The championship game saw Langston (24-7) battle through adversity, trailing 61-60 in the final two minutes. However, the Lions remained poised under pressure. Senior guard Mario McKinney delivered in the clutch with a go-ahead layup, and after crucial defensive stops, Bryce Monroe iced the game at the free-throw line, finishing with a team-high 17 points. Monroe’s performance throughout the tournament earned him SAC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors, while teammate Amoro Lado, who added 10 points in the final, secured a spot on the SAC All-Tournament Team.

This title continues a remarkable stretch for Langston, which has dominated the SAC since the 2022-2023 season. That year, the Lions made history by capturing their first SAC tournament crown, signaling a shift in the program’s trajectory. They followed that up in 2023-2024 with another conference title and an even deeper postseason run, advancing all the way to the NAIA national championship game. Though they fell just short of the ultimate prize, Langston’s efforts put HBCU basketball on full display at the highest level of NAIA competition.

Now, with another championship secured, Langston awaits its next challenge in the NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship. The Lions will learn their national tournament seeding on March 7, with their sights set on making another deep run and bringing an NAIA national title home to Langston University. Under Wright’s leadership, the program has become synonymous with sustained excellence, and with their third straight SAC title, the Lions continue to build on their legacy as one of the premier programs in HBCU basketball.

The post HBCU ready for title run after third-straight conference crown appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The poll placed College of Idaho in the second spot with five first-place votes, followed by Indiana Wesleyan in third. Freed-Hardeman University, the defending national champions from Tennessee, secured two first-place votes, entering the season ranked fourth. The top 25 poll also sees eight new teams making their debut, having not been ranked or receiving votes in the final poll of the previous season.

This poll is created by a panel of coaches representing various conferences and the Continental Athletic Conference. It holds no direct bearing on national championship selections but serves as a significant indicator of the season’s expectations. Points are awarded based on rankings from each coach’s vote, with the highest and lowest being removed to create a balanced outcome.

Langston University was 35-2 overall, and advanced to the NAIA National Championship game during the 2023-2024 season.

As an HBCU, Langston University continues to demonstrate excellence in NAIA sports, kicking off their season at the Abe Lemons Classic on November 1, where they will face Mission University and the Master’s University. Their continued prominence serves as a reminder of the competitive presence of HBCUs in national basketball.

The post HBCU basketball squad to start no. 1 in the nation appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

LANGSTON — Langston University and the Langston University Department of Athletics are shocked and saddened to announce that assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Darryl Mason passed away on Saturday, August 17, 2024. Mason was 63.

“The loss of Coach (Darryl) Mason has left a huge hole in the hearts of his student-athletes, coaching staff, campus, and the football community,” Langston University Director of Athletics Donnita Rogers said. “His passion for the game, work ethic, loyalty, sense of humor and love for Langston University will always be treasured and a part of his legacy.”

“Coach (Darryl) Mason, you will forever be loved and missed. I couldn’t be prouder to have had you by my side, both on and off the field,” Langston University head football coach Quinton Morgan said. “Your impact on our lives is immeasurable, and your legacy will continue to inspire us all. “

Mason served as offensive coordinator for the Lions football program twice, first serving from 2013 to 2015 before returning to the Lions prior to the 2018 season. In his first season back as offensive coordinator, Mason directed an offense that placed him in the top 10 in several statistical categories which included total offense (third), pass offense per game (fifth), scoring offense per game (seventh), and total pass offense (eighth).

In his second tenure, the Lions had a win-loss total of 38-18 since 2018. In that same time frame, Mason helped produce two Associated Press All-American selections, two AFCA All-American selections, two NAIA Football All-America selections, two Sooner Athletic Conference players of the year, one SAC athlete of the year, 12 SAC first-team selections, 13 SAC second-team selections, and 17 SAC honorable mention selections.

Mason’s coaching career spanned nearly four decades which included coaching stops at Minnesota, Southwest Missouri State, Weber State, Northwestern State, UNLV, Idaho State, East Tennessee State, Cheyney (Pa.), UL-Monroe, Tulane, the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Bacone College and Arkansas Baptist.

Additionally, Mason was a three-year starter at tight end for Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz at Arkansas from 1978-1981. The Arkansas Razorbacks made four straight bowl appearances during his career, including the 1979 Fiesta and 1980 Sugar Bowls. He also served as captain of the Arkansas team during his senior year, won the Gordon Campbell Senior Spirit Award, and was named All-Southwest Conference.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jesse W. Mason, Sr, and Levada Levon Parker Mason. He leaves to cherish his memory his sister Patricia Mason, Chicago, Illinois, his brothers Jesse Mason (Dr. Gail Reede Jones) of Little Rock, Arkansas, Rev. C. Vernon Mason (Thelma) of New York, New York, Michael D. Mason (Sarah), Little Rock, Arkansas.  His Children Derrick Deshaun Mason (Cara), Molly Galloway, and Grandchildren Julian, Myles, and Mason. and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends. Special Relationship with Denise Walker and children of Harvey, Louisiana Daughter Delichia Gourgis and Son Alex Gourgis III Grandchildren: Danasia, Da’sani, DyNisty, Alex IV, and Daliyah Louis.

The post Former Arkansas TE, Langston University football OC dies at 63 appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The only caveat is that he won’t be chasing an NCAA national title. Langston University, a public land-grant HBCU in Langston, Oklahoma plays its basketball in NAIA, a college athletics governing body that operates separately from the NCAA.

The Langston University Lions have been one of the top NAIA teams in the nation in recent years, making it to the national championship game last season with a 35-1 overall record.

Transitioning from Hoodie Rio, the viral high school basketball star to Mario McKinney Jr., the college basketball player hasn’t been easy.

By the start of his senior year of high school Mario McKinney Jr. was a bonafide YouTube basketball star, with his Hoodie Rio BallisLife junior season mixtape taking social media by storm in 2018.

McKinney continued to show his star power with an electrifying senior season averaging 25 points and 7.5 rebounds during the state semifinal and championship games where he helped lead Vashon High School to back-to-back-to-back Missouri state championships in 2017, 2018, and 2019. McKinney was tabbed the top player in Missouri by both ESPN and 247Sports, where he was rated as a four-star recruit and ranked 19th nationally at the point guard position and 125th overall in the 2019 class.

Mario McKinney Jr. signed with the University of Missouri where he was expected to make an immediate impact, but only saw action in four games at Missouri averaging 3.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 9.3 minutes per game.

He then transferred to John A. Logan College, a junior college in Carterville, Illinois where he showed he still had the talent that made him a viral high school hoops star. He averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.7 steals in nine games, including a 52-point performance on 17-of-23 shooting against Three Rivers Community College, and just like that, Hoodie Rio was back.

“The best mid-majors in the country and a bunch of high majors called and have been watching film on him,” John A. Logan College assistant coach John Clancy told 24/7 Sports. “A lot of schools are tracking him right now and showing significant interest. Maryland and St. Johns are probably showing the most interest and Oregon has been early on him. Georgia, South Florida, Central Florida, Texas A&M, TCU, Pittsburgh, Ole Miss, and a ton of great mid-majors have also been calling and showing interest so far.”

McKinney was determined to show he could play point guard at the Division I level, telling Dushawn London of 24/7 sports that, “I’m running strictly the one and I think it’s going to help me when I get back to D1, ” McKinney said. “Coaches are probably going to look at me as a combo guard or strictly a one so when I do get to the next level it’s going to be something I have to keep developing. I haven’t really been able to showcase my skills but I think I’m ready.”

McKinney’s next stop was New Mexico State, where lack of playing time resulted in another lackluster season at the D1 level. After averaging 3.8 points in 31 games with 5 starts, Mario McKinney Jr. was back in the transfer portal looking for a place to prove himself.

Heading into the 2022-2023 season, Mario McKinney Jr was three years removed from the Hoodie Rio era and enrolled at the University of Texas El-Paso where he found success coming off the bench for the Miners.

McKinney was the top reserve for UTEP, playing in 20 games and ranking fourth on the squad in scoring with 8.9 ppg including a career-high 22 points against his former New Mexico State team.

Now, Mario McKinney Jr. is headed to an HBCU. One that has put together an impressive run under head coach Chris Wright, a coach who has made a reputation for having success at the NAIA level with players who have struggled at the Division 1 level of college basketball.

Langston University appeared in its first NAIA National Championship game in the 2023-2024 season. Head coach Chris Wright had already led another HBCU, Talladega College to the 2022 title game before taking the job at Langston the following season. Transforming the 3-win HBCU basketball program instantly with a  61-4 win-loss record and a 41-3 mark in conference play over his first two seasons.

“The former 4 star recruit that signed at Missouri will be as talented a player as there is in the country! He will be able to score at a high clip and can impact the game in a variety of ways! I can’t wait to get this guy on the court. #LsUp.” Tweeted Coach Wright with the announcement of the McKinney signing. This signals that Mario McKinney Jr. might get the playing time and shot attempts he needs to be able to return to that Hoodie Rio form that took over the internet almost six years ago.

The post HBCU basketball power signs former high school YouTube star appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

“Funny how division I schools are telling guys that we are both recruiting “Why would want to go to an NAIA, you are too good to go there,” Wright tweeted on Twitter/X. “To those schools… Since we are just an NAIA put us on your schedule. We will come play for no money.”

That’s a pretty bold proclamation, as an NAIA school playing a Division I school would usually be considered a money game – one in which the higher division program pays the lower division program a guarantee to come play them on the road. 

Wright’s recent success at the NAIA level – first with Talladega College and now with Langston University – demonstrates that he knows how to build a program. He took both HBCU programs to national championships – a major accomplishment given the fact that LU was a 3-win team the season before Wright arrived fresh out of Talladega. His overall record the last three seasons is 98-11.

The gauntlet has been thrown down. The question now is whether or not any Division I program will take Wright up on his offer.

The post HBCU NAIA coach issues challenge to Division I opponents appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The Yotes entered tonight’s matchup at 32-3, boasting four players in double figures in Samaje Morgan (14.3 ppg), Johnny Radford (12.2 ppg), Drew Wyman (11.5 ppg) and Jake O’Neil (10.1 ppg) but the Lions held College of Idaho to 35 percent (19-of-53) from the field and three-of-17 from three-point range. Langston also held the Yotes to its fewest points of the season, their fewest prior to that was 64 points on December 30th in a win over Eastern Oregon.

“They’re (College of Idaho) extremely well-coached and they stretch you defensively with how they shoot the three,” head coach Chris Wright noted of College of Idaho. “You add in a dynamic point guard and they’re tough to cover. I thought our guy’s ability to stay with the game plan, to believe in what we were doing, to get big stops when we needed them was huge for us.”

Senior guard D’Monte Brown said the team prides itself on being the tougher team, day in and day out.

“We’ve always been the toughest team, we started this back in August, our practices are hard, and Coach (Wright) stays on us to be prepared for this moment,” Brown said. “They (College of Idaho) came out to play, it was close in the first half, but we knew we were the better team, we just had to show it.”

Tied at 52-52 with 44 seconds left, Anthony Roy hit Jay Allen-Tovar for layup inside to put Langston in front 54-52 with 29 seconds left.

Langston broke the game open on the ensuing offensive possession when Roy batted away a loose ball towards G’Quavious Lennox, who in turn lobbed it to Cortez Mosley for a breakaway slam dunk to put the Lions ahead for good.

Mosley led Langston in scoring with 14 points on six-of-14 shooting and Brown chipped in 12 on five-of-seven shooting. Collectively, Langston hit 38 percent (23-of-60) from the field and outscored College of Idaho 16-11 in bench points, 32-26 in points in the paint and 11-9 in points off turnovers.

While Langston University will be making their first appearance in the NAIA National Championship game, it will be the second title game appearance for head coach Chris Wright. Wright led Talladega (Ala.) to the 2022 title game where they fell 71-56 to Loyola (La.). The second-year head coach noted what he’s learned as a coach and leader since then.

“Since getting to Kansas City, I’ve enjoyed this experience so much more than I did the first time with Talladega,” Wright said. “I was miserable to be honest, I was happy to win but I didn’t enjoy it, I survived it. When I was hired here, (former Langston University president) Dr. (Kent J.) Smith made me promise that if we ever went on a run like that at Langston that I would enjoy it. When we won the second-round game at our place I said I’m going to enjoy whatever happens the rest of the way.”

The Lions improve to 35-1 overall and advance to the NAIA National Championship game on Tuesday night, March 26, in Municipal Auditorium. Langston University faces Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) (31-4) who advanced to the championship by way of defeating Grace (Ind.) 86-81 on Monday night.

The post Langston University advances to NAIA title game appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The Wildcats (29-6) entered their quarterfinal matchup boasting four players that averaged double figures in Javan Buchanan (20.5 ppg), Nathan Childress (14.5 ppg), Griffin Kliewer (14.5 ppg) and Caedmon Bontrager (13.9 ppg) while averaging 90.5 points per game as team. However, the Lion’s patented defense was on the display from the outset as they held the Wildcats to 33 percent (10-of-30) shooting in the first half while building a 37-25 halftime lead.

The defensive intensity continued in the second half as Langston University held Indiana Wesleyan to 34 percent (eight-of-23) after halftime. The Lions held the quartet of double-digit scorers from Indiana Wesleyan to a combined 12-of-41 which included a one-for-eight mark from three-point range.

“They’re a great offensive team and for us to disrupt what they wanted to do I thought was really impressive,” head coach Chris Wright said. “I’m proud of our guys, I thought they followed the game plan extremely well. We were locked in and to do that to a team that averages over 90 points a game says a lot about the character of our guys.”

“Our identity is defense and rebounding,” senior forward Cortez Mosley said. “We just knew if we defended and rebounded, we would be okay. We just pride ourselves on our defense and being the tougher team because at the end of the day the tougher team wins.”

Langston University built a 15-point lead at 49-34 at the 9:32 mark following a three-pointer by G’Quavious Lennox and free throws from Majok Kuath. The Lions led by as much as 17 in the second half, sealing the quarterfinal victory at 61-48.

Mosley led Langston in scoring with 15 points on five-of-12 shooting with six boards; Anthony Roy added 13 on five-of-13 shooting including three three-pointers. On the night the Lions hit 37 percent (20-of-53) overall and finished 16-of-21 from three throw line while holding IWU to 34 percent (18-of-53) overall and three-of-12 from three-point range.

Langston held Indiana Wesleyan to the lowest point total of the season with 48 points. Their previous low was 71 points back on January 31st versus Grace (Ind.).

Wright said getting the Langston University men’s basketball program to this point is part of the vision that was established when he was hired in April 2022.

“It’s very humbling, when (former Langston University president) Dr. (Kent J.) Smith, (Langston University Director of Athletics) Donnita Rogers and the senior leadership hired me this was their vision,” Wright noted. “So many people deserve the credit for this but it’s very humbling to be a part of. I feel tremendously blessed to be able to get our program to this point.”

The Lions improve to 34-1 overall and advances to the NAIA Fab Four on Monday night, March 25, in Municipal Auditorium. Langston squares off against the College of Idaho Yotes (32-3) who advanced to the Fab Four by way of defeating Morningside 73-56 on Saturday night.

The post Langston University advances to Fab Four appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The 2024 NAIA Tournament brackets are out and several HBCUs are amongst the field.

Langston University (30-1 overall) got the number one seed in the Duer Quadrant. The back-to-back SAC champions will take on no. 16 seed Bellevue (Neb.) as the host team.

Located in the same bracket is Tougaloo (MS) College. The regular season champion of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) picked up a no. 10 seed after being upset in its conference tournament. It will face off against no. 7 seed Tennessee Southern in Marion, IN.

Florida Memorial University picked up a No. 2 seed in the Naismith Bracket. The Sun Conference champion will take on no. 15 Evangel of Missouri.

Texas College picked up a no. 9 seed in the Cramer Quadrant. It will face off against no. 8 Point Park (PA) in Henderson, Tennessee. 

Philander Smith picked up a no. 15 seed after winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference title. It will take on Cumberlands, the no. 2 seed and the host team in the first and second rounds. 

The post NAIA Tournament to feature five HBCU men’s teams appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

“MACU deserves a lot of credit for defending us the way they did,” Langston University head coach and reigning SAC Coach of the Year Chris Wright said. “They were tough, physical, and made every shot difficult. This was a national tournament type of game; we needed this tonight. I’m proud of our guys for finding a way to make enough plays down the stretch to win this one.”

It was tough sledding in the opening half with both offenses gaining no clear advantage. The Lions led 15-14 at halftime but hit only 23 percent (seven-of-30) while halting the MACU offense to 19 percent (four-of-21) from the field.

Lions were able to get a bit of breathing room, helped by two three-pointers from Roy and a jumper by Cortez Mosley to put Langston up 33-26 at the 10:40 mark in the second half. MACU’s Seth Hurd cut the deficit to five at 41-36 with 6:24 remaining but the Evangels never got any closer.

Langston University picks up its second straight SAC tournament championship to pair with its second straight SAC regular season championship they clinched back on February 15th. In addition to the conference championships, the wins have also stacked up for the Lions and Wright.

Since taking the helm of the Langston men’s basketball program, Wright holds a 61-4 win-loss record and a 41-3 mark in conference play. Tuesday’s win over MACU also gave Wright a 5-0 record at Langston vs the Evangels.

Roy finished with 25 points on nine-of-19 shooting in 35 minutes of action. This is the 13th time this season the SAC Player of the Year has scored over 20 points in a contest. Toru Dean and Majok Kuath tied for second on the team in scoring with seven points apiece.

Langston University (30-1) now awaits their tournament draw in the NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship Opening Round which will be unveiled on March 7 at 6 p.m. by the NAIA on their YouTube Channel. The Lions gained an automatic bid to the opening round by way of winning the SAC regular season title and will not have to travel far as they were selected as one of the 16 host sites for the NAIA Men’s Basketball First and Second Rounds which starts Saturday, March 15.

The post Langston University men win back-to-back titles appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

 
Cortez Mosley of Langston University earned the Defensive Player of the Year while Yorgo Golesis from Oklahoma City was named the conference Freshman of the Year. In addition to earning the league Player of the Year award, Roy was also named this year’s Newcomer of the Year while Eddie Smith of Mid-America Christian earned the Sixth Man of the Year Honor with Noah Boling of Southwestern Assemblies of God garnering the conference Sportsmanship Award.
 
Roy led Langston in his junior season by scoring 18.6 points per game and shooting 47 percent from the field during the year. Roy also led the conference in three-point shooting percentage by going 42 percent from beyond the arc.
 
Mosley was also a key member of the Lions starting lineup as he averaged four defensive rebounds per game in helping Langston to a league-high 59.2 points allowed per game average.
 
Golesis had an outstanding freshman season for the Stars by averaging 10.3 points per game and was eighth in the conference with 3.4 assists per contest.
 
Smith helped MACU to the No. 2 seed in the upcoming conference tournament by averaging 11 points per contest, 3.3 rebounds per game, and 2.7 assists per contest.
 
Boling earned the conference Sportsmanship Award from the coaches as he was a great example of how to conduct himself on the court during the season.
 
Wright took home his second straight Coach of the Year Award after going 27-1 this season and 21-1 in conference play. He led the Lions to a high-powered offense that scored 82.5 points per game and a defense that allowed only 59.2 points per contest.
 
The complete list of 2024 Sooner Athletic Conference postseason honorees can be found below:
 
2024 Sooner Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Postseason Awards
 
SAC Player of the Year — Anthony Roy, LU
Defensive Player of the Year — Cortez Mosley, LU
Freshman of the Year — Yorgo Golesis, OCU
Newcomer of the Year — Anthony Roy, LU
Sixth Man of the Year — Eddie Smith, MACU
Sportsmanship Award — Noah Boling, SAGU
Coach of the Year — Chris Wright, LU
 
All-Sooner Athletic First Team
Anthony Roy, LU
C.J. Hall, SAGU
Toru Dean, LU
Seth Hurd, MACU
Reggie Quezada, USAO
 
All-Sooner Athletic Second Team
Cortland Blake, SAGU
D’Michael Bellfield, WBU
Cortez Mosley, LU
Mikel Henderson, MACU
Drew Miller, JBU
 
All-Sooner Athletic Third Team
Tahjae Hill, WBU
Chris Whitten, CCC
Kristian Lafayette, Tex Wes
Adetokumbo Bakare, Tex Wes
D’Monte Brown, LU
 
Honorable Mention
DeAngelo Adkins, MACU
Cade Allen, USAO
J.J. Boling, SAGU
Noah Boling, SAGU
Quinton Coleman, WBU
Jaden Harrel, USAO
Avery Jackson OCU
Brandon Jackson, OCU
Vernon Johnson, UNTD
Jasiah Lewis, MACU
Ron Mitchell, LU
Ron Moore, SCU
Meikkel Murray, WBU
Malachi Reeves, JBU
Fred Robinson, OPSU
Eddie Smith, MACU
 
Sooner Athletic All-Freshman Team
Yorgo Golesis, OCU
Michal Wooldridge, SCU
Trae Oetting. JBU
Clayton Jewell, OCU
Amaree Brown, OPSU
 
Sooner Athletic All-Defensive Team
Cortez Mosley, LU
DeAngelo Adkins, MACU
Jay Allen Tovar, LU
J.J. Boling, SAGU
Tahjae Hill, WBU

The post Langston University dominates conference awards appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Langston built a 35-21 halftime advantage after hitting 43 percent (13-of-30) from the field and holding the Aggies offense to 29 percent shooting (seven-of-24). The Lions did not let up in the second half, leading by as many as 32 in the second en route to a 76-48 victory. 

The Lions improve to 25-1 overall and 19-1 in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings. Langston has two regular season games remaining before the start of the SAC Men’s Basketball championship tournament on Thursday, Feb. 29. 

In addition to clinching the title, Langston has a solid shot of going to the top of NAIA rankings. No. 1 Grace (Ind.) suffered its first loss of the season last week.

Langston clinched the SAC regular season title for the second straight year on Thursday, Feb. 15 by defeating Wayland Baptist 70-65.

Cortez Mosley led the way with a season-high 27 points and 11 boards; D’Monte Brown and Michael Wright also tallied double figures with 13 points apiece.

Langston University (25-1, 19-1 SAC) returns to action next Thursday at Texas Wesleyan. Game time is set for 8 p.m.

The post Langston University clinches title, eyes no. 1 appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Another Division I transfer, former Northwestern State forward Major Kuath, put up 13 points in the win. Several other Division I transfers, as well as former JUCO players, fill out Langston’s roster.

Langston is led by Chris Wright, who is one of the better kept secrets in college basketball. Wright led Talladega to a national championship berth two years ago. He then headed west to take over a program that was 1-27. The team went 31-3 last season, becoming the first ever HBCU to win the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season crown along with capturing the SAC Conference Tournament Championship. The Lions advanced to the NAIA Sweet 16 in Kansas City before falling to Georgetown College.

So far the team has been just as great this season as it will look to repeat as Sooner Athletic Conference champions and hope to become the first HBCU to win a national title since Virginia Union did it at the NCAA Division II level in 2005. 

The post HBCU basketball’s top program is Langston University appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Langston University men’s basketball entered the NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll ranked fourth overall, the national office announced. 

The Lions are the highest-rated team in the Sooner Athletic Conference and are led by second-year head coach Chris Wright. Langston opens their season on November 4 versus William Woods University at C.F. Gayles Field House. 

Poll Methodology:

• The NAIA Men’s Basketball Poll is for publicity purposes only and has no weight or bearing in the selection process for national championship field consideration
• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and Continental Athletic Conference (Independents)
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second place and so on through the list
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low ratings) is removed
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”
• For the first preseason poll, there is no column referencing a previous ranking, as polls are new and different from the ratings system
• Frequency of polls occur bi-weekly
• For the complete Top 25 polls calendar, click HERE

Langston’s Chris Wright took over a program that was 1-27 and 1-37 over the past two seasons. Under his guidance, the Lions finished an incredible 31-3 in 2022-2023. It’s one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in college basketball history.

“Last season Langston was 1-27. This season the Lions were 31-3. What else really needs to be said about the job Chris Wright has done,” said Joe Dwyer, President of CollegeInsider.com. “It’s without question one of the best, if not the best, single-season turnaround in college basketball history, at any level. Chris Wright is an excellent coach and a quality individual.”

In his first season, The Lions went 26-2 in the regular season, making history as the first HBCU to win the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season title and the conference tournament title. Winning the SAC earned Langston a No. 2 seed in the NAIA National Tournament, where they would go on to post wins over Southern Oregon and Southwestern College, before falling to Georgetown KY in the round of 16.

Wright came to Langston after spending the previous four seasons as the head coach at Talladega College. During his tenure, the Tornadoes have compiled a 106-25 record and reached the NAIA National Tournament in all four seasons.

The post Langston basketball top 5 in NAIA Men’s Basketball preseason poll appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

LANGSTON, Okla. — The Langston University Department of Athletics is pleased to announce they have partnered with Opendorse to launch the Langston Athletics Marketplace, the department’s official NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) market for student-athletes.

“Most small college athletic administrators do not have the budget to create a NIL department or hire an additional person to handle student athlete NIL opportunities. Opendorse serves as my NIL department,” Langston University Director of Athletics Donnita Rogers said. “This NIL platform ensures that at a touch of a button, all Langston University student-athlete NIL disclosures, personal profile pages, and current contracts are available on our NIL dashboard. Our athletes will receive valuable training on personal branding, current NIL legislation as well as tax prep information.”

Visit the marketplace here: The Official Langston University Marketplace for NIL Deals – Opendorse

Why Opendorse

• Opendorse maximizes NIL opportunities for student-athletes, while delivering security and simplicity for all involved parties.
• The Opendorse-powered marketplace is built on a decade of athlete marketing technology and experience. Opendorse has facilitated hundreds of thousands of NIL deals and endorsements with athletes at every level of sports. The marketplace is used by over 100,000 athletes to manage deals from pitch to payment, and even tax prep, every day.
• The NIL company launched its initial school-specific NIL marketplaces with partners including Oregon, Texas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Oregon State and Memphis throughout the spring of 2022. Student-athletes at these institutions experienced a 193% increase in NIL opportunities in the first month after the marketplace’s launch.

Athlete experience

• Every Langston athlete will receive an Opendorse profile, which they can customize and promote to fans on their personal social media channels. 
• Athletes review opportunities, receive deals, accept compensation, and disclose NIL activities to their institution, all within the Opendorse app.

Partnership

• In addition to the marketplace, Langston continues its partnership with Opendorse, receiving full access to the all-in-one NIL platform.
  • Langston will continue to provide its student-athletes and staff with Opendorse’s best-in-class compliance, content, and education tools.
  • Compliance: upon completing a deal, athletes can automatically disclose activity details to their institution to ensure eligibility.
  • Content: athletes have on-demand access to share photos and videos from games, practice, and more.
  • Education: athletes receive in-person and on-demand virtual education sessions from industry leaders at companies including Meta, Overtime, Players’ Tribune, Opendorse, and more.

The post Langston establishes NIL Market with Opendorse partnership appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

LANGSTON — Langston University head football coach Quinton Morgan unveiled the upcoming 2023 football schedule, which features six home games at W.E. Anderson stadium and four road contests.

The season kicks off at home in a non-conference matchup versus MidAmerica Nazarene on August 26. Langston hosts Louisiana Christian on September 16. The Lions finishes September on the road at Texas College on September 23, then travel to Southwestern Assemblies of God on September 30.

The month of October features a homecoming matchup versus Arkansas Baptist on October 21. Last year the Lions demolished Arkansas Baptist in an impressive 45-8 victory. Home games continue with contests against Oklahoma Panhandle State on October 7 and Ottawa-Arizona on October 28. Langston football hit the road again with one contest at North American University on October 14.

Langston wraps up the regular season by hosting Texas Wesleyan on November 4. On Veterans Day they will travel to face Wayland Baptist on November 11. All game times are TBA.

General admission tickets go on sale on Saturday, July 1 at 6:00 a.m. at the link provided below. Homecoming general admission tickets will go on sale at a discounted rate of $20 until Saturday, July 15.

The post Langston University debuts 2023 football schedule appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2022-23 Men’s Basketball All-America teams with Tristan Harper being named to the NAIA All-America First Team.

Hailing from Columbus, Georgia Harper capped a banner year for the Lions after being named the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) Player of the Year and first-team All-SAC after leading Langston. The senior forward led the Lions with 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game this season. Each game Harper averaged 25.9 minutes.

Tristan Harper tallied a season-high 35 points in a 97-67 win at home over Southwestern Christian on Nov. 19. He had a season high of 12 rebounds three times throughout the season at Mid-America Christian, vs. Central Christian and vs. Science & Arts. As he continued to dominate on the court, Harper was named the Oklahoma Ford Dealers SAC player of the week for his exploits on the court Nov. 14-20.

The Langston men’s basketball team ended the 2022-2023 season clinching the 2023 SAC Men’s Basketball Championships; placing their record to 31-3 overall. During the NAIA Championship Tournament Round 16 the Lions fell 74-60 to Georgetown (Ky.). Despite the loss Harper lead the way scoring 22 points.

The post Langston MBB Tristan Harper named NAIA All-American First Team appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

LANGSTON — AJ Rainey poured in a season-high 32 points and led the No. 5 Langston University Lions past the Southwestern (Kan.) Moundbuilders 87-65 before a capacity crowd Wednesday night at C.F. Gayles Field House in the second round of the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament.

Langston established their dominance from the outset, leading 24-6 at the 11:03 mark in the first half. The Lions led 45-30 at halftime and pushed their lead to as much as 19 points in the second half before closing out with back-to-back three pointers from Rainey to seal the 87-65 victory.

Rainey finished 11-of-14 from the field including seven three-pointers in 35 minutes of action. Toru Dean chipped in with 19 points, six boards and five assists followed by Tristan Harper and Cortez Mosley who tallied 11 and 10 points respectively.

Collectively, Langston University hit 45 percent from the field including 12 three-pointers and finished 17-of-21 from the free throw line. The Lions held the Moundbuilders to 47 percent (23-of-48), five-of-15 from the three-point line and forced 17 turnovers.

Langston moves to 31-2 overall, finishes a perfect 16-0 in home contests this season and advances to the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Tournament Round of 16 where they’ll face Georgetown (Ky.) College on Tuesday, March 14.

The last time the Lions advanced to the round of 16 took place during the 2016-17 season when Langston defeated Dillard 84-74 on March 17, 2017. Game time vs Georgetown (Ky.) is set for 1 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

The post Langston University MBB advances to NAIA round of 16 appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The No. 5 Langston University continued their storybook season on Tuesday evening, knocking off Wayland Baptist 80-68 to clinch the first ever Sooner Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament championship in program history at the Gaulke Activity Center.

Wayland Baptist led 41-40 at the 17:30 mark in the second half when the Lions roared to life on a 12-3 scoring run that pushed Langston in front 52-42 with 13:15 left to play.

The Pioneers worked the lead back down to six points with under ten minutes to go but Langston countered with an 8-2 scoring run, putting them up 68-54 at the 5:42.

The Lions never let Wayland Baptist closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Toru Dean led Langston in scoring with 17 points on the night. AJ Rainey added 14, Tristan Harper added 12 and D’Monte Brown picked up his fourth double-double on the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

“This was a really big win for us. Wayland Baptist is a talented and well-coached team. They are very explosive offensively and I was proud of the way we were able to guard tonight,” Langston head coach Chris Wright said. “To win both the regular season and the conference tournament was very validating. We had six of the other eleven SAC coaches pick us to finish fifth or sixth. We took that very personally and it motivated us to run away with the conference the way we did.”

Rainey was named the SAC Tournament Most Valuable Player for his efforts after tallying 22 points versus John Brown University on Feb. 23, 21 points versus Southwestern Assemblies of God on Feb. 27 and 14 points tonight versus the Pioneers.

Harper also picked up postseason accolades as he was also named to the All-SAC Tournament team.

Langston switches focus to NAIA National Tournament

Langston improves to 29-2 overall on the season and have cemented their place in program history by becoming the first HBCU to win the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championship in the same season.

The Lions will now turn their attention to the NAIA National Tournament which begins on Tuesday, March 7th on the campus of Langston University at C.F. Gayles Field House. The Lions received an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament after claiming the SAC regular season championship and were awarded the opportunity to host the opening rounds.

Each first and second round site will feature four teams and will play single elimination on Tuesday & Wednesday, March 7-8. The winner of the final game will go to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Kansas City, Mo.

The Lions will find out their opponent in the NAIA National Tournament on Thursday, March 2 when the NAIA Men’s Basketball selection show premieres at 7:00 p.m. CST. on the NAIA YouTube Channel.

The post Langston climbs to the top and clinches first SAC championship appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Sooner Athletic Conference announced its 2022-23 Men’s Basketball All-Conference team and individual awards with several Langston Lions receiving honors. SAC regular-season champion Langston gathered multiple awards including player of the year (Tristan Harper) defensive player of the year (Cortez Mosley), newcomer of the year (Harper) and the John Hudson coach of the year (Chris Wright).

Offensive Player of the Year

Harper led Langston with 15.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game this season. Harper a 6-foot-6 senior from Columbus, Ga., lands on the all-conference first team for the first time. He had a season-high 35 points in a 97-67 win at home over Southwestern Christian on Nov. 19. He had a season high of 12 rebounds three times throughout the season at Mid-America Christian, vs. Central Christian and vs. Science & Arts. He was named the Oklahoma Ford Dealers SAC player of the week for his exploits on the court Nov. 14-20.

Defensive Player of the Year

Mosley averaged 10.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game this season. Mosley had a season-high 21 points versus UNT-Dallas on Feb. 16, 2023, and Midland University on Nov. 7, 2022. He was also selected to the All-SAC second team for his efforts.Wright took home league coach of the year honors after one of the most remarkable turnarounds for a program in history. Wright was named the Lions’ head coach last spring, inheriting a program that went 1-27 in 2021-22. He retooled the team, leading them to an overall record of 26 wins and 2 losses and a 20-2 mark in conference games, leading to a regular-season conference championship. It was the first regular-season championship for the Lions since joining the SAC.

Rounding out the selections were Toru Dean and AJ Rainey who were named to the All-SAC Third Team and All-SAC Honorable Mention Teams respectively. Dean and Mosley were also named to the SAC All-Defensive team.

Dean averaged 10.1 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, 4.0 rebounds per game and 2.2 steals per game. He posted a season-high 26 points on Feb. 11, 2023, versus Texas Wesleyan.

Rainey averaged 12.6 points per game, 3.4 assists per game and 3.0 rebounds per game. He posted a season-high 20 points versus USAO on January 5, 2023.

The post Langston Men earn four All-SAC Selections appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Tied at 65-65 with 42 seconds remaining, UNTD moved in front behind back-to-back free throws from Vernon Johnson to make it 67-65. On the ensuing offensive possession, Anthony White missed a three-pointer that would’ve put Langston in front with seven seconds remaining.

Toru Dean led LU with 15 points and 11 rebounds. AJ Rainey added 12, D’Monte Brown and Tristan Harper both finished with 11 and Cedric Roland chipped in 10. Collectively, Langston hit 35 percent (19-of-53) from the field and finished 25-of-29 from free throw range.

Langston (16-1, 10-1 SAC) returns to action on Thursday, January 19th versus Mid-America Christian at home. Game time is set for 7:45 p.m.

Langston women get it done on the road

LANCASTER, Texas — Three players scored in double figures for the Langston University Lady Lions as they rolled the University of North Texas-Dallas Trailblazers 84-43 on Saturday at Cedar Valley College.

The Lady Lions never trailed in Saturday’s contest, entering halftime in front 38-31. In the second half, they pulled away by outscoring the Trailblazers 32-10 in the third and 14-2 in the fourth quarter to move to 12-5 overall and 7-4 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.

Kameron Shelley led LU, posting a season-high 22 points. Koreea Kirksey added 11 and Jamya Rogers chipped in 10. Collectively, Langston knocked down 46 percent (33-of-71) from the field and finished 12-of-28 from three-point range.

Langston (12-5, 7-4 SAC) returns to the court on Thursday, January 19th versus Mid-America Christian. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

The post Langston men suffer first defeat of the season appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Langston University men’s basketball team enters the top five for the first time since the 2018-19 season in the fourth edition of NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the national office announced.

Langston is the only undefeated team in the NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll at 15-0 and ranked third overall with 520 total votes and also received one first-place vote. The Lions are the highest-rated team in the Sooner Athletic Conference and ranked in the NAIA Top 25 for the third consecutive NAIA Coaches Top 25 Poll. 

Today’s poll marks the highest that Langston University has been ranked in the NAIA Coaches Top 25 Poll. The previous high was fourth overall on January 2, 2019.

Statistically, Langston University is in steals per game (3.7), second in the NAIA in net efficiency (0.326), third in points allowed per game (59.7) and sixth in offensive efficiency (1.177). Langston is also outscoring opponents by an average of 24.2 points per game.

Langston University returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 12 versus Southwestern Assemblies of God in Waxahachie, Texas. The Lions next home matchup is set for January 19th versus Mid-America Christian.

Poll Methodology:

• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low ratings) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the teams appear on.
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”
• Frequency of polls occur bi-weekly. This policy was approved by the National Administrative Council (NAC) beginning in the 2016-17 academic season. This change will allow raters the opportunity to consider a larger body of work in between rating periods.
• For the complete NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, click here.

The post Langston University MBB ranked third NAIA team in the nation appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Back At It … ??

D'Monte Brown – 19 pts
AJ Rainey – 15 pts
Cedric Roland/James Ellis – 10 pts#goLions #FeartheRoar pic.twitter.com/vrhCAjv0d4

— Langston Athletics (@LangstonSports) December 7, 2022

Collectively, Langston hit 58 percent (31-of-53) from the field and 15-of-22 from the free throw line. The Lions also outscored Arkansas Baptist 42-22 on points in the paint, 26-9 on points off turnovers and 16-2 in fast break points.

Langston (10-0) returns to Sooner Athletic Conference action on Saturday, Dec. 10 versus Oklahoma Panhandle State at home. Game time is set for 3:45 p.m.
 

The post Langston Demolishes Ark. Baptist to stay perfect appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Langston is currently undefeated at 8-0 and ranked 15th overall with 287 total votes. The Lions are the highest rated team in the Sooner Athletic Conference and ranked in the NAIA Top-25 for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

On Tuesday night Langston defeated Central Christian College 87-50 for its 7th straight victory under first-year head coach Chris Wright. Thursday, the Lions returned to action at home versus Oklahoma City University. They improved to 8-0 with a 62-55 victory over OCU.

Poll Methodology:

• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
• The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place and so on through the list.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low ratings) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot (including discounted ballots) that the teams appears on.
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes”
• Frequency of polls occur bi-weekly. This policy was approved by the National Administrative Council (NAC) beginning in the 2016-17 academic season. This change will allow raters the opportunity to consider a larger body of work in between rating periods.

The post Langston University ranked in NAIA Top 25 appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The AAUL HBCU Basketball Invitational seeks to elevate HBCU sports as a key driver of sports entertainment, but its impact extends beyond the court. “This invitational is the first of the exciting programming we want to develop as part of the AAUL HBCU Live Xperience,” said Quincy Dunlap, President and CEO, Austin Area Urban League. “We are committed to creating programs that make a discernible change in our community and continue to drive support to HBCU academic and sporting programs.”

HBCU College Fair

In addition to the games, the AAUL will host its Full Court Prep for Success youth program, College Fair and Career Expo. The youth development initiative will provide personal development skills for underserved boys and girls, ages 10-16, in cities across Central Texas. The college and career fair will feature a host of colleges and universities to engage with prospective students and top employers who are interested in diverse recruitment opportunities. These efforts will bring together various employers, experienced professionals, community-based organizations, and job seekers under one roof to deliver a best-in-class experience.

“While one team may walk away with the top prize, it’s our hope that everyone who attends, participates, or supports the tournament walks away feeling like a champion,” said Mario Davis, Special Initiatives Coordinator, Austin Area Urban League. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this.

About Austin Area Urban League (AAUL)

Founded in 1977, the Austin Area Urban League is a nonprofit organization aimed at enriching the lives of citizens within the greater Central Texas Region. The Austin Area Urban League is one of more than 90 affiliates of the National Urban League providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of thousands in the Central Texas region. Aligning with the Empowerment pillars of the National Urban League, the Austin Area Urban League seeks to meet the needs of underserved populations in the Austin and Central Texas region by focusing on programming and services in the areas of Education and Youth Development, Workforce and Career Development, Health and Wellness, Housing and Community Development, and Justice and Advocacy.

The post Austin HBCU basketball event features NAIA teams appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Fayetteville State 13, Chowan 10 

Johnson C. Smith 49, Elizabeth City State 14

South Carolina 50, SC State 10

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022

Alabama A&M 35, Bethune-Cookman 27 

Alabama State 16, Texas Southern 13

Albany State 20, Miles 3

Benedict 45, Fort Valley State 13

Bluefield State 22, Apprentice 19

Bowie State 53, Livingstone 7 

Campbell 48, NC Central 18 

Central Oklahoma 45, Lincoln (MO) 3

Central State 35, Allen 32

Delaware State 14, Robert Morris 9

Florida A&M 34, Miss Valley State 7

Keiser 48, Florida Memorial 7 

Lane 28, Tennessee State 27, OT

Langston 43, Lyon 3 

Morgan State 44, VA-Lynchburg 10

NC A&T 24, Bryant  13

More Scores

Prairie View A&M 34, Grambling State 14

Sacred Heart 31, Norfolk State 14

Southern 59, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3 

Tuskegee 45, Clark Atlanta 43, 2 OTs 

Virginia State 28, Shaw 24

Virginia Union 42, Saint Augustine’s 0

West Virginia State 30, Alderson Broaddus 3

Winston-Salem State vs. Lincoln (PA) – Cancelled

Yale 34, Howard 26

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2022

Edward Waters 49, Morehouse 20

Kentucky State 28, Savannah State 13

HBCU Roundup: Big Winners!

• BENEDICT MOVES TO 5-0 WITH BIG WIN OVER PREVIOUSLY UNDEFEATED FORT VALLEY STATE!

First-year head coach Chennis Berry’s Tigers of Benedict cleared their biggest hurdle yet. They produced a convincing 45-13 win at previously unbeaten Fort Valley State’s homecoming. 

Noah Zaire Scotland ran for three TDs of 2, 7 and 1 yards between the second and third quarters. He also scored on a 9-yard TD pass from QB Eric Phoenix in the first quarter. The tallies helped Benedict (5-0, 3-0 SIAC E) jump to a 40-6 lead thru three quarters.

Phoenix ran for 83 yards on 7 carries and completed 14 of 24 passes for 142 yards and two scores. Benedict opened the game on a 7-play, 72-yard drive culminating in Phoenix’s 16-yard scoring pass to Reginald Harden.  

The Benedict defense held FVSU (4-1, 1-1 E) to 207 yards of total offense. The Tigers allowed the Wildcats to convert just two of 10 third downs. 

• LANE STUNS TENNESSEE STATE!

Lane (3-2, 2-0) scored on a 2-point conversion in overtime to pull off a stunning 28-27 win at Tennesseee State.

TSU (0-4) had scored in overtime on a 2-yard run by Edwin Rhodes. After the PAT, TSU led 27-20. Lane answered with an 11-yard TD run by Ike Brown. Brown then rushed for the 2-point PAT to pull out the win.

The teams entered the extra period tied at 20. TSU scored last in regulation on a 51-yard Kaleb Mosley field goal with just :14 seconds left. Lane led 13-10 at halftime before TSU went up 17-13 early in the third quarter on Jalen Rouse’s 4-yard TD run. Rouse finished with 109 yards on 25 carries. 

Brown sent Lane back on top on a 13-yard scoring pass from Tarik McKenzie with 4:44 left in the period. Brown finished with 74 yards receiving and 63 rushing yards with two TDs.

More Big Winners!

•  NC A&T GETS FIRST BIG SOUTH WIN OVER BRYANT!

Bhayshul Tuten ran for 114 yards on 27 carries as NC A&T got by Bryant 24-13 in the first Big South meeting between the two schools.

Tuten had two short rushing touchdowns in the first quarter. It was his fourth straight game with over 100 rushing yards.

Bryant pulled to within 14-13 in the third quarter, but the Aggies added a late third quarter 37-yard field goal by Andrew Brown and an acrobatic 25-yard scoring pass from QB Jalen Fowler (11-17-1, 110 yds.)to WR Sterling Berkholter (5 rec., 63 yds.) early in the final quarter to pull away.   

HBCU Roundup: Down-to-the-Wire Winner!

•  DAVIS LEADS VIRGINIA STATE OVER SHAW IN NAIL-BITER!

Virginia State scored on a 4-yard run by QB Jordan Davis with :07 seconds left to pull out a 28-24 win over Shaw. The win moved VSU to 4-1 (3-0 CIAA N) under new head coach Dr. Henry Frazier III.

The game-winning drive covered 90 yards in ten plays and took three minutes.

Davis passed for 257 yards (16-31-1) and two TDs and had two rushing TDs to have a hand in all four VSU scores. Shaw QB Christian Peters scored on a 27-yard second quarter run and connected with Jonathan Barnes on a 39-yard scoring pass just before halftime to give the Bears (2-3, 2-1 S) a 17-14 lead at the break.

After VSU’s Upton Bailey returned Shaw’s second half kickoff 42 yards to the Bears’ 39, Davis hit Tylique Ray from there to put VSU up 21-14. Peters then drove Shaw 73 yards in nine plays to retake the lead at 24-21 on his 7-yard scoring pass to Elliot Dangerfield Jr. 

Another Down-to-the-Wire Winner!

• TUSKEGEE NEEDS TWO OTs TO TAKE OUT CLARK ATLANTA!

Head coach Willie Slater at Clark Atlanta and Reginald Ruffin at Tuskegee used to do battle for SIAC West supremacy when Slater was at Tuskegee and Ruffin was at Miles. They battled to a two-overtime decision at their new assignments Saturday.

Ruffin’s Tuskegee squad prevailed 45-43 as his team scored a TD in the second overtime and added a two-point conversion after CAU scored but missed its extra point attempt. 

TU QB Malik Davis had 216 passing yards and two TDs while Tiger running backs Taurean Taylor (26 carries, 218 yards, 1 TD) and Donte Edwards (19 car., 118 yds., 1 TD) led the rushing attack.

CAU QB Shariif Brown did all he could to keep the Panthers in it as he was 12 of 22 passing for 180 yards and two scores and ran for 70 yards and four TDs.

Tuskegee went into halftime with a 13-9 lead after placekicker Arnes Huskic connected on a 25-yard field goal :25 seconds before the break. 

Slater’s Panthers (1-4, 1-3 SIAC E) built a 30-20 second-half lead as Brown scored on 4- and1-yard runs and hit Darren Stephens with a 6-yard scoring pass. 

Edward answered and cut the lead to 30-27 on a 6-yard scoring run with 7:39 left. Huskic sent the game into overtime tied at 30 as he connected on a 24-yard field goal with :08 seconds left. 

Both teams added a TD and kicked a PAT in the first overtime. TU scored on a 23-yard pass from QB Malik Davis to Jordan Ogletree. CAU answered on an 18-yard scoring run from Brown. 

HBCU Roundup: Blowout winners!

• LANGSTON STAYS UNBEATEN IN WIN OVER LYON!

QB Larry Harrington threw for 263 yards and four  TDs, two to wide out Kevin Allen, as Langston moved to 5-0 (4-0 in the SAC) with a 43-3 win over Lyon.

Allen’s TD receptions were for 30 and 43 yards. Harrington also connected on 5- and 72-yard scores.

• BOWIE STATE GETS BIG HOMECOMING WIN OVER LIVINGSTONE! 

BOWIE, Md. — Graduate senior and Morgan State transfer QB Dion “DJ” Golatt, Jr. set a new program record for most passing yards as he completed 32 of 40 passes for 439 yards and four TDs and Bowie State (3-2, 2-1 CIAA N) finished with 666 total yards as it handled Livingstone 53-7 for its annual homecoming game Saturday.

Golatt, Jr. passed former Bowie State standout Amir Hall who previously held the record for most yards in a game at 433 yards. He connected with four different pass catchers for the scores led by ten receptions for 120 yards and a score from wideout Kwincy Hall. 

Defensively, BSU had four sacks, two by Uvel Paul Jr. and 1.5 by Joshua Pryor, and three interceptions, two by DB Raymond Boone. Livingstone (1-4, 0-3 S) was held to 108 total yards. 

•  SOUTHERN WALLOPS ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF!

Quarterback Besean McCray threw for 241 yards and TDs (14-18-1) to four different receivers and RB Kendric Rhymes ran for 80 yards and two TDs in a big 59-3 Southern (2-2, 1-1 SWAC W) win over Arlansas-Pine Bluff (2-3, 0-2 W). 

Southern amassed 550 total yards while holding UAPB to 190 total yards. The Jags picked off four passes and had ten tackles for losses including 2.5 by Jason Dumas that included 1.5 sacks.  

• GRANT QUARTERBACKS VIRGINIA UNION PAST ST. AUGUSTINE’S!

Grad QB Jahkari Grant (14-21-1) threw for 247 yards and four TDs and RB Jada Byers ran for 114 yards and two scores at Virginia Union (5-0, 3-0 CIAA N) stayed undefeated with a 69-0 win over winless Saint Augustine’s (0-5, 0-3 S).

WR James Jackson (3 rec., 71 yds.) had scoring receptions of 43 and 18 yards and John Jiles (37 yards) and Larry Hackey (13 yards) also had TD catches. Byers scored on runs of 6 and 54 yards.

The VUU defense had 13.5 tackles for losses including four sacks and also picked off two passes. Redshirt junior defensive end Armoni Burden had two sacks and an interception.  

Other Big Winners

• ALBANY STATE PREVAILS IN SIAC TITLE GAME REMATCH!

Albany State (4-1, 2-0SIAC) held Miles to a second quarter field goal in coming away with a 20-3 win, The game was a rematch of the 2021 SIAC championship game. 

The Golden Rams defense scored first on a 40-yard interception return from Jaree Turner late in the first quarter. They then scored after a 64-yard, 12-play drive on a 2-yard Marcuis Fulks run in the second quarter for a 14-3 halftime lead.

ASU posted four sacks and 11 tackles for loss while limiting Miles to 153 yards of total offense.

QB Dionte Bonneau hit Joe’Vontae Shorter on a 62-yard third-quarter scoring pass to put the final points on the board.

• PRAIRIE VIEW HOLDS OFF GRAMBLING, WINS FIFTH STRAIGHT IN SERIES!

Prairie View A&M defeated Grambling State 34-14 for its fifth straight win over the G-Men. It was the first for new head coach Bubba McDowell. 

The Panthers (3-2, 3-0 SWAC W) jumped out to a 27-0 halftime lead before Grambling cut the lead to 27-14 with two late third-quarter TDs. GSU would get no closer as PV added a fourth-quarter fumble recovery by Jaylen Lane for a TD for the final margin.

The post HBCU Roundup: Week Five highlights appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Langston is beating teams with an explosive offense and a balanced attack. The air attack is led by Larry Harrington, who has accumulated 838 yards and nine touchdowns. His favorite target is Bryon Hansard, with 15 receptions for 247 yards and two touchdowns. The ground attack is led by 5’10″ 195 lb Markell Scott, a big-play running back who leads the Sooner Athletic Conference in rushing with 608 yards on 62 attempts and averaging 9.8 yards per rush.

The Lions are averaging 51 points a game. They have outscored their opponents 204 to 69.

This is not the first time the Lions have gotten a hot start. Last year they started 7-0. After losing the last three games of the 2021 season, they finished 7-3.

If you love HBCU football, this Langston University football team may be one to keep on your radar.

The post Langston University, under the radar, remains perfect appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

LANGSTON — Larry Harrington tossed a season-high six touchdown passes as the Langston Lions cruised by Wayland Baptist 56-24 on Saturday evening at W.E. Anderson Stadium.

The Pioneers struck first on a 44-yard touchdown pass but the Lions tied the game on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Larry Harrington to John Louis at the 6:19 mark in the first quarter. Langston tacked on field goals of 27-yards and 30-yards from Octavio Resendiz and Harrington connected on a 55-yard scoring strike to Bryon Hanspard to move the Lions in front 20-7.

The Lions were never threatened the rest of the way as Harrington tallied four additional passes to Kevin Allen (37 yards), Dayln Thompson (23 yards), Julian Austin (85 yards) and Louis (32 yards). The senior signal caller finished 24-of-35 for 420 yards, six touchdown passes and tallied 30 yards on the ground.

Markell Scott led Langston on the ground with 70 yards on 10 carries with one touchdown. Bryon Hanspard led all receivers with six receptions for 127 yards and one touchdown.

Demari Ward and Jamar Grice tied for the lead in tackles with six apiece. Travis Martin led the secondary with two interceptions for 35 yards.

The Lions improved historically to 8-0 versus Wayland Baptist. Head coach Quinton Morgan picked up his 50th career victory leading the Lions after taking over as head coach in 2016.

Langston (3-0, 3-0 SAC) travels to face Arkansas Baptist next Saturday in Little Rock, Ark. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

The post Langston remains unbeaten with impressive win appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Joseph, who is the first Black person to coach any sport at Nebraska, was chosen to replace Scott Frost, who was fired on Sunday after the Cornhuskers were beaten by Georgia Southern, one of three upsets posted by Group of 5 schools over Power 5 opponents last weekend. He is coaching at his alma mater, but the historic opportunity is accompanied by some heartbreak.

“I did not wake up Sunday morning knowing this was going to happen, but it did and I had to accept it,” Joseph told reporters at the weekly football news conference on Tuesday in Lincoln, Nebraska. “Frost is like a brother to me. He gave me an opportunity to come here and coach at my alma mater, to coach at the University of Nebraska. I will always love and always appreciate him.”

Joseph also notes that before Nebraska, there were plenty of opportunities to refine the skills that led to this week.

“But I think if you look at my resume, I’ve been on every level, NAIA, D-2, FCS HBCU, you know, Group of Five, Power Five. So I got an opportunity to be under a lot of head coaches, a lot of real good head coaches,” Joseph says. “So they prepare you for this moment. And when you do get this opportunity, they’re just not too big for you.”

JOSEPH HAS IMPRESSIVE CREDENTIALS

History suggests Joseph won’t shrink from this moment. His experience at HBCU schools dates back to 2000, where he coached wide receivers coach at Alabama State. Before that, Joseph had time at Wayne State and Tulane, and stops at Nicholls State and Central Oklahoma would follow.

There were five seasons at Langston University, an NAIA school, from 2008 to 2012. Joseph served as head coach in his final two years at the Oklahoma school and he finished with a 13-7 record. In the summer of 2012, he interned with the Houston Texans of the National Football League.

When he was at Alcorn State, Joseph coached wide receivers and the special teams during the 2013 season. When that season ended, the Braves had compiled a 9-3 record, the most wins by the school in 30 years.

Joseph moved on to Grambling State, where he retained the same coaching responsibilities as with Alcorn State, in 2014 and 2015. His work helped the Tigers take 16 victories in that brief stretch.

Following the Grambling State run, Joseph moved to Louisiana Tech, where he coached the running backs in 2016 and helped guide the team to a 9-5 record and a bowl game.

The next stop was at LSU, and it is arguably Joseph’s most successful tenure. He arrived in 2019, and he helped mold a trio or NFL-caliber wide receivers in Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall. The three combined for 241 catches for 3,991 yards and 51 touchdowns, good enough to lead to the national championship.

In his final two seasons at LSU, Joseph was an assistant head coach prior to being part of the staff released when the school parted with Ed Orgeron.

Before he became a coach, Joseph started nine games in his Nebraska career, which started in 1988. He rushed for 1,091 yards and 16 touchdowns while passing for 909 yards and 14 touchdowns. During his four seasons, Nebraska had a 39-9-1 record, won two Big Eight titles and played in two Orange Bowl games, a Citrus Bowl and a Fiesta Bowl.

DEION SANDERS’ NAME LURKS AS CANDIDATE

For at least this year, Joseph will try to bring the luster back to the Cornhuskers, who have won five national championships but haven’t had a winning season since 2016. Making Nebraska successful again could push Joseph to the head of the line as a candidate to become the permanent head coach, but the rumor mill has already started bubbling, and one of the names rising to the top is Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders.

Multiple online sites list him as a leading candidate. In February, the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger reported that Sanders was up for three jobs at Power 5 schools and was close to one of them before that school told him it was heading in a different direction. Previous reports had him being considered for jobs at Florida State, his alma mater, and TCU.

Joseph can put the rumors to rest if he can lead Nebraska past Oklahoma on Saturday and launch a run in the remaining eight games.

“I think when you accept the interim job as the head coach, I think that is the opportunity you are working toward to become the head coach,” he says. “But we understand what goes along with this profession. It is wins and losses and that is what it is going to depend on.”

The post Nebraska interim head coach has HBCU background appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The National Battle of the Bands took place at NRG stadium in Houston, Texas. Better known to Houstonians as home to the NFL Houston Texans. This was the second year for the event in Houston, since the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic.

This year featured bands from Talladega College, Langston University, Norfolk State, Tennessee State, Jackson State, North Carolina A&T, and Southern University. All eight bands competed in choreographed field performances and stand battles.

The post National Battle of The Bands: 2021 Photo Gallery appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL — Minnesota Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve announced on Thursday that the team has signed forward Asheika (Uh-SHEE-kuh) Alexander from Langston University to the team’s training camp roster. 

Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. 

Per Elias Sports, the Gwinnett, GA native becomes the first player signed by the Lynx who attended an HBCU. There have previously been five players from an HBCU drafted into the WNBA (Denique Graves — 1997 2nd round — Howard, Karen Wilkins — 1998 4th round — Howard, Andrea Gardner 2002 2nd round — Howard, Amba Kongolo — 2002 4th round — North Carolina Central, Jaclyn Winfield — 2002 4th round — Southern). 

She played two seasons for Langston in 42 total games, holding averages of 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. In her senior season, Alexander played in 16 games, averaging 21.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 blocks per contest. 

The post WNBA team signs HBCU alumna to contract appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

No football at Morehouse or Langston

Morehouse pulled the trigger first when they announced on June 26 to cancel fall sports due to COVID-19.

[postBannerAd]

Langston followed suit on Friday, Jul 3, in a statement from The Director of Athletics, Donnita Rogers, announcing the decision to suspend athletics. 

‘After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to suspend athletics for the Fall 2020 semester due to safety concerns with the ongoing pandemic’

In spite of the cancellation, the student athletes at Langston University will still be able to attend skill development sessions like strength and conditioning trainings and practices which “Encompass ten or less people and adhere to the recommended CDC guidelines”, according to Rogers. Woefully, Lions fans will just be missing out on the opportunity to cheer on their favorite sport this fall. 

As another bites the dust, it begs the question: is it realistic to expect an HBCU football season this fall? 

[inArticle]

College football draws thousands of fans and loads of revenue, so most HBCUs can’t afford to go without a football season. These schools, also, can’t afford to put their student’s health at risk.

Some things that HAVE to happen for the possibility of a football season in 2020 according to sources 

• COVID-19 numbers either have to significantly decline, or be in a downward trend. 
• Colleges must have the resources to test and monitor student-athletes for COVID-19 almost daily. 
• Universities have to guarantee the ability to clean and provide safe facilities for these student-athletes to operate. 
• Players and coaches have to essentially be in a bubble for the season (Isolated from the community) 

Even with all of these precautions it seems unlikely and extremely cumbersome to have a football season this fall.  

Maybe HBCU fans would be open to the idea of having a spring football season as the IVY League schools are considering? 

[adrotate banner=”42″]

The possibilities are interesting, but it’s too soon to tell for sure. 

I–for one– am still holding out hope we’ll get to see the pig skin tossed around this fall on the gridiron, but that grows increasingly unlikely as schools continue to suspend fall sports.  

The post Langston latest to suspend fall sports — Is the 2020 season doomed? appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Langston University celebrated Senior Day with a 44-7 win on Saturday over Texas College. The No. 22 ranked NAIA power improved its record to 7-2 and extended its home winning streak to 19.

Langston opened the game with a score via a safety by the defense; the Lions first touchdown came at the 7:03 mark in the first quarter when Jordan Cooper hit Glenn Irons for a 20-yard touchdown.

[inArticle]

The Lions tacked on three touchdowns in the second quarter when Cooper hit Isaiah Shaputis for an 18-yard score, Cooper scored on a 12-yard run and Tim Whitfield barreled his way into the endzone on a 14-yard run. Whitfield’s 14-yard touchdown run set a Langston University milestone by breaking the single-season rushing yards record of 1,079 set by Carlos Ross in 2009.

Langston closed out the half with a 20-yard field goal by Connor Robles to lead 34-0; Robles tacked on a 30-yard field goal and a nine-yard touchdown run by Whitfield to put Langston in front 44-0.

Cooper finished 16-of-31 for 259 yards for two touchdowns and picked up 24 yards and one score on the ground. Whitfield tallied 95 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns in his record-setting day. Shaputis led the aerial attack with six receptions for 96 yards along with one touchdown. Irons finished the day with three receptions for 65 yards and one touchdown.

[inArticle]

On the defensive side, James Cox and Devin Dourisseau tied for the lead in tackles with four. Nicholas Fowler finished with two interceptions and Dorian Williams tallied one interception on the day.

Langston (7-2, 6-1 SAC) travels to face Wayland Baptist next Saturday in Plainview, Texas. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

The post Langston Demolishes Texas College appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

LANGSTON — Director of Athletics Donnita Drain-Rogers has announced the appointment of Philip Stitt as the head men’s basketball coach at Langston University. Stitt has more than 25 years of coaching experience, including seven years at the NCAA DI level, ten years at the NCAA DII level and 11 years at the junior college level.

“I am more than thrilled and excited to see the direction of Langston University men’s basketball under Coach Stitt,” Director of Athletics Donnita Drain-Rogers said. “We had a tremendous pool of candidates which included over 60 applicants with various coaching backgrounds from successful high school coaches all the way up to the NCAA DI level. Through it all we had a great screening committee comprised of several alumni, including former lettermen athletes, and current administrators at Langston University. Coach (Philip) Stitt came through with shining colors. He has a rich experience of coaching at other HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), tremendous championship experience, and he’s a proven winner and recruiter.”

[inArticle]

Stitt most recently coached at Marion Military Institute (MMI) in Marian, Ala. where he led MMI to a 77-33 record over the past four seasons. During that time span, Stitt has coached two NJCAA All-Americans, two ACCC All-Region 22 performers and three NJCAA Academic All-Americans while consistently being ranked in the top 25 and clinching the ACCC/NJCAA Region 22 Championship in 2015-16. Stitt has also received coaching accolades during his time at MMI where he was named the NJCAA Region II Coach of the Year, the NJCAA District 12 Coach of the Year and Birmingham’s Tip-off Club’s Alabama Junior College Coach of the Year in 2015-16. Over the span of 28 seasons, Stitt holds a record of 100-68 at MMI and a career coaching record of 215-156.

“I’m very excited, particularly after meeting with President (Dr. Kent J.) Smith, Jr., Director of Athletics Donnita (Drain) Rogers and the search committee,” the first-year head coach said. “Everybody has a passion for Langston University and I’m looking forward to working in that type of environment. One of the factors that stood out to me about Langston University is the people. In this business, the people are important. I’m excited to get started.’

Of Stitt, President Kent J. Smith, Jr., said “During the screening process, Coach Stitt showed tremendous attention to detail and his ability to recruit stood out. He also brings impressive HBCU experience which will serve him well at Langston University. I am confident that Coach Stitt will lead our Lions to continued success on and off the court.”

Stitt’s coaching career began in 1991 as an assistant at Florida Community College at Jacksonville, Fla. After spending three seasons with the Stars, he moved on as the assistant coach at NCAA DI Jacksonville University. In 1997 Stitt joined the coaching staff at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, N.C. In his only season at Fayetteville State University, the Broncos finished with a 17-10 record, tied for second place in the CIAA Western Division. The next season, Stitt became an assistant at Winston Salem State University (WSSU). At WSSU, he was part of five 20-win seasons, two CIAA conference championships, five NCAA Division II tournament berths and two NCAA Division II Sweet 16 appearances. He was also named the 2004-2005 CIAA Coach of the year.

[inArticle]

Stitt returned to Florida Community College in 2006 to take over the program as head coach for two seasons before moving on to Grambling State University (NCAA DI) as the Associate Head Coach (2008-2009). Stitt has also served as assistant men’s basketball coach at Fayetteville State University (NCAA DII), North Carolina A&T State University (NCAA DI) and Florida State College at Jacksonville before arriving in Marion, Ala.

Director of Athletics Donnita Drain would like to thank the alumni, lettermen, and University supporters who assisted in the screening and interview process for this important search including Dr. James Mosely, Judge Kenneth Watson, Dr. Kevin Cox, Ms. Lateka Alexander, and Ms. Mariea’ Drain. The contributions of our alumni to the interview and screening process were invaluable, and their input further solidified the selection of Mr. Stitt as the next head coach of Langston University Men’s Basketball.

The post Former WSSU basketball coach takes over at Langston University appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Langston and Dillard advanced to the second round of the Division I National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Basketball Tournament after winning their respective opening round games on Thursday.
[inArticle]
LU knocked off no. 1 seed Pikeville as J.J. Morris’s fadeaway at the buzzer gave it a 63-61 edge.

Final bucket in tied ball game of 1st round @NAIA 8th seed Langston knocking out Goliath top-seed UPike @RRACsports pic.twitter.com/SfTJR3UPFK

— Colin Cody (@ColinzCody) March 15, 2018

Dillard hit three of four free throws in the final minute to claim a 74-71 victory over fourth-seeded Westmont (Calif.) on Thursday. The win helped it advance to the second round for the third-straight year. It will take on no.1 seed LSU Shreveport on Friday at 10:45 AM.Jorori Coleman and Kristopher Allmon led the way with 19 points against Westmont.

Xavier (LA) men weren’t so lucky as they fell 62-50 to Oklahoma City on Wednesday. It was a season-low point total for XULA (23-9) who came in ranked 25th in the country.

Rush's missed connections result in another quick exit
story: https://t.co/MDLXGXYcKD#TeamGold pic.twitter.com/qtWV6IumqB

— XULA Athletics (@xulagold) March 15, 2018

[inArticle]

[matchedContent]

[inArticle]

The post Langston, Dillard advance in NAIA Tournament appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

North Carolina A&T heads up the list as it continues to climb in the FCS Poll. A&T moved up to 12th in the Coaches Poll after a 21-7 victory over MEAC rival South Carolina State as Lamar Raynard and Company improved to 5-0 to start the season. A&T is currently 15th on the STATS FCS Poll.

Joining A&T in those two polls are Grambling State. The defending SWAC Champs moved up one place in the STATS Poll, going from 22 to 21, and went up from 22nd to 19th in the Coaches Poll. GSU struggled with the SIAC’s Clark Atlanta early in the Chicago Classic but managed to pull out a 31-20 win thanks in large part to the play of quarterback DeVante Kincade who won SWAC Offensive Player of The Week Honors for his performance.

[postBannerAd]

Bowie State remains the lone HBCU representative in the D2 national polls. BSU moved to 19th in the AFCA Coaches Poll on Monday after a 64-31 win over Fayetteville State on Saturday. That improved its previous ranking by two spots after scoring better than 60 points in each of its last three games.

There are several teams receiving votes this week, including a Virginia State team that has yet to lose a game and has a win against an FCS team as a Division II program. In the FCS, Prairie View is garnering consideration as is Tennessee State, who fell out of the rankings following their second consecutive loss to OVC foe Eastern Illinois.

FCS Power Rankings

1. North Carolina A&T (5-0):  A&T just keeps on rolling, and it should keep on rolling right through GHOE as it takes on Delaware State on Saturday.

2. Grambling State (4-1): Coming into the season most people expected Grambling to blow Clark Atlanta out of the water in the Chicago Classic. It wasn’t as easy as expected and things won’t get any easier this week against a tough Prairie View squad in the State Fair Classic.

3. North Carolina Central (3-1): New look NCCU finally got out of Durham last week and returned home with a win over FAMU. This week it will hit the road again to take on Howard in a game that could factor heavily into the MEAC race when all is said and done.

[postBannerAd]

4. Alcorn State (3-2): ASU makes its first appearance on the Power List after fending off a feisty Texas Southern squad. It will attempt to pick up its third win in a row on Thursday when it takes on Alabama State.

5. Howard (2-2): HU remained idle last week along with most of the MEAC. It has a tough task ahead of it as it looks to end North Carolina Central’s 17-game conference winning streak.

Division II/NAIA Power Rankings

1. Bowie State (5-0): Amir Hall is no longer perfect this season, as he finally threw his first pick of the year, but his team is as it continues to run-and-gun through the CIAA.

2. Virginia State (4-0): VSU didn’t have a let down after a big win over WSSU in Week Four, as it pummeled Livingstone 56-18.

3. Albany State (3-2): After two tough non-conference games, ASU got back in the winners circle with a 34-9 victory over Miles. With three of its next four games at home, things are definitely looking up.

4. Langston (4-0): Okay, so this is a first. Langston plays in the NAIA and they have quietly gone 4-0 and are ranked ninth in that league’s national poll. Ok, Lions, you have our attention.

5. Winston-Salem State (3-2): After back-to-back battles in Virginia, WSSU returned home and got themselves a gift with a game against a winless Lincoln team. WSSU now turns its attention to Southern Division play where it has been dominant as of late, winning 29 of its last 30 games going back to the 2011 season.

[postBannerAd]

The post HBCU Power Rankings: Bowie, A&T remain perfect, Grambling moves up appeared first on HBCU Gameday.