T he S ports L edger
PAGE 10 www.TheSportsLedger.com
JULY 2023
Alabama To Hold Fan Day
SNEAD ADDS ASSISTANT COACH - Snead State Women’s Head Basketball Coach Craig Roden has added Austin Bates to his coaching staff. Bates, a native of Madison, will serve as Roden’s assistant coach. He brings seven years of coaching experience to the Lady Parsons squad. Bates has spent the last three years as an assistant at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, where Roden coached the Lady Statesmen from 2014-2022 and captured the Gulf South Conference Championships in 2015 and 2016. Before his stint at Delta State, Bates served as a student assistant for the UAH Men’s Basketball team for four years. GATORS TO OPEN SEASON IN UTAH - The Florida Gators football program will kick off the upcoming 2023 season against Utah on Thursday, August 31. The Gators will be traveling to Salt Lake City for the first time in program history. Florida will then return to Gainesville for the season opener against McNeese State on September 9 followed by hosting its 2023 SEC opener against Tennessee on September 16. CONTRACT EXTENSION - Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in his position through at least 2028. Sankey’s contract extension, approved by the Conference’s Presidents and Chancellors, continues a role he began on June 1, 2015, when he became the eighth Commissioner of the SEC. Now in his ninth year as Commissioner of the SEC, Sankey has effectively introduced change and innovation for the conference while respecting the institutional traditions that make the SEC unique. In the last three years alone, Sankey has guided the league through the COVID-19 pandemic, finalized a milestone 10-year agreement with the Walt Disney Company that grants ABC and ESPN exclusive broadcast rights to premier SEC football and basketball events and facilitated the expansion of the SEC to add the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC beginning in 2024. On the national stage, Sankey was tabbed to serve as co- chair of the NCAA’s Transformation Committee and was instrumental in the expansion of the College Football Playoff from four to 12 teams. JSU SOCCER ASSISTANTS - Jacksonville State soccer coach Sean Fraser has announced two additions to his first staff with the hiring of Brandon Ponchak as assistant coach and Kat Yarbrough as graduate assistant. Ponchak joins the Gamecocks after spending two seasons on the men's soccer staff at Northern Kentucky, while Yarbrough is a familiar face to Fraser as she just wrapped up her playing career under him at Louisiana Monroe. Read the full story online at www.thesportsledger.com CAPITAL ONE CUP - The University of Florida won the men's 2023 Capital One Cup. The Gator's runner- up finish in the College World Series elevated the Gators from 14th to the top of the final 2022-23 Men's Capital One Cup standings. This is Florida's third men's Capital One Cup. Florida claimed the first two men's Capital One Cups in 2010-11 and 2011-12. The Gators won the 2013- 14 women's Capital One Cup. As the men's winner, Gators Athletics receives a donation of $250,000 from Capital One for athletic scholarships. Florida tied for 14th in women's Capital One Cup standings. Texas won the women's Cup for the second consecutive year. JSU TENNIS COACH - Trey Morris has been named the men's tennis head coach at Jax State. Morris, who joined the program as associate head coach in January 2023, takes over as the Gamecocks transition to Conference USA. Morris helped lead the Gamecocks to an impressive campaign in his first season in Jacksonville. Overall, this is the second head coaching stint for Morris, who led the men's program at Montana State from 2019-22. UGA HOMECOMING - The annual University of Georgia Homecoming football game has been set for Saturday, Nov. 4. The Bulldogs will be hosting Missouri. The Kick off time will be announced at a later date. Numerous activities will be taking place throughout the week and weekend including the annual Homecoming Parade and crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen which will be announced at halftime of the football game. TENNESSEE FOOTBALL - The University of Tennessee football program is set to open the 2023 season under third year head coach Josh Heupel. Last season the Vols finished the year at 11-2 overall and at No. 6 in final poll of the season. Tennessee is set to open the new season on Sept. 2, 2023 against Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. CT. College Notes
Gadsden State Student Athletes Honored by NJCAA The NJCAA has announced the 2022-23 All-Academic Teams, recognizing student-athletes across the country for their dedication in the classroom. A total of 10,267 student- athletes across the nation have been honored for achieving a GPA above 3.60. Twenty-three Gadsden State Community College student-athletes have received NJCAA All-Academic honors for their academic achievement. Each year, the NJCAA recognizes teams in each sport for their dedication in the classroom on the NJCAA Academic Teams of the Year. To qualify as an academic team, athletes must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Cardinal teams qualifying include women’s cross country (3.47), men’s tennis (3.43), women’s basketball (3.37) and women’s volleyball (court) with a 3.4. Roseanne Green is the coach for women’s cross country, Buster Stewart is coach of the tennis team, Bryan Phillips is head coach for women’s basketball and Courtney Brothers is head coach for volleyball. Cardinal players with a 4.0 GPA receiving First Team honors include Cadence Buchanan of Ragland from women’s basketball; Jordan Clark of Arab from women’s cross country; Savannah Free of Danville and Madison Williams of Decatur, both from women’s volleyball (court); Parker Goodwin of Grove Oak from men’s basketball and Andrew Keeton of Killen and Evan Stewart of Enterprise, both from men’s tennis. Student-athletes with a 3.80 to 3.99 GPA named to the Second Team include Payton Blevins of Rainsville and Halle Brown of Valley Head, both from women’s basketball; Lauren Davis of New Market, Ziniah Hardy of Rainbow City, Sera Beth Potter of Ashville and Zoe Walker of Trussville, all from women’s volleyball (court); Noah Hefner of Southside from men’s tennis and Lacey Rich of Southside from women’s cross country. Student-athletes with a 3.60 to 3.79 named to the Third Team include Chloe Davidson of Gadsden from women’s cross country; Savannah Seals of Ider from women’s basketball; Moriah Seay of Prattville from women’s volleyball (court) and Riley Woerner of Acworth, GA, from men’s tennis. “It’s very rewarding to see our student-athletes excel academically,” said Blake Lewis, athletic director. “We are very proud of the athletic achievements and academic excellence as they spend many hours in the classroom, practicing, training and performing community service.” The University of Alabama football team's Fan Day will return on Saturday, Aug. 5 with a free open practice in Bryant-Denny Stadium from 2:30-4:30 p.m. CT. Following the open practice, a team autograph session will be held on the field exclusively for members of Yea Alabama, the official University of Alabama NIL entity established to cultivate and harness name, image and likeness opportunities for Alabama student-athletes. Stadium entry begins at 1:30 p.m. through gates 13 and 24 for seating in the west side lower bowl (sections A-N). The open practice, which is slated to start at 2:30 p.m., is scheduled to last approximately two hours. For security purposes, all items are subject to inspection as fans enter the stadium for both the practice and Fan Day activities. Following practice, the Crimson Tide football team, coaching staff and head coach Nick Saban will be available for autographs on the field for approximately 45 minutes. Field access for the autograph session will be granted to Yea Alabama members by showing an official digital Yea Alabama autograph session ticket that will be emailed in advance of the event. Yea Alabama members are permitted to bring one child ages 12-and-under as their guest to the autograph session. All adults attending the autograph session will be required to present their official digital autograph session ticket. In an effort to facilitate as many autographs in the time allotted, Yea Alabama members will be limited to one item per person for autographs, and no posed photographs will be permitted. Water coolers will be available on the west concourse and several portable concession areas will be set up on the west 100 level concourse. Fans are permitted to bring one empty, non-glass cup or bottle to the stadium. The Authentic at Bryant-Denny Stadium will also be open for Fan Day. Access to the store will be available from the interior south concourse, adjacent to the south endzone field suite. The exterior Gate 34 south entrance to The Authentic will not be available. The Authentic is a one- of-a-kind fan shop powered by Fanatics that features NIL merchandise, including customized Nike player jerseys,
customized name and number T-shirts, headwear, official game-used memorabilia, on-demand digital trading cards from Topps and more. Parking for Fan Day can be found in the West Ten Hoor area of campus. There are two parking decks as well as surface lots that are available for your convenience. Parking for people with disabilities is available on a first come, first served basis in the Wallace Wade Lot. Fans can go to RollTide.com for updates and other pertinent information. An Alabama fan waits for the arrival of Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban during the 2023 SEC Football Kickoff on Wednesday July 19 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nashville. Photo by Jimmie Mitchell, SEC
First Year Auburn football head football coach Hugh Freeze speaks to the media at the 2023 SEC Football Kickoff, on Tuesday July 18 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nashville. Joining the new coach from Auburn were players Luke Deal, Kam Stutts, and Elihjah McAllister. The Tigers kickoff the 2023 football season with a home game against UMass on Saturday, September 2. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Photo by Jimmie Mitchell, SEC
Professional Maintenance Service Truck Wash Specializing in Eighteen-Wheeler Washouts, Truck and Trailer Washes, Inside and Outside Trailer Washes, Dump Trucks, Van/Pickup, and Roll Backs. First Year Mississippi State Head Football Coach Zach Arnett speaks to the media at the 2023 SEC Football Kickoff. The Bulldogs open the 2023 football season with a home game against Southeast Louisiana on Saturday, Sept. 2. Game time is set for 3 p.m. Photo by Jimmie Mitchell, SEC
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