The "unofficial" meeting place for intelligent discussions of Divisions I and II Sports of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC).
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TOUGALOO, Mississippi — Xavier University of Louisiana's defense, led by freshman libero Anna Dalla Vecchia, sparkled again in a 25-14, 25-13, 25-17 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference volleyball victory against Tougaloo.
Dalla Vecchia had 31 digs — 13 in the final set — to tie a XULA match record and help the Gold Nuggets (16-2, 8-0) win their sixth in a row. They knocked the Lady Bulldogs (16-9, 7-3) out of second place.
XULA got double-doubles from Juliana Tomasoni (10 kills, 13 digs) and Tiffany Phillips (21 assists, 10 digs). Tougaloo hit minus-.008 in 125 attacks and became the third XULA conference opponent in the last four matches to finish with more attack errors than kills. No GCAC opponent has hit better than .092 against XULA this season.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- In this episode of the College Baseball Central Podcast, Joe Healy talks baseball in the SWAC and MEAC with Michael Coker of Black College Nines.
The headline from these two conferences in 2017 was obviously the postseason run by Bethune-Cookman. The Wildcats enjoyed a fantastic run in the Gainesville Regional, forcing the eventual national champion Florida Gators to a deciding seventh game before bowing out. Head coach Jason Beverlin has done an outstanding job of building upon the success that the program enjoyed under Mervyl Melendez.
In the SWAC, it feels like the league is fairly wide open. Alabama State it still well-stocked with talent. Texas Southern was a 2017 regional team and always plays well when it counts the most. Jackson State is as consistent as just about any program in the conference, and Grambling won their division last year. And that’s to say nothing of a program like Southern, which made a high-profile head coaching hire in bringing in Kerrick Jackson to replace the legendary Roger Cador. CONTINUE READING
DURHAM, North Carolina -- There’s not a lot Jerry Mack hasn’t accomplished in his four years as the head football coach at N.C. Central.
Mack, 36, has won three MEAC championships, becoming the first coach in school history to win 24 games in his first three years. Last season he led the Eagles to their first national ranking as a Division I-FCS program, finishing No. 19 in the FCS Coaches Poll. After N.C. Central’s first outright MEAC title in 2016, Mack led the team to its first bowl game since making the switch to Division I in 2011.
This season, N.C. Central is off to a 4-1 start and is 3-0 in the MEAC. Since starting at NCCU in 2014, Mack has gone 29-12 and 24-3 record in conference play. But for all he has accomplished, Mack, until this past weekend, still had one more thing to check off his list: beating a non-conference opponent.
N.C. Central this past Saturday finally did just that by beating Gardner-Webb (1-5) from the Big South 24-17, in the fifth meeting between the two in-state schools. The win goes a long way in helping the national reputation of N.C. Central, which entered the game ranked No. 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll. CONTINUE READING
GREENSBORO, North Carolina — The seventh win didn’t come easy.
On the road at Florida A&M, playing in front of a standing-room-only homecoming crowd in a stadium that seats 25,500, N.C. A&T looked vulnerable in its 31-20 victory over the Rattlers on Saturday.
The Aggies lost three turnovers, including quarterback Lamar Raynard’s second and third interceptions of the season, and committed a season-high eight penalties for 64 yards.
And yet, it was still win No. 7. The Aggies are 7-0 for the first time since 1943 and just the third time in the program’s 93-year history.
“Man, let’s don’t take these wins for granted,” A&T coach Rod Broadway said today. “Winning is hard. Sometimes we get in a comfort zone where we think this (7-0 start) is the norm. Well, this isn’t normal. These guys are doing something special.”
Now comes the most difficult game of the season. A&T (7-0, 4-0 MEAC) will host Bethune-Cookman (3-3, 2-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Aggie Stadium. CONTINUE READING
GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- When you’re talking champ versus champ, breath’s not wasted on clichés or coach speak.
Fourth-year Grambling State head football coach Broderick Fobbs could’ve doled out the politically correct banter Monday morning at his weekly press conference, where he previewed the reigning SWAC champion Tigers’ big showdown with Alcorn State, the league’s champion the year prior, coming up Saturday at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
The Braves defeated the G-Men, 49-21, for the title in 2015, and maybe that still doesn’t quite sit well with Fobbs. Or maybe it’s from last season’s SWAC championship game where Alcorn raced out to a 17-0 halftime advantage – a stark difference from the regular season meeting where GSU dominated, 43-18 – before his Tigers roared back to win, 27-20, in the final minutes.
Likely reasoning is a combination of the two. But any way it’s sliced, Grambling State (5-1, 2-0), now ranked 17th in the FCS Coaches Poll, has entered Alcorn State week with a chip on its shoulder.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State director of athletics Wheeler Brown gave Tiger football coach Tony Hughes a vote of confidence Monday morning, despite the team's 0-6 start.
Reached by phone, Brown said he understands the frustration fans feel towards the program, which is off to its worst start since 1969 following Saturday's 33-7 loss to Division II Tuskegee.
"I don't think the kids or the coaches have quit," Brown said. "I hope we can work to rectify those things that have kept us from being successful on the field, but my support hasn't wavered and at the end of the day, I still think coach Hughes is the man for the job."
The Tigers are set to host Southern University this weekend at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
The athletic department decided to postpone Monday's regularly scheduled football press conference to Tuesday, prompting many to believe there may be a shakeup within the coaching staff.
Polls are now open for the public to vote for their favorite marching bands to perform in the 16th annual HBOB Invitational Showcase.
TORRANCE, California – Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB) will make its highly-anticipated return to Atlanta on January 27, 2018, when eight marching bands from the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) take the field to dazzle fans with their music, choreography and pageantry. The polls are now open for the public to vote for their favorite marching bands to perform in the 16th annual HBOB Invitational Showcase.
Beginning today, fans can visit http://www.hondabattleofthebands.com/the-bandsand vote daily to help select the eight bands that will perform at the 2018 Invitational Showcase. Voting will close on Friday, October 20 at midnight Eastern.
“For more than 15 years, Honda Battle of the Bands has provided a stage for exceptional marching bands—a hallmark of HBCU culture,” said Stephan Morikawa, Vice President, Corporate Relations & Social Responsibility for Honda. “Honda is honored to celebrate these student musicians and their teamwork, and we look forward to their dynamic performances come January.”
This year’s theme, March On: Dream Together, highlights the distinctive culture of HBCUs—both on and off the field. It is a culture that impacts and inspires far beyond its community. In addition to music education, HBOB celebrates everything from the rich history and traditions of HBCUs to the life-long connections that fuel future leaders.
In the last two years, the HBOB Invitational Showcase has attracted a combined audience of nearly 120,000 fans via the live show and online livestream. Tickets for the anticipated event start at $10 and will be available for purchase on October 16 at HondaBattleoftheBands.com.
In addition to the marching bands, the 2018 Invitational Showcase will also feature the fourth-annual HBCU Power of Dreams Award. Honda established the award to honor extraordinary individuals who are positively affecting the lives of others and moving the HBCU community forward. Members of the HBCU community will have the opportunity to nominate an exceptional individual who is making a difference in the community. Honda will recognize the winner in a ceremony during the event.
For more information on Honda Battle of the Bands and to buy tickets, visit www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com. To join the social media conversation, use #HBOB and visit the following social media handles for official updates:
Facebook – Facebook.com/HondaBattleoftheBands
Twitter – @The_Honda / Twitter.com/The_Honda
Instagram – @the_honda / Instagram.com/the_honda About Honda
Honda seeks to be a company that society wants to exist, creating products and technologies that improve the lives of people while minimizing the environmental impacts of its products and business operations to ensure a sustainable future for society. Honda is also committed to making positive contributions to the communities where we do business, to socially responsible business practices and to the promotion of diversity in our workforce. From our involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to our support of pediatric brain tumor research, and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where we live and work.
Honda supports a variety of initiatives aimed at advancing education and creating experiences of discovery that help young people see and achieve their own dreams. Honda's partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund is one of many programs demonstrating Honda's commitment to the Latino community and to helping young people access The Power of Dreams.
