Dr. Darryl A. Pope Named Fort Valley State Director of Athletics

Dr. DARRYL A. POPE

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Following a nationwide search, Fort Valley State University President Paul Jones announces the appointment of Dr. Darryl A. Pope as the university's director of athletics. Pope will join FVSU from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he has served as athletics director since March 2014.

In announcing Pope's hiring, President Jones expressed confidence that FVSU's athletics teams will reach new heights in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and National Collegiate Athletics Association competitions.

"I'm excited about having someone with his extensive background and experience join the Wildcat family. I'm looking forward to his leadership during this exciting time in our university's history," said Jones.

With more than 20 years' experience, Pope has extensive knowledge in leadership and management in intercollegiate sports. His accomplishments include: developing compliance and fundraising programs, writing and managing strategic plans for a progressive and growing athletic program, oversight of facilities and athletic budgets, external relations and game-day management. He also served on the NCAA Peer Review Program, from 2000 to 2011, evaluating Division I institutions for compliance with NCAA guiding principles.

"I'm looking forward to working with the staff and administration at Fort Valley State University. FVSU has potential to make some great strides in athletics that will have a positive impact on the school and community. I enjoy moving programs forward and making a positive difference. I thank Dr. Jones for the opportunity and know that together we are going to do some great things at FVSU," stated Pope.

At FVSU, Pope will oversee 11 intercollegiate sports programs, including football, men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, track and cross country, tennis and softball.

Prior to his 2014 arrival at Lincoln, Pope spent two years as director of athletics and physical activity at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. He also worked in the Department of Athletics at Kennesaw State University and served as associate athletics director for internal affairs. He earned his bachelor's degree in communication management, with a minor in business administration from Howard University, a master's degree in sport administration from Grambling State University in Louisiana, and a doctoral degree in education in sports management and leisure studies from Temple University in Pennsylvania.

Tentatively, Pope begins Sept. 12, 2016.

FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Alcorn State Braves Unveil Loaded 2016-17 Schedule

LORMAN, Mississippi -- With eight of its 11 non-conference games on the road against bigger schools, the Alcorn State University men's basketball program released its 2016-17 schedule, head coach Montez Robinson announced Friday.

"I'm really excited for the upcoming season. We are going to play a very difficult non-conference slate which will have us well-prepared for conference play," said Robinson, who enters his second year at the helm. "Even our non-Division I games are against quality opponents and we'll have to play our best every night to win."

The Braves open the 2016-17 campaign Friday, Nov. 11, when they travel to Evanston, Ill., to take on Loyola-Chicago. Alcorn will hang around the Midwest a few more days to play at Evansville Monday, Nov. 14.

The home opener will be Friday, Nov. 18, when Selma University comes to town to play inside the Davey L. Whitney HPER Complex. The Braves will stay at home to host Blue Mountain Tuesday, Nov. 22. Both games will begin at 7 p.m.

Alcorn will kick-off a big six game road trip starting Sunday, Nov. 27, which will include games at Colorado State, San Francisco, California, Louisiana Tech, Georgia Tech and Grand Canyon. After almost a month away from home, the Braves will play their non-conference finale at home against Rust College at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 22.

Southwestern Athletic Conference action starts Monday, Jan. 2 when the Braves host Texas Southern, followed by Prairie View A&M Wednesday, Jan. 4. SWAC play will feature a double round robin format where all 10 schools play each other twice, home and away, to complete an 18-game conference schedule.

The top-eight teams from the SWAC regular season standings will qualify for the 2017 conference tournament beginning Thursday, March 7. The higher seed will host the first round, and both the semifinals and finals will be held March 10-11 at a neutral site in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center.

Date Time Opponent Location Home / Away Conference Game Location 
1/11/2016 TBA Loyola-Chicago Evanston, Ill. A Evanston, Ill. Fri.
11/14/2016 TBA Evansville Evansville, Ind. A Evansville, Ind. Mon.
11/18/2016 7 p.m. Selma University H Davey L. Whitney Complex Fri.
11/22/2016 7 p.m. Blue Mountain College H Davey L. Whitney Complex Tue.
11/27/2016 TBA Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO A Fort Collins, CO Sun.
11/30/2016 TBA San Francisco San Francisco, Calif. A San Francisco, Calif. Wed.
12/3/2016 TBA California Berkeley, Calif. A Berkeley, Calif. Sat.
12/5/2016 TBA Louisiana Tech Ruston, La. A Ruston, La. Mon.
12/18/2016 TBA Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. A Atlanta, Ga. Sun.
12/20/2016 TBA Grand Canyon Phoenix, Ariz. A Phoenix, Ariz. Tue.
12/22/2016 7 p.m. Rust College H Davey L. Whitney Complex Thu.
1/2/2017 7 p.m. Texas Southern H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon.
1/4/2017 7 p.m. Prairie View A&M H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Wed. 
1/7/2017 TBA Jackson State Jackson, Miss. A Conference Game Jackson, Miss. Sat. 
1/9/2017 TBA Grambling State Grambling, La. A Conference Game Grambling, La. Mon. 
1/14/2017 5:50 p.m. Mississippi Valley State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat. 
1/16/2017 7 p.m. Arkansas-Pine Bluff H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon. 
1/21/2017 TBA Alabama State Montgomery, Ala. A Conference Game Montgomery, Ala. Sat. 
1/23/2017 TBA Alabama A&M Huntsville, Ala. A Conference Game Huntsville, Ala. Mon. 
1/28/2017 5:30 p.m. Southern H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat. 
2/4/2017 5:30 p.m. Jackson State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat. 
2/6/2017 7 p.m. Grambling State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon. 
2/11/2017 TBA Mississippi Valley State Itta Bena, Miss. A Conference Game Itta Bena, Miss. Sat. 
2/13/2017 TBA Arkansas-Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, Ark. A Conference Game Pine Bluff, Ark. Mon. 
2/18/2017 5:30 p.m. Alabama State H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Sat. 
2/20/2017 7 p.m. Alabama A&M H Conference Game Davey L. Whitney Complex Mon. 
2/25/2017 4 p.m. Southern Baton Rouge, La. A Conference Game Baton Rouge, La. Sat. 
3/2/2017 TBA Texas Southern Houston, Texas A Conference Game Houston, Texas Thu. 
3/4/2017 TBA Prairie View A&M Prairie View, Texas A Conference Game Prairie View, Texas Sat. 
SWAC Tournament
3/7-11/2017 TBA TBA TBA N TBA Tue.-Sat. 

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

SCSU's Pitt Promoted to Associate Head Basketball Coach

COACH RIO PITT

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State men’s basketball coach Murray Garvin announced the promotion of assistant Rio Pitt to associate head coach.

Pitt, who is entering his sixth season as a member of the SC State basketball staff, will -- among other duties -- coordinate recruiting and academics for the Bulldogs and also be responsible for developing the SC State post players along with on-the-floor coaching duties.

“Coach Pitt is one of the brightest young coaches that I have had the pleasure to work with over the span of my career on the collegiate level,” said Garvin. “He is hard-working and has demonstrated the characteristics that will one day allow him to run his own program as a head coach.”

Garvin noted, “With the recent departure of Coach Ken Spencer to Fayetteville State University, many wondered who would replace him as my right hand guy. I never had that concern as Rio has demonstrated over the years that he is ready for the responsibility of being second in command.”

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South Carolina State Bulldogs Conduct Second Scrimmage

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- SC State held its second preseason scrimmage Saturday (Aug.20) morning and followed the workout with the annual "Meet the Players Day/Fan Fest," hosted by The STATE Club, the Bulldog booster organization.

The Bulldogs football players along with other sports and coaches were introuduced to SC State supporters and fans.

In the scrimmage, which lasted approximately two hours, the Bulldog coaching staff ran about 82-plays on offense to allow several quarterbacks a chance to lead their units. Several injured Bulldogs didn't participate or saw limited action in today's scrimmage.

Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough, who is entering his 15th season at the helm of the football program, said he saw, in Saturday's scrimmage, some improvements from the first scrimmage but still thinks he team has a long way to go in some areas.

In commenting on the play of the Bulldog offense, Pough said that he was impressed with the way the offense moved the ball down the feel and was able to put the team in scoring position.

The Bulldogs will now turn its focus to preparing for its season-opener against Central Florida on Saturday. Sept. 3 in Orlando, Fla. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Season Tickets are on sale at the Ticket Office for $130.00. Purchase yours today. Single-game tickets bought in advance are Student/Youth: $10.00; General Admission: $30.00: Reserved: $35.00.

For your information, GAME DAY ticket prices as are as follow:
STUDENT/YOUTH (17 and under): $10.00
GENERAL ADMISSION: $35.00
RESERVED: $40.00
HOMECOMING: $40.00 (All Tickets)
PARKING: $15.00 (Anywhere other than in the Game Zone)

For more information about purchasing tickets, visit us at www.scsuathletics.com or call (803) 536-8579 or 1-800-298-9157. For more information on Bulldog football or to schedule player or coaches interviews during the season, contact the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803)536-7060 or by email at KLewis19@scsu.edu.



SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Tiger Camp 2016: Day 15 - Final Scrimmage

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- The final scrimmage of Camp 2016 was opposite of the first encounter. The Tiger defense dominated from the start during the 60-game contest on Saturday evening.

The offense moved down the field on the opening drive with an even mixture of passes and runs, while receiving some assistance from three defensive penalties. But the drive ran into a road block at the 12 yard line. With third and long, O’Shay Ackerman-Carter was intercepted in the end zone by Trevion Duncan to end the initial threat.

Senior cornerback Ezra Robinson followed Duncan’s cue on the very next drive as he picked off a Ronald Butler pass and returned it untouched for a touchdown. The two interceptions set the tone for the remainder of the skirmish.

The defense continued to make big plays as linebacker Antonio Justice helped halt the third drive. The offense tried to get things going attempting to convert on a fourth down play. Justice charged around the left side of the line and elevated to knock down an Ackerman-Carter attempt to end the series in favor of the White shirts.

The defense continued to dominate throughout the evening before the offense mustard up a shortened drive at the end. The Blue squad got on the board as E.J. Junior powered in from the two on the last play of the scrimmage for the only offensive score of the scrimmage.

The Tigers will begin its normal practice schedule this week with the start of classes. TSU will continue to work over the next two weeks in preparation for the season opener on Sept. 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Defensive Coordinator, Osita Alaribe
- On the Success of the Defense during Final Scrimmage
“I think the guys did a great job communicating. They had fun today playing together. I think we developed a great chemistry amongst each other today.”

- On the Play of the Secondary
“Our secondary coaches, Ed Sanders and Mikhal Kornegay, have been doing a great job with our secondary. They have the guy’s technically sound and understanding the overall scheme. On the D-line, everything starts with the pass rush. The best pass defense is the pass rush

Junior Linebacker, Chris Collins
- On the Growth during Camp
“I felt like we progressed throughout the whole camp, offensively and defensively. We became closer as a team. We are eliminating a lot of mistakes, but we have to eliminate the stupid penalties. I think we are get a lot better every day. We are not messing up on the same things and I think we are growing up.”

- On the Beginning of Classes
“You have to have a great focus with so many elements added to you with class and people on campus. It is easy to mess up. I was telling the team we need to stay locked in on the vision we have and everything will work itself out."

- On the Start of the Season
“It is real exciting. I am glad camp is over. It was pretty tough, but I feel like it will be worth it in the end. I feel like we are going to have a great season and everyone is ready.”

Redshirt-Sophomore Quarterback, O’Shay Ackerman-Carter
- On the Offense
“I feel like we will be alright going into the season. We have some things to clean up, but we have to weeks and I believe we will it that done.”

- On the Defense
“They just played football. They we were flying around making plays. Big props to them, they were on it today.”

- On the Start of the Season
“We are all excited. Many of us, it is our second year and we know what to expect. The coaches will prepare us and we will just come and play with our A-game.”

Redshirt-Sophomore Defensive Tackle, Terrence Summers
- On the defensive Play
“We played good up front, the linebackers set the edges and the DB’s did their job. It was a good day, a dominating day.”

- On the Start of the Season
“Camp is over, but class and study hall is starting up. We need to stay focused and it will be a great season. This will be my first game ever for TSU. It will be exciting, the crowd will be loud and I’m just ready for it.”



TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

FAMU Athletics: Football progress

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M’s football team held a scrimmage on Saturday, which Overton attended. He said the team looks more competitive than it did last year, though he’ll reserve judgment until the group plays a few games.

Overton was also willing to talk about what the Rattlers might play for in future seasons. FAMU is ineligible for the postseason this year, but Overton said he expects that to change soon.

“We should get it back this next year,” Overton said. “Our numbers are right. As long as our APR numbers continue to trend they way that they are.”

Overton, who was a four-year starter on the offensive line at Oklahoma in the 90s, said he saw explosive plays during Saturday’s scrimmage – something that was missing last year.

“I saw four competitive quarterbacks, which I did not see before,” Overton said. “Last year we didn’t have four competitive quarterbacks. We’ve got some guys this year. Everybody’s pushing each other.”



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FSU Football Should Schedule Game Against Florida A&M In The Future

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- What many people outside of the campus on the other side of Gaines Street from FSU and college football nuts seem to forget is that the Rattlers were the first ever champions of the 1-AA level, defeating UMass for the title in 1978. While the current team is trying to rebuild, it could be argued that they were the best 1-AA program in the mid-1990’s and early-2000’s.

This week, FSU football head coach Jimbo Fisher made it known that he supports the idea of power programs like the Seminoles playing schools at the lower level. Fisher used the classic argument that games like that, while usually not competitive, help the little schools out financially in ways other options couldn’t.

If that’s the case, why not schedule a Capital City showdown between the ‘Noles and the Rattlers?

In 2012, the Seminoles made history by playing a historically black colleges and university team for the first time every, when they shutout Savannah State in a game that was mercifully called due to weather for the visitors. The next year, FSU would play Bethune-Cookman for the first time ever and just the second time against a HBCU opponent.

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Teammates most of their lives, Cole and Proctor have one more turn at HU

HAMPTON, Virginia — To think, it all started 14 years ago with the Hampton Hoyas.

Brendan Cole, a military brat, had just arrived from his father's previous stop in Kansas. Rashawn Proctor, who was born in Japan to Air Force parents, had been in the 757 since he was 7-months-old.

So in 2002, a pair of 8-year-olds became teammates for the first time on a youth basketball team. Their houses were a long touchdown pass apart, their families still attend church together, and it's past the point where one knows everything about the other.

"Everything," said Cole, a junior defensive back. "When we walk into a hotel room, he knows I like to sleep by the AC vent. All that little stuff we just know about each other."

They were teammates in rec league, middle school, and at Bethel High School. There was a two-year gap in which each went his separate way, but in 2013, they were reunited at Hampton University.

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2nd-day split for Nuggets; Tomasoni sets school record

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Xavier University of Louisiana split its final two volleyball matches Saturday in the Hotel Indigo at the Alamo Saints Classic, and newcomer Juliana Tomasoni broke the XULA record for kills in a match.
     
The Gold Nuggets (1-3) lost 17-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-12 to NAIA No. 20 Evangel, then — after a 45-minute break — rallied to defeat Tennessee Wesleyan 23-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-17.
     
Tomasoni, a junior and a transfer from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, produced a school-record 25 kills against Evangel and had a career-best 28 digs. Tomasoni had 17 kills, 16 digs and four aces against Tennessee Wesleyan.
     
Freshman setter Tiffany Phillips extended her streak of assist/dig double-doubles to four. Phillips had 43 assists and 17 digs against Evangel and 46 assists and 14 digs against Tennessee Wesleyan.
     
Additional freshman standouts included Hasani Salaam, who had 24 kills and seven blocks in the two matches, and libero Amanda Perry, who had 43 digs, 24 against Evangel. Adili Rikondja had six kills and three blocks in the final match. Taylor Ducros had 15 digs against Evangel.
     
Tomasoni, Salaam and sophomore transfer Monet Fontaine combined for 39 kills and a .492 hitting percentage against Tennessee Wesleyan. Fontaine, a sophomore transfer from NCAA Division I Morgan State, had 15 kills for the day.
     
XULA placed fourth out of five teams. The host, Our Lady of the Lake, led the way with a 4-0 record. Tomasoni led the tournament with 3.4 kills per set and a .333 hitting percentage, and Phillips was tops in assists with 8.9 per set.
     
"We had a great weekend overall," fourth-year XULA coach Hannah Lawing said. "We traveled 10 newcomers, eight freshmen, and I have to say that it surely didn't feel that way. This class of newcomers is exactly who (assistant coach) Hilary (Lobenstein) and I wanted as part of this 2016 team. They are fierce competitors, even more fierce supporters, and they're extremely receptive to their coaches when given feedback.
     
"We did a great job of managing the things within our control. We got our serves in, maintained consistent energy, acted as one cohesive unit and were supportive. We excelled in many areas, but our biggest areas of growth were terminating free balls and overpasses as well as playing with a sense of urgency. Every set we got better at playing like every point was game point."
     
The Gold Nuggets will be return to the road next week for four matches in the STU Invitational at Miami Gardens, Fla. On Friday they'll play the host, St. Thomas, at noon EDT, then play defending Southern States Athletic Conference champion Coastal Georgia at 4 p.m. Saturday opponents will be NAIA No. 2 Missouri Baptist, the national runner-up a year ago, and Indiana Tech.

BOX SCORE 1
BOX SCORE 2

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Video Highlights from NCCU Football Scrimmage

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University held its first scrimmage of the 2016 football preseason camp on Saturday inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

NCCU head coach Jerry Mack said the heat, with temperatures in the mid-90s, tested his team's conditioning, and he'd like to see an increased tempo. Mack did like that both the offense and defense made big, explosive plays.

For highlights of the scrimmage and a full interview with Mack, visit the official YouTube page of NCCU Athletics at https://youtu.be/vbHsWtxbUUo.




NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU: Michael Haywood returns to Houston to rebuild Tigers

HOUSTON, Texas -- Followers of the Texas Southern football program are hoping the hire of a head coach with Houston roots will make the team relevant again.

TSU hasn't had a winning season since 2010 and finished 3-7 (2-7 in the SWAC) in 2015. So Michael Haywood, who was born and raised not far from TSU in South Park, will face some challenges.

"It's a process right now, and we're looking for an exciting year," said Haywood, a product of St. Thomas High School. "We're renovating our facility. … We're going to provide a great opportunity to play great football in Texas."

Haywood, a former head coach at Miami (Ohio) and a former player and offensive coordinator at Notre Dame (2005-08), is replacing Darrell Asberry, who was 12-31 (9-27 SWAC) in his four years directing the Tigers.

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from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: FAMU Football Preseason Prediction

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Okay, let’s get right down to it. I am picking FAMU to go 7-4 in 2016. That’s right, for a team that won only one game in 2015 I am picking them to find a way to win 7 games out of 11 in 2016. How?

First, as much as FAMU stumbled the last two seasons, they loss games in both seasons that they could have and should have won. That includes a 2014 loss to Bethune Cookman and a 2015 loss to North Carolina Central.

Second, the MEAC is a conference of extremes. Last year FAMU was one of those teams on the low end of the MEAC spectrum, in the loser’s bracket. Even the best teams in the conference, e.g. North Carolina A&T loss to North Carolina Central last year, have a way of losing when they should not have.

And third, the MEAC is ...



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Gold Nuggets lose twice in Texas to open season

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Xavier University of Louisiana opened the 2016 volleyball season Friday with losses to Wayland Baptist and Our Lady of the Lake in the Hotel Indigo at the Alamo Saints Classic.

\The Gold Nuggets lost 25-22, 25-16, 25-23 to Wayland Baptist in the morning, then lost 25-14, 20-25, 25-11, 25-12 to OLLU, the tournament host, in the afternoon. All three teams were NAIA National Championship qualifiers a year ago.

XULA freshman Tiffany Phillips opened her college career with assist/dig double-doubles in both matches. She had 15 assists and 12 digs in the first match and 29 assists and 11 digs in the second.

Other highlights included sophomore newcomer Monet Fontaine's 11 kills and freshman Hasani Salaam's eight kills against OLLU and junior newcomer Juliana Tomasoni's 11 digs in the opener.

Against the Pioneers, the Gold Nuggets used a 9-0 run to take a 16-12 first-set lead. XULA led 18-16 and was tied at 23 in the third set before Wayland Baptist clinched.

Fontaine had five kills and Salaam four in the second set to help the Gold Nuggets even the second match.

Top performers for the opponents were Wayland Baptist's Mallorie Ellis (11 kills, 12 digs) and Elisabeth Pirolo (six aces, 22 assists, 10 digs) and OLLU's Kendall Gross (13 kills, .414 hitting percentage) and Leilani Smith (11 kills, .375). The Pioneers and Saints had cumulative advantages of 90-60 in kills and 20-4 in aces. They outhit the Gold Nuggets .213 to .088.

XULA returns no starters from last season's 19-8 team that repeated as champions of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament. Of the 12 student-athletes who traveled this week, eight were freshmen.

XULA will play twice in this event Saturday — at 11 a.m. against NAIA No. 20 Evangel and 1 p.m. against Tennessee Wesleyan. The Gold Nuggets' home opener will be Sept. 2.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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North Carolina A&T Aggies Release 2016-17 MBB Schedule

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- In Jay Joyner’s first full season as the head men’s basketball coach at North Carolina A&T, the Aggies will play twice in Louisiana, twice in Georgia and will also compete in California, Indiana and Massachusetts. The Aggies released their 2016-17 schedule on Friday. It includes 13 home games, the Gotham City Classic, two road games against ACC competition and their non-conference crosstown rivalry game against UNC Greensboro.

"We are extremely excited about our upcoming schedule," said Joyner. "We want to have momentum going into the conference schedule. In order to build momentum, you need to compile wins in the non-conference portion of the schedule. We think there are some wins there, it's just a matter of following the game plan and executing."

In what has become a common occurrence, the Aggies open the season against Division III Greensboro College. The two Greensboro occupants face off at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11 at Corbett Sports Center. It will mark the fourth time in five seasons the Aggies have opened the season against The Pride. Three days later the Aggies return to Greenville, N.C., for a matchup against East Carolina. The East Carolina game is the first of four rematches the Aggies will have over their non-conference schedule.

Another return game is up next for the Aggies as they travel to Louisiana to take on Grambling State on Nov. 17. Last season the Aggies defeated the Tigers 61-47 at Corbett Sports Center on Dec. 17. The next contest is only four miles away from GSU as Louisiana Tech and N.C. A&T will play one another on Nov. 19. It will be the first meeting between the two teams.

November closes out with home games against NAIA school Allen University (Nov. 23) and Jacksonville (Nov. 26) before the Aggies and UNCG meet at the Greensboro Coliseum on Nov. 29. The Aggies have won four straight over the Spartans.

December opens with a home game against North Dakota State. The Bison were 77-56 winners last November against the Aggies at Scheels Arena in Fargo. The Aggies then make their first-ever trip to South Bend, Ind., to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Dec. 4. After more than a week without competition, the Aggies return to action with games in the Gotham Classic.

Four teams make up that classic including N.C. A&T, University of Massachusetts, Pacific, Rider and Kennesaw State. The Aggies play at UMass (Dec. 13) and Pacific (Dec. 15) before playing at home against Rider on Dec. 18. N.C. A&T ends the classic at Kennesaw State on Dec. 22. Before 2016 comes to an end, the Aggies will play at Georgia Tech on Dec. 28.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play begins at the home of the two-time defending MEAC champions Hampton Pirates on Jan. 4. N.C. A&T will follow that game by hosting a two-game homestand against Delaware State on Jan. 7 and Maryland Eastern Shore on Jan. 9. The Aggies have a non-conference game squeezed into their MEAC schedule with a game at St. Louis on Feb. 4.

The conference regular-season closes out with a three-game homestand versus Savannah State (Feb. 25), Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 27) and rival North Carolina Central (March 2).

"Of course we want to win the conference regular-season," said Joyner. "The next best thing, however, is finishing in the top four going into the tournament. If we can play well enough to position ourselves finish near the top, we will be in great shape come tournament time."

For ticket information call 336-334-7749.

NCAT 2016-17 Men's Basketball Schedule

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (ET) 
Fri, Nov 11 Greensboro College Corbett Sports Center 7:00 PM
Mon, Nov 14 East Carolina at Greenville, N.C. TBA
Thu, Nov 17 Grambling State at Grambling, La. TBA
Sat, Nov 19 Louisiana Tech at Ruston, La. TBA
Wed, Nov 23 Allen University Corbett Sports Center TBA
Sat, Nov 26 Jacksonville Corbett Sports Center 4:00 PM
Tue, Nov 29 UNC Greensboro at Greensboro, N.C. TBA
Fri, Dec 02 North Dakota State Corbett Sports Center 7:00 PM
Sun, Dec 04 Notre Dame at South Bend, Ind. TBA
Tue, Dec 13University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Mass TBA
Thu, Dec 15 Pacific University at Stockton, Calif. TBA
Sun, Dec 18 Rider Corbett Sports Center 1:00 PM
Thu, Dec 22 Kennesaw State at Kennesaw, Ga. TBA
Wed, Dec 28 Georgia Tech at Atlanta, Ga. TBA
Wed, Jan 04 Hampton * at Hampton, Va. TBA
Sat, Jan 07 Delaware State * Corbett Sports Center 4:00 PM
Mon, Jan 09 Maryland Eastern Shore * Corbett Sports Center 7:30 PM
Sat, Jan 14 Coppin State * at Baltimore, Md. TBA
Mon, Jan 16 Morgan State * at Baltimore, Md. TBA
Sat, Jan 21 Howard * Corbett Sports Center 4:00 PM
Sat, Jan 28 N.C. Central * at Durham, N.C. TBA
Mon, Jan 30 Norfolk State * at Norfolk, Va. TBA
Wed, Feb 01 Delaware State * at Dover, Del. TBA
Sat, Feb 04 St. Louis University at St. Louis, Mo. TBA
Sat, Feb 11 Florida A&M * Corbett Sports Center 4:00 PM
Mon, Feb 13 S.C. State * Corbett Sports Center 7:30 PM
Sat, Feb 18 Howard * at Washington, D.C. TBA
Mon, Feb 20 Maryland Eastern Sh ore * at Princess Anne, Md. TBA
Sat, Feb 25 Savannah State * Corbett Sports Center 4:00 PM
Mon, Feb 27 Bethune-Cookman * Corbett Sports Center 7:30 PM
Thu, Mar 02 N.C. Central * Corbett Sports Center 7:30 PM
Mon, Mar 06 - Sat, Mar 11 MEAC Tournament at Norfolk, Va. TBA
* Conference Games

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Germany's schemes seem to impress at Jackson State

JACKSON, Mississippi -- A conference championship-winning offensive coordinator being a good strategist isn’t exactly groundbreaking news.

But Jackson State offensive coordinator Chad Germany's schemes were a topic of discussion for some members of the program this week.

“(His offense is) all about numbers, really,” said Tigers running back Robert Johnson IV. “We have this thing: ‘Numbers to a side, go opposite. Numbers in the box, strike up The (Sonic) Boom.’ He’s all about numbers. He wants us to be in the best position to win, and he wants to take advantage of the defense and he knows how to run the offense.”

JSU defensive coordinator John Hendrick is familiar with Germany’s offense. He practices against it every day, but he also coached against it when he was the defensive line coach at Alabama State, while Germany was the offensive coordinator at Southern.

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'The ring' a symbol of unity, togetherness for Grambling football

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — A group of 90 or so players stood in a circle Wednesday with all eyes on their leader. One by one, Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs scanned his eyes to make sure everyone was correctly aligned.

This is a routine by now.

The circle, or the ring as Grambling's football program calls it, is the latest rallying cry for the Tigers' season. It stands for unity. It resembles togetherness. It means wholeness. It brings about consistency.

Without it, Grambling is nothing. With it, Grambling hopes a 2016 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship is headed its way.

"The thing we have to understand is there is a diamond or a bling that sits on top of the ring, but you can't have a ring without the ring.

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Golden Bulls football cleans house for fresh start and attitude

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith football has been scrubbed of underachievers.

Golden Bulls coach Kermit Blount used spring practice as an audition for the fall. Players who measured up are in preseason camp to improve on last year’s 4-6 record. Those who didn’t aren’t.

“We made some changes coming out of spring,” said Blount, who is in his second season at JCSU. “There were some young men who didn’t return. We made some additions to those guys we didn’t allow to return, but I’m really pleased with the work ethic right now, I’m really pleased with the attitude, the mental side of it. I think our guys get it. They understand where they want to go and want to accomplish. It’s a matter of us putting it together.”

All-America safety Carlo Thomas isn’t shy about calculating what’s ahead, starting with the Sept. 3 opener at Wingate.

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'Small in stature but grand in heart,' former Southern star Avery Johnson donates 18-wheeler full of supplies

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- A man of short stature who used to dazzle Baton Rouge with his big gifts made a giant gesture Thursday.

Avery Johnson, the men’s basketball coach at Alabama and one of Southern University’s most distinguished athletic alumni, sent a semi truck full of supplies to Baton Rouge on Thursday to aid the flood-devastated city.

“It speaks volumes to what type of person he is,” said Roman Banks, Southern’s interim athletic director and men’s basketball coach. “He is small in stature but grand in heart.”

Johnson first heard about the flooding that devastated Baton Rouge over the news. Then he reached for his phone.

“He called me and he said, ‘What can I do to help? I want to make sure I’m there to help my campus and help the city of Baton Rouge,’ ” Banks said. “We started talking. I told him some things they were in need of, and he said, ‘I got it from there.’

“Before I knew it, he said he was sending an 18-wheeler full of supplies.”

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Southern camp buzz: Chennis Berry brings the juice, Quentavius Monday brings the burns

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- BRINGIN’ THE JUICE: Offensive coordinator Chennis Berry is almost always the loudest guy on the field, but he was especially vibrant at Thursday’s practice. From start to finish, Berry was either encouraging good play or vocally pointing out the bad, but he was always at the 100 mark on the energy meter. He kept it going after practice was over, taking the offensive linemen over to run sideline-to-sideline sprints for what seemed to be his idea of fun. Speaking of the offensive linemen, Berry has not neglected his positional duties there because he’s coordinating the offense. He watches that group in particular very closely.

NO CASE OF THE MONDAYS: Southern held an entertaining practice segment Thursday pitting cornerbacks against receivers and tight ends in one-on-one man coverage. Arguably the most impressive performer in the period was freshman wide receiver Quentavius Monday. The Atlanta native beat All-SWAC corner Danny Johnson over the top for a 40-yard touchdown on the first play of the period, burned Andre Augustine on a deep out route on his second rep, then torched Elijah Allen on a post to go 3-for-3 in style.

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MEAC/SWAC Challenge coming to Daytona Beach

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Since 2008, the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge has been played in Orlando. This year, the HBCU conferences’ battle will be in Daytona Beach with the Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats taking on the Alcorn State University Braves.

The game, owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, showcases teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The conferences have the largest football programs among historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Sept. 4 game
The game, pitting B-CU against the Mississippi HBCU will be played at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach on Sept. 4 with a 1 p.m. kickoff. It will be aired live on ESPN as Bethune-Cookman (MEAC) hosts Alcorn State (SWAC).

“It is a unique situation. They have changed the whole approach. They will be taking it from campus to campus now for the next couple of years. We are honored and proud to be able to host it. We are very excited. This gives us a three-hour infomercial on national TV. It’s the only game on TV and the only game in town,’’ said Lynn Thompson, Bethune-Cookman University’s vice president of Intercollegiate Athletics.



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HBCU football stars on the rise:Top players this season may be in the NFL in 2017

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- South Carolina State University defensive tackle Javon Hargrave was the first black college football player taken in April’s NFL draft. Hargrave, a 6-foot-1, 309-pounder, was a third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Defensive Player of the Year was clearly one of the best players in the country last season from a historically black college or university.

Hargrave’s teammate, tight end Temarrick Hemingway, was a sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams. North Carolina Central University defensive back Ryan Smith was a fourth-round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.



In taking an early look ahead to this season, there are some very talented HBCU prospects who have the potential to play on Sundays like so many other black college football standouts such as Terron Armstead (New Orleans Saints, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Chris Baker (Washington Redskins, Hampton University), Antoine Bethea (San Francisco 49ers, Howard University), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (New York Giants, Tennessee State University) and others.

The No. 1 HBCU prospect looks to be North Carolina A&T State University running back Tarik Cohen, and it’s hard to argue with all his accomplishments on the gridiron. At 5-foot-7 and 173 pounds, Cohen is a little man with big-game talent. The Aggies’ senior rusher opened a lot of eyes while leading NC A&T State to an exciting 41-34 victory over Alcorn State University in the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on national television. Cohen put on quite a show, rushing for 295 yards while scoring three touchdowns against the Braves.



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NSU Spartans enter second scrimmage seeking consistency on both sides of the ball

NORFOLK, Virginia -- It’s always difficult for football coaches to gauge the successes or failures of a preseason intrasquad scrimmage.

If your offense thrives, then the defense might need work. If the offense does little, then it could be a sign of a stout defense.

What second-year Norfolk state coach Latrell Scott saw Saturday during his team’s first August scrimmage indicated that both units have room for improvement heading into the second scrimmage, scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday.

“The offense came out and scored big on the first drive and then stalled for a little while until we got in the red zone,” Scott said. “The defense played well early, and then gave up a long touchdown in the two-minute drive (at the end of the scrimmage). So I think it’s just consistency that we want to make sure we have at the end.”

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Grambling to play at Tulane in 2017

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Grambling plays one football game a year in New Orleans for the annual Bayou Classic against Southern.

The Tigers will add another trip to the Big Easy on the 2017 schedule when they travel to Tulane for the 2017 season opener. The Advocate first reported the news Tuesday, and Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs confirmed the schedule addition after Wednesday's practice.

"It's big. It's important to play the other teams in the state of Louisiana because we're all family. We're all helping each other," Fobbs said. "When we go down to New Orleans it's going to be a booming place and it will be packed and that's good for Tulane but it's also good for us, too, because we recruiting that area also. I enjoy playing against teams in our area because it's almost like a family reunion of all the schools in the state of Louisiana."

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Xavier announces walk-on tryouts in multiple sports

NEW ORLEANS — Several intercollegiate athletic teams at Xavier University of Louisiana will conduct walk-on tryouts next week for the 2016-17 academic year. All prospects must be enrolled in a minimum 12 hours for the fall 2016 semester, which will begin Monday.
     
The schedule of tryouts:
     •  Women's Volleyball:  Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 4-5 p.m. at the Convocation Center. Water will be provided. Participants will be required to sign a waiver. Contact: Hannah Lawing, hlawing@xula.edu.
     •  Men's and Women's Cross Country:  Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 3 p.m. Meet in front of the Convocation Center; tryout will take place at City Park. Contact: Jasmine Pulliam,jpullia1@xula.edu.
     •  Women's Basketball:  Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center and Wednesday, Aug. 24 from 9-10 p.m. at the Fitness Center. Contact: Tarniesha Scott, tscott17@xula.edu.
     •  Men's Basketball:  Saturday, Aug. 27 from 9-11 a.m. at the Fitness Center. Contact:Tyrone Mitchell, tmitch17@xula.edu.
     
Xavier competes in the NAIA as a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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ASU president names athletic director for Albany State University

ALBANY, Georgia -- Albany State University President Art Dunning announced today the appointment of a new athletic director for the university.

Sherie Cornish Gordon, who has more than 12 years of leadership and supervisory experience in athletic administration, will serve as the athletic director for the new Albany State University. She begins Sept. 1.

"We have conducted a national search for the brightest talent to join our team as athletic director," Dunning said. "I am grateful to Parker Executive Search and our search committee members who did an extraordinary job of identifying the best candidate for this role."

Gordon currently serves as the senior associate commissioner for external business administration for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Her responsibilities include oversight of the CIAA's budgeting and contracts, risk management, information technology, marketing, media relations, merchandising, sponsorship and media rights for the conference's 16 championship sports.

"I am delighted to join the Albany State University athletics program and senior leadership team at this point in my career and at a time of transformational change in Albany with the consolidation of Albany State University and Darton State College," Gordon said. "I look forward to working with my new colleagues to build a program that continues to promote student-athlete success and engages the entire Albany community, our employees and our students."

Prior to her tenure with the CIAA, Gordon spent more than nine years at Norfolk State University, where she served as senior associate director of administration/senior woman administrator; associate athletics director of internal operations/senior woman administrator; assistant athletics director for business operations; and assistant for athletic business operations. She provided leadership for 15 sports with approximately 300 student-athletes. She had oversight of a $12.2-million budget and managed more than $5 million in renovations and facility upgrades. Gordon was also a part of 22 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships and eight MEAC all sports awards while at Norfolk State.

The former collegiate basketball player and native of Severna Park, Md., earned her bachelor's degree in sports administration from Morgan State University in Baltimore and her master's degree in sports management from Temple University in Philadelphia. A member of several professional associations, she currently lives in Charlotte, N.C., with her son, Ethan.

Gordon was selected from a pool of 94 applicants for the athletic director position. The applications were vetted by a search committee that represented faculty and staff from Albany State and Darton State College and was chaired by Thomas Thompson, dean of the ASU College of Education.

ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS