone who was determined to get the job done. He was an excellent center,” recalled Coach Bailey.

“I’ll be there for his (installation) ceremony and I plan to take a group of his former teammates. We’re very proud and wouldn’t miss it.”

The Panthers’ 1973 CIAA title was the first since 1923. The team featured two eventual NFL starters — offensive guard Herb Scott, who went on to play with the Dallas Cowboys, and defensive back Anthony Leonard of the San Francisco 49ers.

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