Fayetteville State Football Releases the 2016 Schedule

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- The Fayetteville State University Department of Athletics has announced the 2016 football schedule. This year's schedule features five games away and at home, including the season opener against Chowan University on September 3rd being played in Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium.

To view the entire 2016 schedule click here

Last season, the Broncos finished third in the CIAA Southern Division at 4-6 overall and 4-3 in the CIAA.  FSU will kick off the 2016 season at home on Saturday, September 3rd in a non-conference contest versus Chowan University at 6:00 p.m. In the following week, The Broncos will travel to Pembroke, NC for the annual "Two Rivers Classic" against UNC Pembroke on September 10th.  Fayetteville State will remain on the road for their third contest of the season against Division I Elon University out of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Elon finished the 2015 season with a 4-7 overall record, including losses to Wake Forest and North Carolina A&T State.

FSU will return home to begin CIAA cross-divisional play versus Virginia Union University on September 24th. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Jeralds Stadium.  The Broncos will begin the month of October on the road against Northern Division champions Bowie State University. Fayetteville State will clash with BSU on October 1st inside Bulldogs Stadium in Bowie, MD. This will be the first matchup against Bowie State since the 2010 season.

The quest for the CIAA Southern Division crown begins on October 8th against Shaw University. Fayetteville State will travel to Durham County Memorial Stadium for their divisional showdown with the Bears.  The Broncos annual “Ball in Pink” game to awareness about breast cancer and preventive measures will take place on October 15th against Johnson C. Smith University. Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m. in Jeralds Stadium; fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of the initiative.

The following week, Fayetteville State returns to the Raleigh-Durham area to matchup against Saint Augustine’s University on October 22nd. Game time and stadium location have yet to be determined. The 2016 FSU Homecoming is scheduled for October 29th at 1:30 p.m. against Livingstone College.

Fayetteville State will close out the regular season at home on November 5th against the defending CIAA champion Winston-Salem State University. Game time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.  The 2016 CIAA Football Championship will take place on November 12th at a site to be determined.

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Dillard Bleu Devils crack NAIA top-25 for 1st time since 2003-04 season

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (excerpts taken from www.naia.org) — Dillard is freshly ranked in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for the first time since the 2003-04 season back on Jan. 27, 2004 (No. 18). The Bleu Devils have won four out of their last five, including an 84-74 triumph over then-No. 8 Talladega (Ala.) on Jan. 23 in the NAIA Game of the Week.

"It feels good to start accomplishing what we came here to do," said assistant coach Edward Newton. "The hard work is beginning to pay off. When you have leaders in place that support your program, it makes things that much easier."

As a team, Dillard (12-6, 4-1 GCAC) is ranked in the top 10 in NAIA in several categories:

Number two in the nation in Division 1 in offensive rebounds per game (17.27)

Number four in the nation in Division 1 in assists per game (18.22)

Number four in the nation in Division 1 in total rebounds per game (45.77)

Number seven in the nation in Division 1 in total rebound margin (9.38)

Click here  to see a full list of NAIA rankings for the Bleu Devils.

As of today, the Dillard Bleu Devils basketball team is one of two teams ranked in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Talladega College currently sits at number nine in the NAIA.

Dillard takes a break from GCAC action and will travel to Tyler to face Texas College on Wednesday, January 27. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

For a complete listing of NAIA top-25 teams, click here.

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Gold Rush streak of top-25 appearances ends at 55

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's best-in-the-nation streak of 55 consecutive appearances in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll ended Tuesday. The Gold Rush, 21st a week ago, are among "others receiving votes" and 28th overall.
    
Xavier is 15-8 after a 62-58 overtime home loss Monday to Talladega, which dropped from eighth to ninth nationally.
    
This is the first time since Dec. 5, 2011, that the Gold Rush are not in the top 25. Xavier's highest ranking during the streak was 11th on Jan. 22, 2013, and Feb. 5, 2013.
    
Pikeville is No. 1 for the third consecutive week but received 8-of-10 first-place votes after being unanimous a week ago. No. 2 LSU-Alexandria and No. 5 Georgetown (Ky.) received the other first-place votes.
    
 Xavier will visit city rival SUNO at 7:30 p.m. Monday. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 5 p.m. Feb. 6 — one week from Saturday — against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at the Convocation Center. Tickets are on sale at the XU athletic offices in room 322 of the Convocation Center Annex at the corner of Washington Avenue and Fern Street. Dillard, co-leader in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference with Talladega, is No. 24 this week — the Bleu Devils' first top-25 appearance since Jan. 27, 2004.
    
Dillard is the fifth GCAC men's team to reach the top 25 this season.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
1. Pikeville
2. LSU-Alexandria
3. Lewis-Clark State
4. Columbia (Mo.)
5. Georgetown (Ky.)
6. William Penn
7. (tie) Mid-America Christian
7. (tie) Hope International
9. Talladega
10. Arizona Christian
11. Biola
12. Texas Wesleyan
13. Langston
14. Carroll (Mont.)
15. Westmont
16. Park
17. Freed-Hardeman
18. Campbellsville
19. William Carey
20. Southwestern Assemblies of God
21. Peru State
22. Our Lady of the Lake
23. MidAmerica Nazarene
24. Dillard
25. (tie) William Woods
25. (tie) Montana Western

Others receiving votes:
Mobile
Xavier
Avila
Middle Georgia
Lindsey Wilson
Cumberlands
LSU-Shreveport
William Jessup

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Reginald Ruffin, Miles College grab Oak Mountain center

FAIRFIELD, Alabama -- Justice Hammond has a knack for creating rushing lanes.

Hammond showcased this skill during his high school career at Oak Mountain, earning All-State honors as a junior and senior.

Now, he's aiming bring his blocks to Miles College. Hammond recently committed to the Fairfield-based program.

"I chose Miles so I could so have stay close to home and play with some really good athletes and even better coaches," Hammond said.

Miles was Hammond's lone offer.

He believes other colleges were turned off by his lack of height. He's 5-11. The ideal height for centers is about 6-2, Hammond said.

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Local businesses contribute to FAMU baseball field repairs

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The improvements to Florida A&M’s Moore-Kittles Field keep coming – even though money is scarce for the university’s MEAC-champion baseball program.

Head coach Jamey Shouppe recently was dismayed to discover the field was unplayable due to a right-field drainage issue that would cost about $30,000 to fix. The Rattlers are scheduled to open the season at home on Feb. 19 against Marshall, but Shouppe said the money wasn’t in the budget to remedy the field.

He was told if he couldn’t find a way to fix the issue, he’d have to find somewhere else to play.

“With all of the things we have going on, with the wall and the netting and clubhouse, we found out the field is not playable because of drainage in the right field,” Shouppe said. “There wasn’t money in the budget available to spend getting the field ready.”

The solution came in the form of donations from several FAMU baseball benefactors. Shouppe said with their help, the cost of the project went from $30,000 to $6,000. The field will be ready for opening day, along with the new concrete wall and netting Shouppe is already having installed.

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Hampton University Mourns the Loss of Former Track Coach Steven Lewis

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The Hampton University Department of Athletics mourns the loss of former men's track & field coach Steven Lewis, who passed away on Saturday. He was 72.

"Coach Lewis was one of the top coaches at the high school level, as well as collegiate level, that I looked up to and wanted to be like," Maurice Pierce, Hampton's Director of Track & Field, said. "He was a legend in track & field, especially in the Tidewater area."

"When Coach Lewis' name was brought up while we were in search of a new men's track & field coach, it quickly became apparent what a legend he was in the sport," Lonza Hardy, who was Director of Athletics at Hampton when Lewis was hired, said. "We were happy to recruit him, and even happier when he decided to accept the Hampton job.

"He was a great coach and an even better person, and his loss is tremendous, not just for the student-athletes he coached, but for the world of track & field as a whole."

Lewis served as head coach of the men's track & field program for four seasons, taking over prior to the 2008-09 campaign. During his tenure, Lewis coached 13 individual MEAC champions and 63 student-athletes who earned All-MEAC honors.

In addition, he coached sprinter Reggie Dixon, who was an All-American in the 60-meter dash in 2011.

Dixon qualified for the NCAA Championships on six separate occasions. In 2009, he qualified for the indoor 200-meter dash, as well as the outdoor 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash. In 2012, Dixon finished fourth in the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Later that year, he qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in both the 100- and 200-meter dash. The Pirates also reached NCAA qualification in the outdoor 4x400-meter relay that season.

In cross country, David Kimani was an All-MEAC honoree in 2009 and 2010.

Lewis coached the Pirates to second-place finishes in the 2010 and 2011 MEAC Indoor Championships, as well as the 2009 MEAC Outdoor Championships. In his final season, 2012, the Pirates finished third in the MEAC Outdoor Championships.

Prior to his tenure at Hampton, Lewis spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Delaware State.

Prior to his work at Delaware State, Lewis spent 2002-05 as an assistant coach with the women's team at Eastern Michigan. While at Eastern Michigan, Lewis coached sprints, hurdles, jumps and combined events, while also recruiting and advising student-athletes. He coached four All-Americans, one NCAA regional champion, and saw Eastern Michigan finish 16th in the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Lewis arrived at the University of Pittsburgh in 1982, where he spent 20 years as head coach for both the men's and women's teams. His Panther squads won five Big East conference titles, and in 1998 Pitt's women's track & field team finished third in the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Throughout his career at Pitt, Lewis coached 11 individual NCAA champions and 67 All-Americans. Forty men and 95 women won Big East individual championships under Lewis' direction.

Before moving to Pitt, Lewis coached track & field at Menchville High School in Newport News, Va. Lewis coached 34 All-Americans at Menchville while winning 12 indoor and outdoor state championships. Four athletes set national records during Lewis' tenure at Menchville.

His 11 years at Menchville – 1970-1981 – came after three years coaching track in Mathews County. Lewis coached at Mathews County High School from 1968-69 after coaching at Thomas Hunter High School for two years prior.

Lewis also coached basketball, baseball and football at both Thomas Hunter and Mathews County.

He has since been inducted into the Newport News Track Hall of Fame.

In his high school career, Lewis has coached 11 district champions in track & field, as well as 11 state champions. His dual meet record is 132-18, and Lewis also boasts 10 regional championships on his track & field resume. Lewis also coached four district and two regional champions in cross country.

Lewis graduated from Virginia State College – now Norfolk State Uni

"He was a great man who touched a lot of souls," Pierce said. "I learned a lot from him and he will be truly missed."
versity – in 1964, receiving a B.S. in physical education. He was a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. and graduated from Wingate High School.

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Mike Haywood has second chance at coaching thanks to Texas Southern University

HOUSTON, Texas -- Say what you will about his past, but Mike Haywood doesn't see his return to college football as a shot at redemption.

Five years after being fired by the University of Pittsburgh following a highly publicized domestic violence arrest two weeks into his head coaching tenure, Haywood is back on the sideline in the same position at Texas Southern, where he was hired Dec. 3.



Haywood will be tasked with leading an FCS program seeking reclamation of its own after a five-season slide precipitated at least in part by significant NCAA sanctions, It's easy -- and perhaps obvious -- to draw parallels between the respective roads back to prominence for both the Tigers and their new coach, but Haywood insists his personal standing is as good as ever and believes the same will soon be true of his new team.

"There was a bump in the road in my life, and when you've only had one bump in the road in your life, I don't think it's about restoring reputation," Haywood told FOX Sports earlier this month of his first coaching job since the incident. "You can go around the city of Houston or go around the country, and people will give you the same opinion of me -- East Coast, West Coast, North or South. I just think it's a great opportunity for us to work well together to bring a winning team back to Texas Southern University."

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