SIAC Battle Of The Bands: Morehouse v. Fort Valley State

The Blue Machine Marching Band of Fort Valley State University showing you why HBCU Marching Bands do it better as they face off against the The House Of Funk of Morehouse College.

2012 SIAC Road To The Championship: Morehouse Maroon Tigers v. Albany State Golden Rams

Tuskegee, Miles and WSSU reps in AFCA Div. II Coaches Poll

WACO, Texas  --  For the second time in three weeks, seven Top 25 teams lost causing a reshuffling of the rankings in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The top three spots remained the same, with Colorado State-Pueblo staying No. 1 with 24 first-place votes. Winston-Salem State (N.C.) still sits No. 2, with six first-place votes, followed by No. 3 New Haven (Conn.). Then-No. 4 Bloomsburg (Pa.) was upset by new No. 7 Shippensburg (Pa.), 49-42, causing both Northwest Missouri State and Ashland (Ohio) to move up one spot apiece, to No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

This week, there are five Top 25 matchups that will have a say in who wins conference titles. The first game is No. 4 Northwest Missouri State hosting No. 20 Emporia State (Kan.), with the winner having a leg up in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) title chase. The second matchup has No. 6 Minnesota State-Mankato hosting No. 17 Sioux Falls (S.D.) with first place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division on the line. First place in the Lone Star Conference is at stake when No. 12 West Texas A&M plays host to No. 10 Midwestern State (Texas), while No. 11 Missouri Western State and No. 25 Washburn (Kan.) play in another key MIAA matchup. The final Top 25 matchup has No. 15 Miles (Ala.) facing No. 23 Tuskegee (Ala.), with first place in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference West Division at stake.


2012 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll – October 29, 2012

Rank	School (1st votes)	Rec.	Pts.	Prev.	Week Eight	Next Game
1.	Colorado St.-Pueblo (24)	9-0	744	1	D. Colorado Mesa, 48-10	Nov. 3 vs. New Mexico Highlands
2.	Winston-Salem St. (N.C.) (6)	9-0	720	2	D. Shaw (N.C.), 62-31	Nov. 3 at Fayetteville St. (N.C.)
3.	New Haven (Conn.)	8-0	689	3	D. Southern Connecticut St., 48-9	Nov. 3 at American International (Mass.)
4.	Northwest Missouri St.	8-1	632	5	D. No. 16t Washburn (Kan.), 56-6	Nov. 3 vs. No. 20 Emporia St. (Kan.)
5.	Ashland (Ohio)	9-0	628	6	D. Findlay (Ohio), 42-21	Nov. 3 at Tiffin (Ohio)
6.	Minnesota St.-Mankato	9-0	591	7	D. Wayne St. (Neb.), 42-35	Nov. 3 vs. No. 17 Sioux Falls (S.D.)
7.	Shippensburg (Pa.)	9-0	542	10	D. No. 4 Bloomsburg (Pa.), 49-42	Nov. 3 vs. Cheyney (Pa.)
8.	Henderson St. (Ark.)	9-0	532	9	D. Southern Arkansas, 44-36	Nov. 10 vs. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)
9.	Minnesota-Duluth	8-1	519	8	D. Minnesota-Crookston, 38-14	Nov. 3 vs. Mary (N.D.)
10.	Midwestern St. (Texas)	7-1	462	11	D. Eastern New Mexico, 51-28	Nov. 3 at No. 12 West Texas A&M
11.	Missouri Western St.	8-1	454	12	D. No. 15 Emporia St. (Kan.), 57-28	Nov. 3 vs. No. 25 Washburn (Kan.)
12.	West Texas A&M	8-1	418	14	D. West Georgia, 52-28	Nov. 3 vs. No. 10 Midwestern St. (Texas)
13.	Bloomsburg (Pa.)	8-1	403	4	Lost to No. 10 Shippensburg (Pa.), 49-42	Nov. 3 vs. West Chester (Pa.)
14.	Indiana (Pa.)	8-1	377	16t	D. Clarion (Pa.), 45-0	Nov. 3 at Gannon (Pa.)
15.	Miles (Ala.)	8-1	330	18	D. Stillman (Ala.), 49-13	Nov. 3 vs. No. 23 Tuskegee (Ala.)
16.	Harding (Ark.)	7-1	302	19	D. Arkansas Tech, 76-23	Nov. 3 at Southeastern Oklahoma St.
17.	Sioux Falls (S.D.)	8-1	254	21	D. Upper Iowa, 54-41	Nov. 3 at No. 6 Minnesota St.-Mankato
18.	Pittsburg St. (Kan.)	6-2	176	22	D. Truman St. (Mo.), 20-6	Nov. 3 vs. Lindenwood (Mo.)
19.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	7-2	163	23	D. No. 24 Hillsdale (Mich.), 42-23	Nov. 3 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.)
20.	Emporia St. (Kan.)	8-1	161	15	Lost to No. 12 Missouri Western St., 57-28	Nov. 3 at No. 4 Northwest Missouri St.
21.	West Alabama	7-2	133	NR	D. Delta St. (Miss.), 37-7	Nov. 3 at Abilene Christian (Texas)
22.	California (Pa.)	7-2	115	13	Lost to Slippery Rock (Pa.), 28-26	Nov. 3 at Mercyhurst (Pa.)
23.	Tuskegee (Ala.)	7-1	74	NR	D. Clark Atlanta (Ga.), 14-0	Nov. 3 at No. 15 Miles (Ala.)
24.	Valdosta St. (Ga.)	7-2	71	NR	D. Shorter (Ga.), 37-6	Nov. 1 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville
25.	Washburn (Kan.)	7-2	60	16t	Lost to No. 5 Northwest Missouri St., 56-6	Nov. 3 at No. 11 Missouri Western St.

Dropped Out: Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) (20), Hillsdale (Mich.) (24), Charleston (W.Va.) (25)

Others Receiving Votes: Indianapolis (Ind.), 37; Missouri S&T, 36; Chadron St. (Neb.), 31; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 27; American International (Mass.), 22; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 17; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 7; Charleston (W.Va.), 5; Humboldt St. (Calif.), 5; New Mexico Highlands, 4; Shepherd (W.Va.), 4; Mars Hill (N.C.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Hillsdale (Mich.), 1; Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 1.

FSU's Phillips shrugs off criticism

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina  --  There's been plenty of grumbling among fans at Fayetteville State.

The Broncos are coming off their lone CIAA victory last week when they beat Livingstone 47-29. Coach Kenny Phillips, who is 75-62 in 13 seasons, has won three CIAA titles but the Broncos are 1-7 overall and in last place in the Southern Division at 1-5.

Phillips wouldn't call the season frustrating but says he's trying to get his young team to learn how to win.

"The perception of winning is it doesn't happen overnight," Phillips said. "The guys are starting to understand and we know we have a tough contest this week."

The Broncos will play host to second-ranked Winston-Salem State.

Coach Connell Maynor of the Rams, who spent 10 seasons as an assistant at Fayetteville State, said Phillips will turn things around.

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CAU's Smith-Jones Doesn't Mind Being Rare Commodity

TAMICA SMITH-JONES, DBA
Director of Athletics
Clark-Atlanta University

ATLANTA, Georgia  --  Clark Atlanta University's Dr. Tamica Smith-Jones doesn't mind being singled out. In fact, she prefers being "one in a few" or "the only one," when it comes to promoting student-athletes during their journey through college.

Smith-Jones is currently "one of only two" female athletics directors in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), which is composed of 13 institutions in five states including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee. Both she and Dr. Denisha Hendricks of Kentucky State University are African-American.

Just recently, Smith-Jones served as the "only" featured panelist to represent the NCAA's Division II institutions during the 2012 National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) Regional Fall Conference, held at Georgia State University, Oct. 14 – 16.

The three-day N4A Conference included representatives from both Division I and Division II schools in the region, focusing on "Today's Vision, Tomorrow's Reality."

"Having an opportunity as the only panelist from a Division II school to share my experiences in athletic administration and to offer my expertise in the field along with my colleagues was an honor," said Smith-Jones.

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XU Gold Nuggets win in 4 for season sweep of Belhaven

NEW ORLEANS -- Taylor Reuther had 19 kills Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana in a 25-21, 24-26, 25-17, 25-20 women's volleyball victory against Belhaven at The Barn.

The Gold Nuggets (16-6) won their third in a row and snapped the six-match win streak of the Blazers (25-7). Xavier earned its first season sweep of Belhaven; the Nuggets won in four sets Sept. 8 in the championship match of the Belhaven Tournament.

Moira Kirk had 11 kills, Chinedu Echebelem 10 and Claudia Haywood eight for Xavier. Kirk had five blocks, three in the final set.

Taylor Williams had 13 kills, and Morgan Hofacker and Natalie Davis had eight apiece for Belhaven. Hofacker had 14 digs.

More on this story will be posted online at http://www.xula.edu/athletics/news/2012/1029.html


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

SWAC Launches Football Championship Website

COMING DECEMBER 8, 2012, 1:00 PM at
 LEGION FIELD
 BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
 

JUDGMENT DAY

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  — The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announces the launch of their new website www.swacfootball.org dedicated to the SWAC annual Football Championship.
 
The new website incorporates options to purchase advance tickets, make travel and hotel arrangements all while providing information about each member institution via link to the school’s site.

The site will serve as a primary source where fans, alumni and students can get the latest news about the SWAC Toyota Football Championship, including a schedule of events for the week.

“The new website will help alumni, fans and students better streamline the process of planning for the SWAC Football Championship. It provides one stop to purchase tickets, make traveling arrangements and allows everyone to keep up-to-date with SWAC football.” commented SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp.

Celebrating its 14^th year, the SWAC Football Championship continues to grow in exposure and attendance. The 2012 Toyota SWAC Football Championship will kick off on Thursday, December 6^th through Saturday, December 8^th, with Game Day held at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

For more information please visit www.swacfootball.org.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.swacfootball.org or at www.southtix.com.

About SWAC

Founded in 1920, the Southwestern Athletic Conference – made up of historically black colleges and universities - and its members are committed to the philosophy of maintaining intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the overall educational program. The conference believes in and subscribes to the fundamental principles of amateurism, institutional control, sound academic standards, financial aid, recruiting, and ethical conduct that govern intercollegiate athletics, and the enforcement of rules and regulations as adopted by the NCAA. Sponsoring 18 sports, the SWAC ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of alumni playing with professional sports teams- particularly in football. For more information about SWAC, visit www.swac.org.