Randall Barnes Articles - Page 7

The announcement that South Carolina State Head Coach Chennis Berry was awarded the MEAC Coach of the Year honor over Delaware State’s DeSean Jackson has sparked considerable outrage among HBCU football fans. While Berry is the preeminent coach in the conference, leading his team to a second consecutive title and Celebration Bowl berth, many argue […]

For many years, success for HBCUs in the NCAA Division II playoffs was rare, with teams often faltering against their non-HBCU counterparts despite possessing clear talent. Yet, recent history, driven by playoff contenders from the SIAC and CIAA, has proven that HBCUs are ready to contend for a national championship, as seen with deep runs […]

Rapper and Grammy nominee GloRilla is set to headline the halftime show at this year’s Bayou Classic. The artist will perform in partnership with Adidas, appearing alongside Grambling State University’s world-famed Tiger Marching Band and the Orchesis Dance Company during the game, which will be broadcast nationally on NBC during an important football weekend. GloRilla, […]

No matter the fortunes of Southern or Grambling, the Bayou Classic is always a massive event. It is a tentpole event in HBCU life, serving as a cultural cornerstone that has welcomed fans around the nation into the HBCU experience since 1974. Nationally televised since 1991 on NBC-owned networks, the event’s spectacle remains phenomenal, but […]

South Carolina State University head coach Chennis Berry has been named the MEAC Coach of the Year, marking his second straight time receiving the prestigious honor. Berry’s recognition follows a season in which he successfully led the Bulldogs to another MEAC Championship and a berth in the Celebration Bowl, mirroring his debut success in 2024. […]

Jackson State head coach T.C. Taylor weighed in on Shedeur Sanders’ debut as a starter for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Sanders had a stellar performance, finishing the game with 209 passing yards and 1 touchdown with one interception in the Browns’ 24-10 victory. Taylor was complimentary of the former Jackson State star, whom he […]

Bethune-Cookman snapped its losing streak against rival Florida A&M in a spectacular Florida Classic showdown on Saturday. The victory was clinched by a dramatic fourth-down, last-minute touchdown, a well-needed win for head coach Raymond Woodie Jr., who finished the year 6-6 overall and 5-3 in conference play, defying the early-season forecasts of the team’s chances. […]

Former HBCU standout Emmanuel Wilson delivered a breakout performance in his first NFL start for the Green Bay Packers. Wilson was tasked with stepping in for the injured starting running back, Josh Jacobs, and he certainly delivered on the opportunity. Wilson finished the game rushing for a stellar 107 yards on 28 carries and scored […]

Hampton University has fired head football Coach Trent Boykin after just one full season at the helm. The decision came one day after Boykin’s Pirates football team lost to CAA rival Rhode Island, 38-10, a defeat that left Hampton with a final season record of 2-10 and near the bottom of the CAA standings. University […]

Benedict College, making its third NCAA Division II playoff appearance in four years, secured a major victory in a wild finish against Wingate, winning 26-25 on a game-winning touchdown at the end of regulation. The dramatic play not only secured the victory but marked the Tigers’ first-ever Division II playoff win in school history. So […]

South Carolina State has done it again, winning the MEAC Championship and clinching another Celebration Bowl bid with a 28-17 victory over DeSean Jackson and Delaware State. The game was a showcase of the strengths of both teams: South Carolina State’s playmaking defense and Delaware State’s historic rushing attack that no one was fully able […]

Texas Tech is already bolstering it’s roster for next season, landing an HBCU star via the transfer portal. Allen University defensive lineman Amarie Fleming is heading to Lubbock, Texas, as he is the first 2026 addition for the Red Raiders. He announced his commitment in a post on his X account on Thursday. “After an […]

In the Bulls’ thrilling 122-121 victory over the Trail Blazers, an HBCU star made his debut. Former Winston-Salem State guard Javonte Cooke logged minutes for the Blazers in their bid to score another key victory. He finished the game with four points, one assist, and a steal. The moment, though brief, is huge for both […]

Saturday marks the final full week of the regular season in HBCU football with the Florida Blue Florida Classic, pitting Florida A&M against Bethune-Cookman. Over the past few years, Florida A&M has taken control of the series, but Bethune-Cookman has emerged as a significant contender heading into this matchup, thanks to its high-powered offensive attack. […]

Tuskegee University alumna Olandria Carthen was recently shouted out by legendary actress Gabrielle Union, being named as her Woman Crush Wednesday. In the LinkedIn post, Union spotlights Carthen’s HBCU advocacy as well as the way she’s navigated fame. spotlight and criticism post-Season 7 of Love Island. The post read: “Olandria Carthen is the kind of […]

As the Norfolk State Spartans enter the final week of the season, Head Coach Michael Vick is about due for his first Division I victory. It has been a rough season, with the Spartans heading into the final week of conference play at 1-10 overall. Their only win came against Division II rival Virginia State […]

Reginald Ruffin has been promoted to a major role at Tuskegee University. The Golden Tigers Athletic Director has joined the president’s cabinet as Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics, while continuing in his current role as Athletic Director, per a statement from the institution.  He’s set to continue developing the Tuskegee University athletics department and to […]

The upcoming clash between DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Hornets and Chennis Berry’s South Carolina State Bulldogs is far more than just the final game on the schedule; it is the de facto MEAC Championship. While the MEAC, with only six teams, does not officially host a title game, the champion has always been determined by […]

Sports fans generally disagree on almost everything, but one unanimous consensus across the college football world is that hiring James Franklin at Virginia Tech was a steal. For 11 seasons, Franklin led Penn State, turning the program into a perennial national championship contender and a hotbed for highly touted recruits. Despite being on the cusp […]

Southern University could be the latest HBCU to hire a former NFL star as head coach. Rumors have swirled in HBCU circles that, following the Jaguars’ firing of Terrence Graves earlier this season, Faulk was in the mix to be Southern University’s next head coach. Prominent HBCU Media Personality Scottay of Offscript TV indicated, via […]

Florida A&M University president Marva Johnson recently explained the reassignment of former Athletic Director Angela Suggs as Special Assistant to the President and as an advisor for intercollegiate athletics in an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat. In addition to Suggs’ reassignment, FAMU announced that John Davis will assume the position of Vice President of Athletics. […]

Tuskegee University is entering a significant legal battle to maintain the accreditation of its historic College of Veterinary Medicine. The university has submitted two federal lawsuits against the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), seeking to prevent the veterinary school’s accreditation from being stripped, according to records obtained by Al.com. In its complaint, Tuskegee alleges that […]

Five HBCUs are making history this postseason at the Division II level. For the first time in history, five Historically Black Colleges and Universities have clinched a bid to the NCAA Division II Playoffs: Albany State University, Benedict College, Kentucky State, Johnson C. Smith, and Virginia Union. Each institution enters the postseason having delivered a […]

Norfolk State Head Coach Michael Vick was visibly unhappy following his team’s close 35-28 loss to Morgan State on Saturday. The defeat marks the Spartans’ tenth loss of the season and their ninth consecutive defeat since their overtime victory against rival Virginia State University on September 6th. Heading into the final week of the season, […]

Johnson C. Smith football is once again at the top of the CIAA. The Golden Bulls secured the conference championship in a resounding 45-21 victory over the reigning champions, Virginia Union University, snapping a 56-year title drought. This is the team’s first conference championship since 1969. The team’s rapid success is largely attributed to Head […]

Bethune-Cookman competed well against Jackson State, staying in striking range of a victory the entire game. But, ultimately, Jackson State proved to still be the best team in the SWAC and secured a huge victory that all but seals their ticket to the SWAC Championship. Bethune-Cookman, which entered the game boasting the third-best offense in […]

The family of Mari Creighton, a slain Albany State volleyball player, has been awarded a $66.5 million settlement. This comes after a May 2024 shooting at the Elleven 45 Lounge in Buckhead, a suburb of Atlanta. The settlement is to be paid by the nightclub’s owner. The alleged gunman, Karanji Reese, was arrested in June […]

Florida A&M announced in a statement on Friday that John Daivs has been appointed as Vice President of Athletics. This comes after a leadership shake-up that sees current Athletics Director Angela Suggs appointed as special assistant to university president Marva Johnson and advisor for Intercollegiate Athletics. “It is an honor to take the role of […]

The moment the broadcast went live on ESPN2, the clash between South Carolina State and North Carolina Central simply felt big. This was more than just a game; it was the inevitable showdown that would determine who controlled the destiny of the MEAC Championship race. The physical intensity between these two evenly matched teams was […]

North Carolina Central secured a huge recruiting win with the commitment of 2026 three-star edge rusher Rob Lange Jr. to the team. Lange Jr. announced his commitment to the Eagles on Wednesday, choosing the program over offers from major institutions, including Arkansas, Mississippi State, Georgia Southern, and James Madison. He released a statement following his […]

A couple of weeks ago, I was incredibly excited about this Bethune-Cookman versus Jackson State matchup. Heading into the Las Vegas HBCU Classic, Jackson State looked unbeatable. Sure, Alabama State got within one successful goal-line play of beating the reigning HBCU champions, but Jackson State had been clicking in all three phases of football. They […]

The Division II football season has concluded for many programs, and several top stars are now entering the transfer portal. Earlier this week, Bowie State defensive back Elijah McKenzie-Jackson announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal, according to a report by Pete Nakos of On3. “Bowie State CB Elijah McKenzie is entering the portal, […]

Following the January dismissal of Reginald McDonald, former Tennessee State Aristocrat of Bands director, new reporting by The Tennesseean details excessive spending by McDonald on band activities, particularly on security services and lavish travel. McDonald, who had been the band director since 2015 and worked for Tennessee State for 24 years, was placed on paid […]

I think we can all agree that the brawl between Grambling State and Bethune-Cookman on Saturday should not have occurred. An otherwise great game between two SWAC contenders looking to elevate their programs was marred by a skirmish that led to the ejection of nine players and, ultimately, the suspension of 27 players by the […]

In a recent episode of his House of Action podcast with fellow former NFL star and Hornet coach Clinton Portis, Delaware State head coach DeSean Jackson weighed in on the brawl between Grambling and Bethune-Cookman on Saturday. For Jackson, he says that the incident reminded him of his childhood. Delaware State head football coach DeSean Jackson was […]

On Tuesday, Alabama State channeled the high-scoring momentum of its football program, which nearly upset UAB earlier this season, as Head Coach Tony Madlock pushes for the same winning trajectory on the hardwood. The Hornets secured a dramatic early-season victory against the University of Alabama at Birmingham, winning 77-75 in a contest defined by back-and-forth […]

Cam Newton had a lot to say about the brawl between Bethune-Cookman and Grambling in their Saturday matchup that resulted in 27 players being suspended. He took to his 4th & 1 podcast to air his issues with what occurred, expressing that he believed the incident “set us back”. “You should look at this and say to […]

Former Jackson State head coach Tomekia Reed is set for an intriguing early-season test for her Charlotte 49ers as she faces off against Kim Mulkey and LSU for the third time in her coaching career. The matchup itself carries significant weight, as Reed previously led Jackson State to a near-upset over the then-unranked LSU Lady […]

As the college football season draws to a close, arguably the biggest game on the MEAC schedule is upon us: South Carolina State versus North Carolina Central. For years, the path to the conference title and the Celebration Bowl berth has run squarely through Orangeburg and Durham, with these two teams winning the MEAC championship […]