Randall Barnes Articles - Page 5

As media day season for HBCU Football approached, I was surprised by the SWAC’s initial list of games slated for broadcast on ESPN platforms. While the MEAC/SWAC Challenge and the Celebration Bowl were predictably on the ESPN schedule, I noticed a significant number of other games whose broadcast homes remained undetermined. This was particularly striking […]

During media day, the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) unveiled a new direct-to-consumer OTT platform called SWAC TV. The platform, launching on August 1st before the football season, will become the exclusive streaming service broadcasting all 18 conference-sponsored sports. The app will be free to access and available for download on Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, […]

Building on the progress of the 2024 MLB Draft, three HBCU players earned selections in the 2025 MLB Draft. Florida A&M catcher Broedy Poppell was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 13th round, as Alabama State saw two players drafted in the 20th round: infielder Juan Cruz with the 591st pick by the […]

Former Memphis assistant Nolan Smith, a standout assistant on Penny Hardaway’s staff, has been linked to the open Tennessee State job following the departure of Brian “Penny” Collins to join the Memphis Grizzlies coaching staff. While the hire isn’t official, acquiring Smith would be a significant move for the Tennessee State athletic program as it […]

Ahead of media day, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) has released the 2025 All-SIAC preseason selections. The list featured Albany State’s Isaiah Knowles as the SIAC Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year and Benedict College’s Ty’Metrius Patterson as SIAC Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year. The full All-SIAC list is below: FIRST TEAM POSITION […]

Ahead of media day, the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) released the 2025 All-SWAC preseason selections. The list featured Jackson State’s Jacobian Morgan as the SWAC Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year with Southern University’s Ckelby Given as SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Morgan had an outstanding season as the starting quarterback for the […]

After nine years at Fox Sports 1, Joy Taylor is departing the network. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported that Fox Sports 1 was cancelling three shows: the Taylor-led afternoon program Speak, and the morning programs Breakfast Ball & The Facility. All three shows struggled to gain popularity and a sustained audience, and the network will […]

Florida A&M alumna Thai Floyd is making history at Alabama A&M, becoming the first woman to serve as a football play-by-play announcer for the institution. The Bulldogs announced Floyd’s new position on Saturday, a testament to her journey to get to this position. “It’s truly an honor to step into this historic role,” Floyd said […]

DeSean Jackson’s tenure at Delaware State is already bringing in money, as Delaware State has landed $20 million for the construction of their new field house per a report by Delaware Online. Hornets Athletic Director Tony Tucker expressed excitement speaking about the project in a statement obtained by Delaware Online, saying, “It’s going to inject […]

This season of Love Island was truly a rollercoaster ride from start to finish. But through all the twists and turns, one thing remained consistently clear: the unwavering poise and grace of Olandria. Entering the villa alongside Chelley as one of the first two Islanders we met, Olandria quickly became a voice of reason and […]

Ahead of the HBCU Swingman Classic, Ken Griffey Jr. made a bold call for more recognition of HBCU athletes. In a phone interview with USA Today, the baseball legend cited that call in why they created the Swingman Classic. “If you look at what’s going on in baseball, (there are) a lot of kids of […]

Former NFL MVP and Atlanta Falcons legend Matt Ryan made his personal pitch for why he should be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ryan had a phenomenal career and he told Dan Patrick why he believes that he should receive football’s highest honor in an interview on The Dan Patrick Show. His five […]

The debut of Tennessee State’s hockey team has been postponed to the 2026-2027 season. According to a statement from the university, the delay will allow more time to focus on fundraising, recruiting, faculty planning, and staff development. However, while the launch is delayed, Tennessee State is said to still be preparing for the 2026-2027 season. […]

One thing that has been consistent in Deion Sanders’s career as a public figure is that he knows how to get people talking. That has never been truer than during his tenure as a coach. From his time at Jackson State to his current stint with Colorado, he often speaks strongly about his convictions and […]

As the season approaches, Florida A&M continues to bolster its roster in the hopes of achieving championship glory again. The Rattlers landed former Tulane tight end Guiseann Mirtil in the transfer portal, marking a homecoming for the Winter Haven alumnus. Mirtil originally committed to Tulane in 2023, choosing the Green Wave other other institutions such […]

Former NFL star and Norfolk State special teams coordinator Tory Woodbury is getting his second shot at a huge NFL oppourtunity. Per a report by HBCU Gameday, Woodbury has been named a Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow by the Minnesota Vikings. This will be Woodbury’s second time as a fellow, as he served with the […]

Delta Sigma Theta is hosting their 57th National Convention and announced a new class of honorary members into the organization, including Hip-Hop legend Queen Latifah and WNBA legend Swin Cash. Latifah and Cash join the sorority alongside other trailblazing members such as Donna Brazille, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Janice Bryant Howard, Tony Townes-Whitley, and Fawn Weaver. Delta […]

After an illustrious career that left him considered among the best point guards in NBA history, Chris Paul recently revealed in a conversation with Jemele Hill at the American Black Film Festival that he is contemplating retirement. “At the most, a year,” Paul said when Hill asked how much longer he expected to play. “I […]

It finally happened: Taylor has been eliminated from Love Island. His departure came after a string of disrespectful actions toward Olandria, culminating in his choice of Clarke following Casa Amor. What’s more, even after clearly showing the world and Olandria that his affections weren’t truly with her, he continued to lead her on, creating the […]

After being hired in April, Charlie Ward has been hard at work building out his roster and coaching staff for his debut season with the Florida A&M Rattlers. He already added former Florida State assistant Jarrod Lazarus to his staff last month. Now, he’s adding even more experienced FBS assistants to his staff in hopes […]

NBA All-Star weekend is once again set to feature an HBCU basketball game, as North Carolina A&T and Hampton have been announced as the latest teams to participate in the showcase. The teams were announced on Tuesday morning via a statement and the game will be the first edition in the showcase to feature HBCU […]

As the season approaches, Michael Vick and Norfolk State have made key additions to their roster. The team announced the signing of three players to their 2025 recruiting class: former South Carolina State defensive tackle Rashawn Washington, former Wagner defensive lineman Cameron Darmody, and former North Alabama wide receiver JJ Evans. While a standout at […]

WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes has achieved many things in her career, but her latest achievement might be her most monumental. Swoopes was inducted as an honorary member of the “Essence of Sisterhood” class of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority. The Olympian joins Maui Bigelow, a social media maven and influencer; Dr. Kimberlyn Leary, a Harvard […]

As I’ve said many times before, Love Island USA is one of the most intriguing media viewing experiences that I’ve ever had in my life. We saw early in the season that it was unearthed that Yulissa had used racial slurs in a podcast interview from a couple of years ago. She was ultimately removed from the […]

Brennan Marion and Sacramento State have made history with their latest commitment. Per a report by On3 Sports’ Hayes Fawcett, the Hornets have landed wide receiver Xavier McDonald, who chose the program over Ole Miss and North Carolina. The commitment is huge as Sacramento State has clear FBS ambitions and a desire to build the […]

After joining Master P and the University of New Orleans in the Spring, Jamal Gibson is heading back to the HBCU basketball ranks with a new team. Xavier University of Louisiana announced that Gibson is committing to the program in a shocking move. Before transferring to the University of New Orleans, he played for Southern […]

The Lakers have been a focal point of the offseason, as the NBA community is looking to see both the future of LeBron James as well as if Rob Pelinka can build a contending roster. While the Lakers had a rather successful year given the circumstances, finishing third in the Western Conference despite early-season struggles […]

Two-time NBA champion and Jackson State legend Lindsey Hunter has been named the head coach of Sparta High School boy’s basketball team in Michigan, per a report by WAPT. The new position is a continuation of a unique basketball journey that started in the SWAC at both Alcorn State and Jackson State, then being drafted […]

The highly anticipated coaching debut of Michael Vick with his Norfolk State Spartans is set to get a national television audience. Per a report by the Virginian-Pilot, the Towson vs. Norfolk game is set to be broadcast on one of ESPN’s channels to be announced at a later date. This will be Norfolk State’s first […]

As DeSean Jackson approaches his first season as coach of Delaware State, he has never hesitated to show his appreciation to Deion Sanders for his coaching journey. While Sanders isn’t the first former NFL player to become an HBCU coach, he commanded attention at Jackson State like no other before him. In a recent appearance […]

The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their 2025 offseason with a huge move, securing the services of DeAndre Ayton. This acquisition was a genuine surprise, as Ayton wasn’t widely expected to be available in free agency before being bought out by the Trailblazers. His arrival addresses a crucial need, shoring up the Lakers’ frontcourt and […]

While some NBA analysts and personalities see the reason that the Bucks waived Damian Lillard, such as Brian Windhorst, Bill Simmons was totally against the move. On the latest episode of his eponymous podcast, Simmons, never one to mince words, believed that the release of Lillard was a move out of inspiration and ultimately a […]

As free agency continues, trade speculation around LeBron James has continued to be a headline of the offseason. The conversations about James potentially being traded from the Lakers started to circulate after he opted into his $52.6 million option to return to the team for the upcoming season. To further enflame the conversations, Rich Paul’s […]

As the Lakers close in on a center option in free agency, it appears that the Jazz’s asking price for Walker Kessler is still unachievable per a report by Jovan Buha. “I’ve just heard nothing, but they want two picks plus a young player for Walker Kessler,” he said in the latest edition of his […]

In perhaps the most shocking move of NBA free agency thus far, Damian Lillard was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks to make room for their signing of Myles Turner. Lillard’s $113 million contract will be stretched as the multi-time All-Star guard rehabs his Achilles tendon injury and figures out his NBA future. On the latest […]

Two people were tragically killed after a shooting at a HBCU-affiliated Kappa Alpha Psi event in Atlanta over the weekend, per a report by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Atlanta police have confirmed the death of 23-year-old Justin Minnitee, who succumbed to his injuries after being hospitalized. According to witnesses, Minnitee arrived at a fraternity event and […]

As a first-time viewer, Love Island has been an absolute rollercoaster. While I appreciate its raw, realistic portrayal of relationships, the challenges often pull me out of the show’s element. Many can feel over the top and nasty, especially in a post-coronavirus world. However, today’s Mailbox Challenge was a remarkable exception. It offered a rare […]

Although LeBron James hasn’t formally requested a trade, it appears that several teams around the league are looking into ways that they can aquire the four-time NBA Champion. On today’s trade deadline edition of NBA Today, Dave McMenamin gave a pivotal update about the future of James with the Lakers and potential interest for his […]

After a awe-inspiring senior year with Alabama State, TJ Madlock earns an NBA opportunity with the Detroit Pistons. Madlock has signed with the Detroit Pistons’ NBA Summer League team, looking to make a great impression and possibly earn his way onto the main roster. he’s the second HBCU player to earn an NBA opportunity, joining […]