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PAGE 10 May 2026 E-Edition
Crimson Tide Extends Nate Oats Contract The University of Alabama and head men's basketball coach Nate Oats have agreed to a raise and a contract extension, which has been approved by The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Compensation Committee. The new agreement will extend Coach Oats current contract by two seasons to keep him in charge of the Crimson Tide basketball program through 2032. “I am blessed and honored for the opportunity to continue as the head coach of the men’s basketball program at the University of Alabama,” Oats said. “President Mohler, Chancellor Trant, the entire Board of Trustees and our athletics director Greg Byrne have been tremendously supportive and provided us the resources to compete for championships each and every year. We have enjoyed tremendous success during our seven years at Alabama, and we look forward to building on that for many years to come.” Finishing his seventh season at the helm of the Crimson Tide program in 2026, Oats has led Alabama to a 170-73 overall record and a winning percentage of .700, highlighted by a pair of SEC regular season championships, two SEC Tournament championships, five trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 and the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Final Four. “Coach Oats has done an incredible job with our men’s basketball team over the last seven seasons,” said Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. “We appreciate his commitment to Alabama and look forward to continued success under his leadership. Thank you to President Mohler, Chancellor Trant and our Board of Trustees for their approval in this process.” University of Alabama Football Coach Contract Extended through 2033 The University of Alabama has approved a contract extension for Crimson Tide head football coach Kalen DeBoer. The new agreement will extend his current contract by two seasons, keeping DeBoer in charge of the Alabama football program through January 31, 2033. “My family and I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Trant, President Mohler, Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, our athletics administration and football staff, this community and the University for their continued support of Alabama Football,” said DeBoer. “We are excited about the opportunity to continue our time in Tuscaloosa with this contract extension. This University has become a special place to us, and I look forward to working to ensure that Alabama football remains at the forefront of college football. This program has a long history of success and an unmatched tradition that I was eager to be a part of two years ago, and I cannot wait to keep coaching our guys and bring more championships to Alabama.” DeBoer owns a 20-8 mark in two years with the Crimson Tide, part of a 124-20 career record across 11 seasons as a collegiate head coach. He has accumulated 20 wins against ranked opponents since 2021, the second-best mark among active head coaches, and holds an 8-4 record against Associated Press Top 25 teams since arriving at Alabama. “We are pleased to extend Coach DeBoer and are proud to have him leading the Crimson Tide football program,” said Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. “He is an excellent coach and has done a commendable job developing our student-athletes. Thanks to President Mohler, Chancellor Trant and our Board of Trustees for their support and approval of this extension.” DeBoer recently completed his second season at UA in 2025, leading the Crimson Tide to an 11-4 record that included a Southeastern Conference Championship Game appearance, a College Football Playoff berth and one win in the CFP at eighth-ranked Oklahoma. The win over the Sooners was the Tide’s fifth ranked win of the season with four of those victories coming in consecutive weeks during the regular season to set a new SEC record. In 2024, Alabama finished 9-4 under DeBoer’s guidance. His win total for the ’24 campaign tied for the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history and featured three ranked victories against then-No. 2 Georgia, then-No. 21 Missouri and a dominant 42-13 finish at then-No. 14 LSU. DeBoer came to Tuscaloosa after spending two seasons at Washington from 2022- 23. He led the Huskies to a 25-3 record, a Pac-12 championship, two bowl victories and a berth in the CFP National Championship Game to close out the ’23 campaign. Prior to Washington, DeBoer served as a head coach at Fresno State (2020-21) and Sioux Falls [S.D.] (2005-09) in addition to multiple stops as an assistant. Alabama Arts Trail on Broad May 8-9, 2026 in Downtown Gadsden The City of This past season, Oats guided Alabama to a 25-10 overall record and a 13-5 mark in SEC play, posting a fourth straight 25-win season for the first time in program history. The Tide finished the year ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, marking the first time since 1989-92 UA has finished inside the AP Top 25 in four consecutive seasons. Alabama has not only seen success on the court but also in the classroom, as the program consistently posts over a 3.00 grade point average, including the program's highest- ever team GPA (3.57) in the fall of 2024. The Tide has also had a 100 percent graduation success rate for all student-athletes exhausting eligibility.
SIDELINE SPORTS
CUSA WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP - WKU captured its second consecutive Energy Transfer CUSA Women’s Golf Championship title and earned the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Championship, after finishing 13-over 877 for the tournament at the Stonebriar Country Club Fazio Golf Course. Reagan Ramage took home her first career individual low medalist crown after shooting three-under 213. During the final round, she recorded five birdies in the front nine, finishing with a tournament-low 65 (-7) for the Lady Toppers. WKU shot two-over in the final round to pull away with a seven-stroke victory after recording 11-over during rainy conditions on day two. Leah Edwards also finished in the top-five, earning All-Tournament honors. She shot a four-over 220 for the tournament, finishing tied for fifth. Delaware concluded the event at 20-over 884 for a second-place finish as Mary Grace Dunigan (+5) led the Blue Hens tying for sixth place. NM State and Sam Houston tied for third place with a 23-over 887 finish. ALABAMA VOLLEYBALL - The Uniuversity of Alabama volleyball program is set to play eight SEC matches at Foster Auditorium this fall. Home matches for the Crimson Tide in 2026 include Ole Miss (Sept. 27), South Carolina (Oct. 9), Georgia (Oct. 11), Arkansas (Oct. 23), Oklahoma (Oct. 25), Mississippi State (Nov. 1), Auburn (Nov. 11) and Florida (Nov. 15). Alabama will hit the road to face LSU (Sept. 23), Texas A&M (Oct. 2), Texas (Oct. 4), Vanderbilt (Oct. 16), Missouri (Oct. 18), Kentucky (Nov. 6) and Tennessee (Nov. 8). The 2026 Allstate SEC Volleyball Tournament returns to Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA. The event will be held on Nov. 20-24. LADY VOLS BUILDING BASKETBALL ROSTER - Fatmata "Fats" Janneh, who was the leading rebounder and three-point shooter at Texas A&M last season, is the sixth player out of the transfer portal to sign an Institutional Financial Aid Agreement with the University of Tennessee women's basketball program. Janneh is a 6-foot-2 forward from London, England. She spent two seasons at St. Peter's University in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference before making the move to the SEC in 2025-26. She has averaged 13.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest while starting 83 of 85 contests in college and has produced 39 double-doubles. She has one season of eligibility remaining. Janneh joins transfer portal signees Avery Mills (Liberty), Naomi White (Northern Arizona), Rylie Theuerkauf (Georgia), Harper Peterson (Stanford) and Zhen Craft (Georgia). Tennessee also has two incoming freshmen, including 6-1 guard/forward Gabby Minus (Dacula, Ga./Hebron Christian Academy), the No. 64-ranked player in the 2026 SportsCenter NEXT 100 class, and 5-10 guard Irene Oboavwoduo (Manchester, England/Trinity Church of England H.S.). ALABAMA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ADDS ASSISTANT COACHES - University of Alabama women’s basketball head coach Pauline Love has announced the addition of Cal Watson as Director of Scouting and Analytics/Assistant Coach . Watson will join the Crimson Tide staff following a two-year stint at Oklahoma as a graduate assistant where he contributed with on-court player development, game preparations and scouting for the Sooners. Love has announced the addition of Chester Nichols, a 24-year coaching veteran, to her staff. Nichols will serve as an assistant coach for the Crimson Tide for the upcoming 2026-27 season after serving a four-year stint at Southern Illinois as the associate head coach. AUBURN'S KELDRIC FAULK DRAFTED BY TITANS - Keldric Faulk was selected 31st overall in the first round by the Tennessee Titans in the opening night of the 2026 NFL Draft. Faulk is the first Auburn player selected in the first round since Derrick Brown (seventh overall) and Noah Igbinoghene (30th overall) in 2020. Additionally, Faulk is the first Tiger selected by Tennessee since Roger McCreary was picked in the second round of the 2022 draft. Eleven former Auburn players have been drafted by the Oilers/Titans franchise all-time. A native of Highland Home, Faulk earned All-SEC honors multiple times during his Auburn career. He finished with 109 tackles, 19.5 TFL and 10 sacks in 37 games played (32 starts). Faulk was voted a team captain in 2025 and was a two-time SEC Media Days honoree. He started 32 consecutive games for Auburn from 2023-25. The Tigers have now had at least one player drafted in 23 consecutive years. FSU WINS BIG 12 BEACH VOLLEYBALL TITLE - Florida State claimed the 2026 Big 12 Beach Volleyball Championship title by defeating TCU 3-0 in the championship final. The Seminoles, the No. 1 overall seed in the event, won the crown in its inaugural season in the league. FSU did not drop a point in its semifinal win over Arizona and the championship finale. Florida State was led by its top pair, Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig, who were named the Most Outstanding Pair of the championship. The duo did not drop a set on the No. 1 court in four matches throughout week. The members of the All-Tournament team include: Arizona's Brooke Boyko and Sadie Moore; Florida State's Gella Andrew and Maddie Trusty; South Carolina's Evie Ziffer and Lauren Lawson; TCU's Stacy Reeves and Anhelina Khmil; and TCU's Morgan Williams and Sofia Izuzquiza. NASCAR NAMES NEW CEO - NASCAR has announced leadership changes with its Board of Directors naming Steve O’Donnell as Chief Executive Officer and Ben Kennedy as Chief Operating Officer. Effective immediately, O’Donnell becomes the first non-France family member to serve as CEO in NASCAR’s 78-year history. He assumes all strategic and operational leadership for NASCAR, its affiliated racing series and businesses. Kennedy, in his expanded role as Chief Operating Officer, will oversee several core business functions, including the addition of NASCAR’s competition department, alongside his current leadership of track and event operations, racing innovation, hospitality, and venue strategy. Jim France, who served as NASCAR Chairman and CEO since 2018 where he oversaw nearly a decade of innovation and steady growth, will remain as Chairman of NASCAR’s Board of Directors. Lesa France Kennedy also continues as Executive Vice Chair and NASCAR’s Board of Directors remains unchanged. AUBURN MEN'S BASKETBALL ADDS TO ROSTER - Auburn Head Coach Steven Pearl and the Tigers' men’s basketball program have landed an in-state talent from the transfer portal as Troy forward Thomas Dowd has officially signed with the Tigers. Dowd joins the Tigers as a senior after appearing in 99 games over the past three seasons with the Trojans. For his career, he has scored 1,010 points and has pulled down 747 rebounds, highlighted by a junior campaign in which he averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. The Dothan native led Troy to the Sun Belt Tournament title and garnered SBC Tournament MVP honors while helping the Trojans earn a 13-seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-8 forward shot 44 percent from the floor (167-of-379) while making 65 3-pointers and shooting 80 percent from the free throw line (92-of-115). Auburns 2026-27 Signees include: • Narcisse Ngoy – C – 7’0’’ – France • Bukky Oboye – F/C – 7’1’’ – Houston Texas/Santa Clara • Adam Olsen – G/F – 6’8’’ – Surrey, B.C., Canada/South Alabama • Owen Freeman – F – 6’10’’ – Moline, Ill./Iowa/Creighton • Thomas Dowd – F – 6’8’’ – Dothan, Ala./Troy • Caleb Williams – G – 6’5’’ – Tampa, Fla. (incoming freshman) UAB VOLLEYBALL FINISHES HISTORIC SEASON - The No. 2 seed UAB beach volleyball team fell to No. 1 seed Florida Atlantic, 3-2, at the 2026 Conference USA Championships at Sugar Beach The loss eliminated the Blazers. The defeat also capped the best season in program history, as UAB finished with a program-record 26 wins, including a 16-match winning streak. FSU EXTENDS DRAFT SELECTION TO 43 STRAIGHT SEASON - Florida State defensive lineman Darrell Jackson Jr. was selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft when the New York Jets picked the Havana, Florida, native 103rd overall. Jackson’s selection extends the Seminoles streak with at least one player drafted to 43 consecutive seasons, the seventh-longest active streak among all colleges nationally. Jackson is the 58th Florida State defensive lineman drafted all-time, and the second consecutive Seminole defensive lineman from Gadsden County High School after Joshua Farmer was also selected in the fourth round in 2025. Additionally, Jackson is the 39th FSU defensive lineman drafted in the first four rounds.
Gadsden and the Alabama Visual Arts Network invite you to attend this inaugural event
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