FAMU's football team will take bus to Arkansas

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Since the 2015 arrival of Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr., Florida A&M’s athletic department has cut costs in an effort to balance its budget.

Overton earlier this year said repairs to a FAMU-owned bus saved the athletic department about $100,000 in travel costs.

Of course, that means long bus rides for some teams.

Florida A&M’s football team will take a bus instead of flying to Little Rock for its Thursday-night game against SEC foe Arkansas. The team will leave the morning of Aug. 30 – the Wednesday before the game – and embark on a 10-hour, 673-mile road trip.

The game against Arkansas is a "money game" for FAMU's athletic department -- Overton told the Tallahassee Democrat the game is worth "about $750,000."

Head coach Alex Wood said the team will be ready to take on the Razorbacks, even with the short week.

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Delaware State Hornets get ready for football season

DOVER, Delaware -- The Delaware State football team hit the field for its first official preseason practice at Alumni Stadium on Friday afternoon.

The session was heavy on individual and position drills, in addition to plenty of special teams work. The Hornets practice again today from 4-6 p.m.

DSU kicks off the season on Aug. 31 at Delaware at 7 p.m.

The Hornets, coming off an 0-11 season, have been picked to finish last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

“I believe we have taken the right steps to be competitive in the MEAC this season,” said third-year coach Kenny Carter. “We return more than 50 players from the 2016 squad, led by many sophomores and juniors who have gained valuable experience while developing a dogged determination through the struggles of the last two years. In addition, we have our strongest class of newcomers since I arrived and several players who sat out due to injury last year are back and ready to contribute.”

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UAPB Golden Lions open with 'teaching day'

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Coach Monte Coleman had his players start with the basics when the Golden Lions opened fall practice Thursday afternoon.

Coleman said it was "just a teaching day," which focused on fundamentals like position alignment. It's a return to the basics for a team that has finished last in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in each of the past three seasons and was voted in the conference's preseason poll to finish last again this season.

"We were 1-10 last season," Coleman said. "We have to have major progression across the board. We have to be smart, physical and technically sound, and that's across the board."

While other Arkansas college teams began practice last Saturday, UAPB starts classes five days later, which set back the 28 days of practices the NCAA permits its college teams to have before classes start.

Other than the fundamental work, Coleman said UAPB also went through 7-on-7 drills. Junior quarterback Brandon Duncan, who passed for 2,229 yard, 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 2016, entered fall practice as the starter.

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Alabama A&M boosted by veteran squad for 2017 football campaign

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama --This season, the Bulldogs will field the most veteran lineup in Head Coach James Spady's four years on The Hill.

And the team includes five preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selections - the most in Spady's term.

Alabama A&M returns seven starters on offense, eight on defense and all of the team's specialists.

Anchoring the returnees are All-SWAC running back Jordan Bentley; All-SWAC linebacker Kenneth Davis; All-SWAC defensive back Tere Calloway; All-SWAC kicker Nick Carden; and second team All-SWAC offensive lineman Austin Simmons.

But, there are a couple of major story lines at the most important position - quarterback.

Who will replace two-year starter Tuttie Ballard?

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B-E's Davis happy to be back "home" playing for S.C. State

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Former Bamberg-Ehrhardt defensive line standout LaSamuel Davis has been busy since high school. He just hasn't played a college football game yet.

But that should change this fall.

Two years ago, Davis went to prep school so he could qualify to play NCAA Division I football. Last year, he red-shirted at Clemson, working out and practicing with the team that won the national championship.

In April, the former dominant Red Raiders pass-rushing threat was a contributing member of the Tigers program who played in the Orange & White Spring Game.

Soon after, Davis decided he needed a third change of scenery in three years. Davis enrolled in summer school classes at South Carolina State and began working out with the Bulldogs team.

With Clemson in line to bring in three of the nation's top high school defensive ends in the next two seasons, that might have been a proactive move by Davis. The Tigers are now without three D-ends who were expected to play some in 2017. But, Davis had to do what he believed was best for him.

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NCAA rewarding Southern with $900K grant evidence it has 'confidence in Southern University athletics,' Banks says

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- It wasn’t that long ago that Southern’s athletic program found itself squarely on the NCAA’s naughty list as a result of letting its academics slide.

Southern has been making strides to put itself back on the nice list since the NCAA slammed it with APR-related sanctions, and earlier this week it was one of three schools rewarded with nearly $1 million in grant money over a three-year span through the NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program.

“I think it shows that the NCAA is now having confidence in Southern University athletics,” said Southern athletic director Roman Banks. “I think they’ve seen, and I know they have documented, the great turnaround we had at the university.”

The program has been in place since 2012. Only non-FBS schools in the bottom 10 percent of financial resources are eligible to apply.

Southern was one of three schools to receive a comprehensive, or multi-year, grant. Six other schools received single year grants.

Each year, Southern will receive $300,000 — the maximum amount — from the NCAA for a total of $900,000 in grant money. Southern is required to match 25 percent of the funding in the first year, 50 percent in the second year and 75 percent in the third year.

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Hardin: A&T football holds season's 1st practice

GREENSBORO North Carolina -- Footballs were flying around outside Aggie Stadium on a hot August afternoon. Coaches were screaming and players were sweating and Rod Broadway was smiling.

The old coach from Oakboro is in his element. He has his program where he wants it, and he’s not changing a thing.

“What’s the old saying?,” he asked, joking in front of the cameras. “We do chicken.”

That’s all.

No frills or fritters. A&T lost its best player but not its identity. This is a reloading season for the Aggies, and Broadway and his quarterback are looking to December.

“We’re going to be a good football team,” he said Tuesday, minutes before the first practice of the season, which starts in 28 days.

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