Titans’ Kevin Byard Placed On Reserve/Covid-19 List

/in , /by

Titans Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard is the latest player to be sidelined with injury or illness as he’s been placed on the reserve/Covid List.

Byard has been one of the team’s keys to success this season, leading the defense with 64 tackles and five interceptions. He is tied for third in the league.

The Titans injuries and deactivated players continue to pile up after Derrick Henry was placed on the injured reserve after needing foot surgery. Tennessee is also without star wide receivers AJ Brown and Julio Jones. Brown suffered a chest injury during the Nov. 21 game against the Texans, meaning he will miss a few games. Jones has been out since Week 9 with a hamstring injury.

Tennessee has lost two straight games against the Texans and the New England Patriots after winning six straight. They now head into their bye week, but will face the last place Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 12.

NCAA To Expand 2022 Women’s Basketball Tournament To 68 Teams

/in , /by

The NCAA Division I Council has approved the expansion of the Women’s Basketball Tournament bracket from 64 to 68 teams, effective with the 2022 championship.

Both the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and the Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee supported the expansion, which brings participation opportunities for the women’s tournament in line with the men’s event.

“This immediate expansion of the women’s basketball championship reinforces the fact that leaders within Division I are committed to strengthening aspects of the women’s basketball championship that directly impact student-athletes,” says Council chair Shane Lyons, athletics director at West Virginia. “We look forward to the positive change this will have for the student experience at the championship, especially as it relates to equal team opportunities to compete in the tournament.”

The decision follows a recommendation from a comprehensive external gender equity review of NCAA championships conducted by Kaplan Hecker & Fink. The first phase of the review examined historical inequities in college basketball and was spurred by issues that arose during the 2021 Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.

“This was another important step in providing additional championship participation opportunities for women’s basketball student-athletes,” says Nina King, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and director of athletics at Duke. “The committee was in support of implementing this as soon as possible and we’re pleased that the expanded championship field will be in play immediately for the upcoming championship and beyond.”

For only the 2022 championship, the four opening round games will be conducted on the campuses of teams seeded in the top 16. Sites will be selected based on bracketing principles and procedures. Beginning with the 2023 championship, the first four games will be conducted at a to-be-determined neutral site.

“The expanded bracket and championship opportunities for Division I women’s basketball student-athletes are paramount,” says Lisa Campos, chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee and director of athletics at UTSA. “While the 2022 championship will be conducted at top-16 seed campus sites, this is a transition year for the tournament, and strong consideration will be given for other improvement areas, including opening-round games taking place at a predetermined site, in order to improve the championship experience in 2023 and beyond.”

The Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, which now consists of 12 members versus 10, also approved an updated Selection Principles and Procedures document for 2021-22.

The document references committee voting procedures to reflect the increase in members and the move to 36 at-large teams to accompany the 32 automatic qualifying teams that will make up the 2022 championship bracket, as well as updated bracketing principles language.

Belmont Names Local Newscaster Steve Layman As Lead Basketball Broadcaster

/in , /by

Belmont University welcomes NewsChannel 5’s Steve Layman who will serve as the lead broadcaster for the university’s men’s basketball team. The hiring comes just four days after John Freeman announced he was leaving the Bruins broadcast.

“Steve Layman is a respected, award-winning broadcaster who will elevate our men’s basketball broadcasts and program visibility,” says Belmont Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Corley. “In his role as sports anchor at NewsChannel 5, Steve has earned a reputation as a versatile communicator and gifted storyteller. His play-by-play background and experience for the past decade covering Belmont men’s basketball will be tremendous assets.”

Layman will continue in his role as sports anchor at NewsChannel 5, the CBS affiliate in Nashville, who he’s been with since 2011. Laymen, a graduate of the University of Illinois, previously served as a play-by-play announcer for his alma mater athletics department on the Illini Sports Network and radio co-host of Sports Talk on WDWS-AM in Champaign, Illinois. He covered Illinois men’s basketball during its historic 2005 National Runner-Up season.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to call Belmont basketball games this winter,” says Layman. “There’s nothing like the thrill of calling a live sports event and college basketball is one of my first loves. To have the chance to live out those passions at a first-class university like Belmont is truly a blessing.

“I’ve watched with great admiration from just a few seats down press row over the last 11 seasons as Rick Byrd and now Casey Alexander have built one of the most successful programs in the country on the court with some of the brightest and most engaging student-athletes I’ve ever been around off the court,” he continues. “I’m humbled to have the chance to now be a part of this great program and can’t wait to get started.”

Layman hosts Sportsline on NewsChannel 5+ and has been a regular guest host on Nashville sports talk radio. He has been honored for best sportscast by the Associated Press and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. He also received three OAB Awards for best sports special for his role as host and producer.

Layman will call his first Belmont game when the Bruins play Evansville on Saturday, Nov. 13. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. CT from the Curb Event Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, the ESPN app and the Bruin Sports Network.

College Corner: Music City Bowl, UT’s Brad Roll, MTSU Basketball Mask Requirements

/in , , /by

Tickets For The TransPerfect Music City Bowl On Sale Now

Tickets for the 2021 TransPerfect Music City Bowl are on sale now. The postseason game will be hosted at Nissan Stadium between a team from the Southeastern Conference and the Big 10 on Dec. 30.

This is the first Music City Bowl since 2019 after last year’s game between Iowa and Missouri was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The bowl game has been hosted annually since 1998 in Nashville at Vanderbilt Stadium prior to the opening of Nissan Stadium.

The Music City Bowl has contributed $34 million in financial payouts to participating universities and has generated more than $290 million in economic impact for the Nashville community, according to the TransPerfect Music City Bowl website.

Since its inception, as many as 1,162,197 fans have attended the Music City Bowl and over 95 million people have tuned into to watch the game on TV.

 

Tennessee’s Brad Roll Donates $250,000 For Postgrad Endowment

Tennessee Assistant Director of Olympic Sports Performance Brad Roll is making a $250,000 donation to endow a postgraduate scholarship in UT’s Haslam College of Business. Coupled with a grant from the Haslam family that will match Roll’s donation, The Brad Roll Business Scholarship Endowment—established in memory of his mentor, Bob Slater—will grow to $500,000 by 2026.

“It’s been energizing to spend time around our teams,” says Roll. “They have an incredible drive to achieve excellence. I hope this gesture inspires them to continue winning in competition and in life.”

Roll, 63, has been a member of Tennessee’s Sports Performance staff since 2016. He trains the volleyball and men’s tennis programs while also serving as a performance analyst for all UT Olympic sports.

“UT recruits top student-athletes from all over the world,” says Dean of UT’s Haslam College of Business Stephen Mangum. “Offering scholarship opportunities to pursue graduate business degrees from Haslam is an investment that will benefit both the student-athletes and all Tennesseans. Coach Roll’s generous gift is an example of the great things that happen when athletics and academics work together to provide the best possible experience for today’s athletes and tomorrow’s business leaders.”

For over four decades, Roll has made an impact through sport by challenging athletes to pursue peak performance in competition. Now, through The Brad Roll Business Scholarship Endowment, Roll can challenge and inspire Tennessee student-athletes to continue their pursuit of excellence through postgraduate academic achievement.

 

 

MTSU Not Requiring Masks For Basketball Games At Murphy’s Center

Middle Tennessee State University is welcoming back fans at full capacity to Murphy Center for the 2021-22 basketball season.

This season, masks will not be required to be worn during games, but the university still strongly encourage its fans to do so when not actively eating or drinking. This does not apply to children under 2 years old and younger.

Last season, the Blue Raiders played in an empty Murphy Arena for the first two weeks of the season before opening up to fans at a limited capacity.

The Blue Raiders men’s and women’s basketball seasons both begin on Nov. 9 in Murfreesboro as the men face Brescia University at 5 p.m. and the women take on East Carolina at 7:30 p.m.

Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr., Tennessee’s John Fulkerson Named First Team All-SEC

/in , /by

Scotty Pippen Jr. and John Fulkerson. Photos: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics and University of Tennessee Athletics

Coaches from the Southeastern Conference have voted for the first team All-SEC, selecting Scotty Pippen Jr. from Vanderbilt and John Fulkerson from the University of Tennessee.

Pippen, a Junior, has already received multiple preseason honors, among them being named SEC Preseason Player of the Year and being named to the Bob Cousy Watch List. He ranked third in the SEC and ninth nationally with 142 made free throws last season, and second in the SEC with 1.77 steals per game. He shot 42.8% from the field overall, 35.8% from 3-point range and 85% from the free throw line, leading the team in scoring 13 times.

Fulkerson, a Senior, is entering his sixth season at Tennessee, after playing 132 career games as a Vol with 62 start—including 55 of his past 56 games. A 2020 All-SEC Second Team selection, Fulkerson has averaged a combined 11.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game during his two seasons as a full-time starter. Last season, Fulkerson led the Vols in field-goal percentage (.527) and was the team’s second-leading rebounder (5.5 rpg). His current .567 career field goal percentage is sixth in Tennessee program history. Fulkerson needs just 11 appearances to break UT’s all-time record for career games played and 125 points to reach the 1,000-point milestone for his career.

The Commodores and Volunteers face each other twice this year which will likely be highly competitive matchups. UT will visit Memorial Gym on Jan. 18, the second matchup will be on Feb. 12 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Belmont, Vanderbilt, Lipscomb Players Named To Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Watch List

/in , /by

Nick Muszynski and Liam Robbins. Photos: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics and Minnesota Athletics.

College basketball players from Nashville schools continue to get national recognition as Belmont’s Nick Muszynski and Vanderbilt’s Liam Robbins have both been named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year watch list. Lipscomb’s Ahsan Asadullah was also one of the 20 players to be named to the list.

Muszynksi has been one of the Bruins best players over the past three years, helping lead the program to an NCAA Tournament win in 2019 and a conference tournament win in 2020. He became the first Belmont player of the program’s NCAA Division I era to earn first team all-conference honors as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Muszynski averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game on 59 percent shooting as a junior. The 6-11 center has 77 career double figure scoring games and is on pace to challenge Evan Bradds’ NCAA Division I era career scoring record (1,921 points). Muszynski was the second-fastest to 1,000 career points in Belmont’s NCAA Division I era and ranks as the program’s career blocked shot leader.

A 7-foot center, Robbins graduated from the University of Minnesota in business and marketing education this summer, and joins the Commodores after a breakout year with the Gophers and two seasons at Drake University. Robbins led the Big Ten and ranked 10th in the nation in blocks last season. He averaged 11.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks while shooting 44% and starting all 23 games he played. He also ranked 11th in the conference in rebounding and seventh in offensive rebounding. In two seasons at Drake, Robbins played in 64 games. He started all 34 games as a sophomore in 2019-20 and led the Bulldogs with 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. He set a school record with 99 blocks— the third most in Missouri Valley Conference history.

Asadullah was Lipscomb’s lead scorer, rebounder, assister and blocker averaging 14.1 ppg, 8 rpg, 3.4 apg and 16 blocks. He led the ASUN in total field goals made (165) and defensive rebounds (157). Asadullah is a two-time All-ASUN First Team and will be the key for the Bisons success this season.

In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.

SEC Unveils Logo For Women’s Basketball Tournament To Be Hosted In Nashville

/in , /by

The Southeastern Conference unveiled the logo for the 2022 Women’s Basketball Tournament which is set to be hosted at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena from March 2-6. This is the seventh trip to Nashville for the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, previously hosting the event in 2002, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2018.

In celebration of the return of the tournament to Nashville, Adventure Science Center, AT&T Building, Bridgestone Arena and Nashville Grand Hyatt will light up in SEC blue and gold tonight. The Korean Veterans Bridge will be awash in SEC colors on Oct, 20 as reserved ticket books go on sale.

A reserved ticket book for the tournament is $130, containing seven tickets–one for each session–which allows one person to attend all 13 games. Tickets can be purchased at TicketMaster. Single session tickets will go on sale in February.

College Corner: OVC & Southland Conference, TSU Basketball, Lipscomb Hall Of Fame

/in , , /by

OVC And Southland Conference Announce Football Scheduling Alliance

The Ohio Valley Conference has made a football scheduling partnership with the Southland Conference. This alliance comes after Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky University, Austin Peay and Belmont announced its departure from the OVC.

This collaboration will see institutions from each conference fill non-conference dates in the next two years with a focus toward competitive balance and reasonable travel.  In addition to providing quality Division I FCS non-conference matchups, the alliance will allow increased visibility, exposure and branding for each Conference.

“Our Presidents, Chancellors and Athletic Directors have enthusiastically supported this alliance,” says OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “We are delighted to work together to promote one another and provide a quality student-athlete experience. This partnership strengthens not only both football leagues, but the FCS overall with quality non-conference matchups. Given the changing Division I landscape, this demonstrates ways that conferences can collaborate to support one another.”

“We greatly anticipate the possibilities of a beneficial partnership with the Ohio Valley Conference,” says Southland Commissioner Tom Burnett. “The Southland presidents and athletic directors have found this to be an exciting competitive opportunity with their OVC peers, and we all look forward to some outstanding and meaningful FCS crossover games during the next two seasons. We all appreciate the strong level of interest and cooperation between our two leagues.”

More specific details, including game matchups in 2022 and 2023, will be announced at a later date.

 

 

Tennessee State Drops 2021-22 Basketball Schedule

Tennessee State University (TSU) has dropped its schedule for the 2021-22 season, which will feature 13 home games and big ticket matches against Nebraska, Lipscomb and Georgia State. TSU opens its 41st basketball season against Alabama A&M in Huntsville on Nov. 9; followed by a neutral-site contest in Atlanta against MEAC Champion Norfolk State on Nov 13.

Fans will have an opportunity to see the Tigers at the Gentry Center play hometown rivals in the home-opener against NAIA member Fisk University in the Battle of Jefferson Street on Nov. 16. TSU is 20-3 all-time against Fisk and is riding a 12-game winning streak over the Bulldogs after a 99-65 victory on Nov. 18, 2019.

OVC kicks-off at the end of December versus Tennessee Tech on the 30th. The Gentry Center on Saturdays in January will welcome games against Southern Missouri (Jan. 8), defending OVC Champion Morehead State (Jan. 15), and Austin Peay (Jan. 22). The Tigers will flip-flop games in February with three of four games on Thursday evenings against Belmont (Feb. 3), Murray State (Feb. 10), and SIU-Edwardsville (Feb. 17). Senior day is slated for Saturday, Feb. 19 vs. Eastern Illinois.

 

 

Lipscomb Athletics Announces 2021 Hall Of Fame Class

Lipscomb University Athletics has announced the addition of four inductees into the department’s Hall of Fame.

The 2021 honorees are Ann Mullins (volleyball/2005-07), Alex Kelly Samuels (volleyball/2007-10), Jake Pease House (volleyball/2007-10) and Andy Lane (meritorious service/1984-2020).

Mullins, Samuels and House were all ASUN Volleyball Champions and have been inducted in the ASUN Hall of Fame for their success at Lipscomb and in the conference.

The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13 at noon in the George Shinn Event Center on the Lipscomb Campus. Tickets are $25 per person and tables of eight may be reserved for $200.