Middle Tennessee plays Chattanooga in NIT matchup
Chattanooga Mocs (24-9, 16-4 SoCon) at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (22-11, 13-7 CUSA)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EDT
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Forbes
5 days ago
- Forbes
Delaware, Missouri State Add To Conference USA's Growing Inventory Of New FBS Teams
Delaware and Missouri State officially join Conference USA on July 1 and will increase league membership to 12 and FBS membership to 136. The Blue Hens and Bears will make it five schools in three seasons to have elevated from the FCS to the FBS and join CUSA. Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State made the move in 2023 and Kennesaw State in 2024. The five former FCS schools came from as many different conferences and are the most recent to elevate to the higher subdivision. UD was in the Coastal Athletic Association (formerly Colonial Athletic Association), MSU came from the Missouri Valley Conference, Kennesaw State was in the Big South, Jacksonville State had two years in the Atlantic Sun following an 18-year stint in the Ohio Valley Conference, and Sam Houston State had two seasons in the WAC after a 33-year run in the Southland Conference. Delaware and Missouri State will also make it seven schools to join CUSA in the aforementioned timeframe as previously independent Liberty and New Mexico State came on board in 2023, and at a time when independents have virtually disappeared. (Only Notre Dame and UConn will be on their own in 2025, though in entirely different spheres.) The Flames left the Big South to join the FBS in 2018 and were independent for five seasons before joining CUSA. The Aggies have had a nomadic time of it this century having been a member of four conferences, including two stints in the Sun Belt, and have twice been independent. Taking on five schools from the FCS and two from the independent ranks was necessary for Conference USA given the wheels that were set in motion in autumn 2021 when Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA announced they were departing for the American Athletic Conference effective 2023. That was the year Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss decided to leave for the Sun Belt. Hence, CUSA had to quickly re-make itself, which it did by filling the gaps around holdovers FIU, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, UTEP and Western Kentucky. In the not-so-distant past, teams that moved up from the FCS usually took their lumps while finding their footing in college football's highest level. Because of how Conference USA has restructured and with Western Kentucky the only holdover having achieved notable success (10 bowl appearances in 11 years, one top 25 finish) as a league member, opportunities have been abundant for the FBS newbies and the former independents to achieve immediate success. Below are examples. The Gamecocks won the conference championship last season as a second-year FBS and CUSA member. Their lone conference loss was at Western Kentucky in the regular-season finale before blasting (52-12) the Hilltoppers a week later for the title. Rich Rodriguez led the program's transition to the FBS and went 27-10 in three seasons (13-3 in two years of CUSA play) before returning to West Virginia. Charles Kelly, an assistant at JSU in the 1990s, takes over. If not for a mid-season loss to Western Kentucky, the Bearkats would have played JSU for the conference title. As it turned out, Sam Houston State was the only CUSA team to win double-digit games (10-3) last season. Coach K.C. Keeler, who succeeded College Football Hall of Famer Tubby Raymond at Delaware – Keeler was a Blue Hens linebacker under Raymond -- in 2002 and ran the program for 11 years before taking over at Sam Houston State, returned to the I-95 corridor in December to coach Temple. Phil Longo returned to Huntsville to run the program. He was the Bearkats' OC for three seasons (2014-16) under Keeler before serving in the same role with Ole Miss, North Carolina and Wisconsin. The Aggies' inaugural CUSA campaign of 2023 resulted in a championship game appearance, a slugfest (49-35) of a defeat to Liberty, which was in its first season with the conference. Jerry Kill's team went 10-2 in the regular season – their loss to the Flames was followed by bowl loss to Fresno State – for the program's first double-digit win season since 1960 when the school was a member of the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association with, among others, Arizona and Arizona State. Tony Sanchez took over Kill and enters his second season as coach. The 2023 conference championship win over New Mexico State noted above sealed a New Year's Six Bowl for the Flames, who improved to 13-0 and ascended to No. 18 in the AP poll. Jamey Chadwell's first year at the helm in Lynchburg concluded with a Fiesta Bowl blowout loss (45-6) to Oregon, and a No. 25 ranking. True, Kennesaw State went 2-10 last year in its inaugural FBS season. Both wins, however, were in conference play, including against Liberty, and a pair of losses were in overtime. Not too bad for a school that did not field a football program until 2015 and was led by Brian Bohannon from day one before his awkward departure late last season. Former North Carolina Central head coach and NFL assistant, Jerry Mack, takes over. In the larger picture as far as Conference USA is concerned, Delaware and Missouri State coming on board should only aid the long-term health of the league, if indeed there is such a thing as 'long-term' in college football. CUSA, though, has done a nice job of continuing to build itself in a rather unique manner and with 11 states represented in what will be a 12-team league for the fast-arriving 2025 college football season.
Fox News
26-05-2025
- Fox News
NCAA baseball tournament descends into mayhem as players, coaches, parents ejected
Tensions flared during Saturday's NCAA baseball game between Samford and Mercer. Samford outfielder Michael Gupton hit a two-run homer to increase the Bulldogs' lead over the Mercer Bears. Gupton appeared to shout something at Mercer players during his spirited jog around the bases. Gupton's words seemed to target at least one player on the baseball diamond as well as the Mercer dugout. Gupton eventually touched home plate and celebrated with his Samford teammates. A visibly frustrated Mercer shortstop, Bradley Frye, attempted to follow Gupton and had to be held back by umpires. Mercer coaches also voiced their frustrations to the umpires. Mercer players then began leave the playing field in apparent protest. Several Mercer players had to be held back in the dugout. Southern Conference commissioner Michael Cross was in attendance for the game and was eventually seen talking with the umpires. Gupton and Frye were ejected from the game after a video review. Coaches were also thrown out, with Samford assistant Gil Walkes and Mercer pitching coach Tanner Gordon receiving ejections. Frye's mother was also shown the door after she was seen standing and jumping on top of the dugout moments after she learned of her son's ejection. Other Mercer fans were tossed out after they went onto the dugout roof. The game was delayed for approximately 25 minutes. Samford ultimately celebrated a 5-1 victory on Saturday. The win punched Samford's ticket to the SoCon championship game. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
NCAA softball tournament regional recap: How 2 top-10 teams — including No. 1 Texas A&M — went out
The first weekend of the NCAA softball tournament brought the unprecedented this year. Texas A&M became the first No. 1 seed to be eliminated in the regional round, losing to Liberty on Sunday to end a stunningly roller-coaster day. Liberty defeated Texas A&M in the teams' first meeting Saturday, meaning the Aggies had to beat the Flames twice Sunday to stave off elimination. After Texas A&M roared back to defeat Liberty in extra innings in Sunday's first game — a game that included 25 runs and multi-run comebacks from both teams — the Aggies couldn't hold a lead in the nightcap. A five-run sixth inning was the difference in a 6-5 Liberty win. Advertisement Liberty forged ahead to the super regional round for the first time in program history and became the early story of the 2025 tournament. '(It) doesn't surprise me,' Liberty senior and Conference USA Softball Player of the Year Rachel Roupe said Sunday. The Flames, the CUSA champions, will travel to play No. 16 Oregon in the super regional. They were one of four unseeded teams to pull upsets on seeded opponents' home fields over the weekend. Nebraska, led by former Oklahoma star and 2023 Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player Jordy Bahl, advanced out of the Baton Rouge regional without needing to face No. 10 LSU. Southeastern Louisiana upset LSU twice to knock out the Tigers, but the Cornhuskers breezed to 14-1 and 8-0 wins over SLU to advance. Bahl finished the regional 5-for-5 with four home runs at the plate and allowed just two hits over 12 innings in the circle. Advertisement Ole Miss and No. 13 Arizona squared off twice Sunday, with the Wildcats forcing a Game 7 earlier in the day before Ole Miss' 7-3 thumping in the final game. It was a similar story for No. 14 Duke and Georgia, with the Bulldogs reigning supreme in Game 7 by a 5-2 margin. No. 2 Oklahoma, the SEC tournament co-champion alongside Texas A&M, outscored its opponents 31-3 in three wins and remains in pursuit of its fifth straight national championship. Regional winners Bryan-College Station: Liberty Liberty's 8-5 upset of Texas A&M on Saturday set the stage for the biggest upset in NCAA history on Sunday. The Flames beat the Aggies in two of three outings, with the last two games both needing all seven innings and every second to claim victory. Advertisement 'We were battling all day long,' Roupe said. 'It took us eight hours to do it. But whatever we needed to get it done, and we did it.' Norman: No. 2 Oklahoma The Sooners cruised through the regionals unscathed. Oklahoma shut out Boston University 8-0 before defeating Cal two straight times, 11-2 and 12-1. Oklahoma will make its 15th straight super regional appearance, the longest active streak in Division I, per the SEC Network. Gainesville: No. 3 Florida Florida was so dominant in its regional that it run-ruled its opponents in all three games. It was the first time in program history that the Gators have done so. Advertisement Florida's final scores were 8-0 against Mercer, 14-6 against Florida Atlantic and 8-0 against Mercer again in the final. Fayetteville: No. 4 Arkansas After shutting out Saint Louis 10-0, Arkansas saw its super regional hopes flounder in its matchup versus Oklahoma State. Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Razorbacks senior Courtney Day doubled to bring in two runs, and another double from freshman Ella McDowell knotted the game at five to send it to extra innings. After a scoreless top of the eighth for the Cowboys, Day's at-bat — again — saved the day for the Razorbacks. A single with bases loaded gave Arkansas the 6-5 victory, and it went on to thrash Oklahoma State 12-0 in the finals the next day. Tallahassee: No. 5 Florida State Auburn took Florida State to a Game 7 in its regional round, but the Seminoles started the final strong with two runs in the first inning and ended it strong with two runs over the fifth and sixth innings for the 4-0 win. Advertisement Austin: No. 6 Texas The Longhorns frolicked their way to the super regionals, ousting all opponents by a 35-6 margin. Texas beat every opponent in its regional bracket — Eastern Illinois, Michigan and UCF, respectively. Knoxville: No. 7 Tennessee Tennessee's smooth journey through regionals started by blasting Miami (Ohio) 17-0 in its opening game. A double defeat of Ohio State followed for the regional crown. Columbia: No. 8 South Carolina After cruising past North Florida 8-0 in the regional final, South Carolina is heading to its first super regionals since 2018 and first under first-year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard. Advertisement Chastain Woodard, a former Gamecocks pitcher and graduate assistant coach, was hired in June 2024. Los Angeles: No. 9 UCLA UCLA went on a 31-2 tear en route to a seamless run through the regional, ending each game by the run rule. Baton Rouge: Nebraska Bahl became the fourth player in NCAA history to have 20 home runs and 20 wins in the same season following her regional-round dominance. Clemson: No. 11 Clemson Clemson and Northwestern were scoreless through eight innings before freshman Marian Collins bunted the team to victory. Her hit brought in the runner on third, and the Tigers' defense in the bottom of the ninth got the Wildcats out in four batters. The Tigers then toppled Kentucky 5-1 for a trip to their third super regionals in four years. Advertisement Lubbock: No. 12 Texas Tech Texas Tech made its first super regionals in school history after squeaking by Mississippi State 9-6. The Bulldogs posted a three-run fifth inning to narrow the gap 7-6, but the Red Raiders never relinquished their wire-to-wire lead. Tucson: Ole Miss Ole Miss bested No. 13 Arizona twice in the last three games of the regional round to advance. It marked the first time in program history that Ole Miss took down a national seed in the NCAA softball tournament. The Rebels also snapped the Wildcats' 23-game regional win streak. Durham: Georgia Georgia junior Jaydyn Goodwin nailed a home run over right field in extra innings to earn Georgia's winning run in a 5-2 victory against Duke in the winner-take-all Game 7. It was Goodwin's team-best 12th homer of the year. With the win, the Bulldogs advance to their third straight super regionals and fourth in the last five seasons. Advertisement Tuscaloosa: No. 15 Alabama Three wins in a row, and Alabama secured its third straight and record-setting 19th super regionals. Eugene: No. 16 Oregon Oregon and Stanford were tied 7-all in the bottom of the seventh. With a runner on first and third, Oregon senior Dezianna Patmon hammered a homer to left field for the walk-off win. Oregon was the last team to secure a spot in the super regionals — and it's a home game at that, after Liberty's defeat of No. 1 Texas A&M set up a Ducks-Flames second-round matchup. Super regional schedule All times in ET. Each series is best of three. Eugene: Liberty vs. No. 16 Oregon Game 1: Friday, 10 p.m. Advertisement Game 2: Saturday, 7 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Norman: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Alabama Game 1: Friday, 5 p.m. Game 2: Saturday, 3 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Gainesville: No. 3 Florida vs. Georgia Game 1: Friday, 11 a.m. Game 2: Saturday, 11 a.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Fayetteville: No. 4 Arkansas vs. Ole Miss Game 1: Friday, 8 p.m. Game 2: Saturday, 9 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Tallahassee: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 12 Texas Tech Game 1: Thursday, 7 p.m. Game 2: Friday, 3 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Saturday Austin: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Clemson Game 1: Thursday, 9 p.m. Game 2: Friday, 9 p.m. Advertisement Game 3 (if needed): Saturday Knoxville: No. 7 Tennessee vs. Nebraska Game 1: Friday, 7 p.m. Game 2: Saturday, 5 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday Columbia: No. 8 South Carolina vs. No. 9 UCLA Game 1: Friday, 1 p.m. Game 2: Saturday, 1 p.m. Game 3 (if needed): Sunday This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Women's College Basketball, College Sports, Women's College Sports 2025 The Athletic Media Company
