HOT SPRINGS – Ouachita Baptist capped its historic run at the 2024 Great American Conference Volleyball Championships with a three-set victory against second-seeded Harding on Saturday from Bank OZK Arena.

The Tigers (22-9) became the lowest seed, five, to win the league’s volleyball title. They became the first to defeat three higher seeds en route to the title. Additionally, they joined Arkansas Tech, in 2021, as just the second team to defeat both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in one year. The became the first first-time champion of the event since Oklahoma Baptist won for the first time in 2019.

The opening set saw Ouachita take an early 13-8 lead. Harding (22-9) answered by tallying seven of the subsequent eight points. Trailing 19-17, the Tigers rattled off seven consecutive points – four on Riley Braziel kills – to advance to set point. After four-straight points from the Lady Bisons, Braziel closed out the set with another kill.

A 10-3 spurt early in the second set put the Lady Bisons in front, 12-8. They maintained the three-point lead until the Tigers closed out the set with 11 of the final 15 points. Haley Fairchild scored two kills and a solo block. Braziel collected two more kills, as did Leah Gardner.

After eight ties early in the third set, the Tigers closed out the match in grand fashion – scoring 13 of the final 17 points – for a 25-16 set victory. Braziel scored three points -two kills plus an ace – and Gardner put the finishing touches on the championship victory with kills for the final two points.

Courtney Hanson captured Tournament MVP honors after averaging 12.08 assists and 4.83 digs per set in the three victories. On Saturday, she finished with 41 assists and 18 digs. Avery Jauz and Braziel joined Hanson on the All-Tournament Team. Jauz collected 25 digs against the Lady Bison and averaged 7.33 per set during the tournament. Her 88 total digs rank as the second-most in a single GAC Championship. Braziel led the Tigers with 13 kills.

Harding’s Tatum Fouche and Delaney Garner received All-Tournament honors. Fouche finished with 23 digs on Saturday and Garner registered nine kills. East Central’s Odalys Gonzalez and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Lacy Mott filled out the seven member team.

The Tigers secure their first appearance in the NCAA Division II Championships in program history. They learn their opponent during Monday’s selection show. It streams on NCAA.com at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.

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ARKADELPHIA – Ouachita Baptist became the third Great American Conference school to win back-to-back Women’s Soccer Championship titles as the Tigers bested Oklahoma Baptist 4-3 in penalty kicks on Sunday from Kluck Field following a 0-0 contest.

Ouachita (8-7-4) equaled the feat set by Southwestern Oklahoma State, in 2012-13, and Harding, in 2015-16, by successfully defending the title. Madi Vana, Abbey Moore, McKenna Wright and Ava Dunagan converted their penalty kicks and Carina Chavarria – subbed into the game at the the beginning of the penalty kick phase – made two saves to secure the program’s fourth GAC Championship title. Sunday’s title represented the first instance in which they clinched on home soil. All three of their prior victories – 2014, Spring 2021 and 2023 – came on the road against that year’s top seed.

Oklahoma Baptist (6-6-7) recorded nine shots, five on target in the opening 45 minutes and limited the Tigers to just four shots, one on goal. In the second half, Ouachita registered four shots on goal as compared to three from Oklahoma Baptist.

The two starting goalkeepers – Claire Stoermer for Oklahoma Baptist and Taylor Hapgood for Ouachita Baptist – combined for 17 saves as the two teams played in just the second 0-0 final in league history. East Central and Ouachita Baptist played to a 0-0 draw in 2011.

The Tigers’ Teagan Jaussi received the Tournament MVP honor. She scored the winning goal in Friday’s semifinal against Southern Nazarene. Vana, Moore, Allison Reece and Sophia Valencia made added All-Tournament honors. Stoermer, Chloe Monroe and Sam Sheffield represented the Bison on the team.

Harding’s Carmen Gunn and Georgia Templeton plus Southern Nazarene’s Adison Johnson and Natalie Montanez filled out the 12-member All-Tournament Team.

The Tigers secured the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championships. They’ll learn their opponent at 6:00 p.m. Monday during the NCAA Selection Show. They’ll make their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament having previously qualified in 2007 and last year.

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HENDERSON, Tenn. – A top-15 battle lived up to its billing with the No. 7 Freed-Hardeman University Lions hosting the No. 11 Central Baptist (Ark.) College Mustangs. Regulation was not enough. One overtime was not enough. It took two overtime periods to determine the victor with FHU battling to the 91-89 win.

A defensive battle from the tipoff, the Lions (5-1) got on the board first at 17:47 with a jumper from Peyton Law. Central Baptist would answer with a 3-pointer before Phil Horton’s jumper ignited a seven-point run capped by Blake Dean’s triple. The Mustangs answered to tie the game with a layup at 9:32, but FHU took a lead and then some, scoring 12 unanswered points with Jordan Stephens’ long ball putting the Lions on top 26-14 with 5:13 remaining in the first act. Late free throws and late 3-pointers from CBC narrowed the gap when time expired on round one with FHU leading 37-30 at the break.

The Mustangs (5-1) came out of the locker room with the same momentum they entered, scoring the first seven points of the second half including a free throw tying the game at 17:12. From there, neither team would lead by more than two possessions with Phil Horton pushing the Lions ahead by scoring eight points in just over one minute. A 3-pointer from Stephens tied the game with 1:56 remaining in regulation before the Mustangs were able to take a three-point lead into the final 60 seconds. Horton again had the big bucket, draining a 3-pointer with five seconds to go before blocking the last shot attempt to end regulation in a 76-76 tie.

CBC opened the first overtime by taking a four-point lead; however, Geralo Lane joined Horton at the charity stripe to go 4-4 with Horton’s with 30 seconds tying the game 82-82. Vying for the last shot, the Mustangs attempted a 3-pointer with three seconds left, but Lane secured the rebound to force a second overtime.

The Lions drew first blood in the second overtime with a jumper from Law, but the Mustangs answered with a 3-pointer. Stephens connected for a jumper to give FHU a lead they would maintain until the end. A 3-pointer narrowed the gap to one point, but Lane again hit his free throws with two seconds to go to claim the victory 91-89.

FHU out-rebounded CBC 51-36 and dominated from the bench with FHU scoring 44 points to CBC’s 18 bench points. The Mustangs were led by Sage Borbon’s 43 points including 10 3-pointers.

Peyton Law and Geraldo Lane both tallied double-doubles with Law sinking 20 points with a team-high 12 rebounds while Lane scored 18 points with 10 rebounds. Phil Horton was a rebound short of a double-double with 20 points and nine boards. Jordan Stephens tallied 19 points and a team-high four assists in the win.

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MAGNOLIA – Records, on records, on records. The (RV) Southern Arkansas Mulerider Football Team tied three individual Great American Conference records as well as broke one of its own offensive records from the program’s modern era. SAU Football moves on to 8-2 in the 2024 season for the second-consecutive season with eight or more wins. The final score between the Muleriders and Rangers of Northwestern Oklahoma State came out at 78-0. After the first quarter, Southern Arkansas held a 20-0 lead, but a 34-point second quarter would have the Muleriders leading 54-0 at halftime. Head Coach Brad Smiley made sure other players got their moment and they shined as bright as they could have, outscoring NWOSU 24-0 in the second half.

Where to begin with the Mulerider Offense, initially led by junior quarterback and four-time GAC Offensive Player of the Week? Southern Arkansas’ offense witnessed 790 yards of total offense, a new program record in the modern era that shattered the old record of 637 yards of offense against Henderson State back in the 2000 season when the Muleriders demolished the Reddies 86-0, the modern era scoring record for SAU Football.

The Blue and Gold’s 78 points tied the Great American Conference’s record for most points scored in game. The 11 touchdowns tied the record for most touchdowns in a contest for the league’s history, as it is just the fourth time in GAC history that a team has recorded 11 endzone trips and is the first since Henderson State defeated McKendree in September of 2013. That’s 11 years since a GAC member has scored 11 touchdowns in game.

Rushing the ball, Southern Arkansas’ offense recorded 403 yards seven rushing touchdowns. Ten Mulerider carried the rock and of those ten, the program’s leading rusher Jariq Scales led the pack with 112 yards on the ground with a long rush of 53 and one touchdown. Of those seven rushing touchdowns, six SAU ballcarriers accounted for those with Barton being the lone rusher with a pair of touchdowns.

Through the air, Southern Arkansas accounted for 387 passing yards with four touchdowns. 12 Muleriders recorded a reception with senior Rasheen Green recording 146 yards on five receptions, along of 52, and one touchdown. Four different members in the Blue and Gold threw a pass for the afternoon contest with Barton leading that group with 247 yards, completing 15 of his 19 attempts, throwing for two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Adam Parker saw the field the majority of the second half and did not let up on the Rangers as the Natchitoches, Louisiana native completed seven of nine passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. The redshirt freshman stood in the pocket and took a lick from the NWOSU defensive line, but not without throwing over the shallow middle to senior Cole Williams on the crossing route. The senior, making his return from injury, went on for 80 yards to the crib. True freshman Colin Hitchcock completed a pair of passes for eight yards, and while he did not throw in his outing, fellow true freshman Caleb Johnson rushed four times for 49 yards with a long of 41 to the house for six, his first score of his career. Finally, and most certainly not least, in his final game at Rip Powell Field, Matthew Whitten took the handoff from Barton that took the focus off of 10 and had him sneak his way to the endzone where the Princeton, Louisiana native (Whitten) found his quarterback for the score.

Only two of the three records in the Great American Conference have been mentioned, that is because the third came from the Mulerider defense. SAU’ defense allowed just 53 yards total to the Rangers with 55 rushing yards, and yes, -2 passing yards. Those -2 ties both the GAC and Mulerider Football’s program record (1957 vs Arkansas-Monticello).

The Rangers saw the Southern Arkansas side of the field just once, and for one play at that. The NWOSU offense’s one play on the Muleriders’ side of the field resulted in a fumble for a five-yard loss back to their own side of the field.

The Muleriders await the results from around the country as they look to climb that Super Region Three ladder towards their first NCAA DII Playoff berth since 2003.

Southern Arkansas travels to Monticello, Arkansas for the final game of the 2024 regular season as the Muleriders take on the Boll Weevils in the 99^th edition of the Battle of the Timberlands.

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Saturday, Aug. 27
Missouri Baptist at Lyon

Thursday, Sept. 1
Arkansas-Monticello at Southern Nazarene
Missouri State at Central Arkansas
Northwestern Oklahoma at Southern Arkansas
Ouachita at Oklahoma Baptist
Southwestern Oklahoma at Henderson State

Saturday, Sept. 3
Arkansas Tech at Southeastern Oklahoma
Austin at Hendrix
Cincinnati vs. Arkansas
Grambling State at Arkansas State
Harding at East Central
Lane at Arkansa-Pine Bluff
OUAZ at Lyon

Saturday, Sept. 10
Arkansas State at Ohio State
Central Arkansas at Ole Miss
East Central at Arkansas Tech
Henderson State at Northwestern Oklahoma
Hendrix at Washington
Lyon at Wayland Baptist
North American at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Oklahoma Baptist at Arkansas-Monticello
South Carolina vs. Arkansas
Southern Arkansas at Southwestern Oklahoma
Southern Nazarene at Ouachita
Southeastern Oklahoma at Harding

Saturday, Sept. 17
Arkansas State at Memphis
Arkansas-Monticello at Henderson State
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Oklahoma State
Central Arkansas at Idaho State
Hendrix vs. Howard Payne
Missouri State vs. Arkansas
Ouachita at Arkansas Tech
Southern Arkansas at Harding

Saturday, Sept. 24
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M
Arkansas State at Old Dominion
Arkansas Tech at Arkansas-Monticello
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alcorn State
Central Arkansas at Southeast Missouri
Harding at Ouachita
Henderson State at Southern Arkansas
Oklahoma Panhandle at Lyon

Saturday, Oct. 1
Alabama at Arkansas
Arkansas-Monticello at Southwestern Oklahoma
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Southern
Austin Peay at Central Arkansas
East Central at Southern Arkansas
Lyon at Langston
Oklahoma Baptist at Harding
Ouachita at Northwestern Oklahoma
Southeastern Oklahoma at Henderson State
Southern Nazarene at Arkansas Tech
Trinity at Hendrix
ULM at Arkansas State

Saturday, Oct. 8
Arkansas at Mississippi State
Arkansas Tech at Oklahoma Baptist
Harding at Southern Nazarene
Henderson State at East Central
Hendrix at Millsaps
James Madison at Arkansas State
Lindenwood at Central Arkansas
Lyon at Arizona Christian
Northwestern Oklahoma at Arkansas-Monticello
Southern Arkansas at Southeastern Oklahoma
Southwestern Oklahoma at Ouachita
Texas Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Saturday, Oct. 15
Arkansas at BYU
Arkansas State at Southern Miss
Arkansas-Monticello at Ouachita
Central Arkansas at Kennesaw State
Henderson State at Harding
Sewanee at Hendrix
Southern Arkansas at Arkansas Tech
Texas College at Lyon

Sunday, Oct. 16
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Alabama A&M

Saturday, Oct. 22
Arkansas State at Louisiana
Arkansas Tech at Henderson State
Centre at Hendrix
Harding at Arkansas-Monticello
Ouachita at Southern Arkansas
SAGU at Lyon

Saturday, Oct. 29
Arkansas at Auburn
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Florida A&M
East Central at Ouachita
Henderson State at Southern Nazarene
Hendrix at Birmingham-Southern
North Alabama at Central Arkansas
Northwestern Oklahoma at Harding
South Alabama at Arkansas State
Southeastern Oklahoma at Arkansas-Monticello
Southern Arkansas at Oklahoma Baptist
Southwestern Oklahoma at Arkansas Tech

Saturday, Nov. 5
Arkansas Tech at Northwestern Oklahoma
Arkansas-Monticello at East Central
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Grambling State
Central Arkansas at Eastern Kentucky
Harding at Southwestern Oklahoma
Liberty at Arkansas
Lyon at Louisiana Christian
Oklahoma Baptist at Henderson State
Ouachita at Southeastern Oklahoma
Rhodes at Hendrix
Southern Nazarene at Southern Arkansas

Saturday, Nov. 12
Arkansas Tech at Harding
Central Arkansas at Stephen F. Austin
Hendrix at Berry
Lyon at Texas Wesleyan
Ole Miss at Arkansas
Ouachita at Henderson State
Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Southern Arkansas at Arkansas-Monticello
UMass at Arkansas State

Saturday, Nov. 19
Arkansas State at Texas State
Jacksonville at Central Arkansas
LSU at Arkansas

Thursday, Nov. 25
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alabama State

Friday, Nov. 26
Arkansas at Missouri
Troy at Arkansas State

The post 2022 Arkansas college football composite schedule appeared first on ArkansasSports.Net.

ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State begins NCAA Regional play on Thursday when the No. 3 seed Reddies take on the No. 6 seed Northeastern State at 2 p.m. in Magnolia, Ark. Regardless of result, HSU will play again on Friday at either 2 p.m. with a loss or 6 p.m. with a victory.

REDDIES REPORT
– The Reddies (38-15) put together a strong showing in the 2022 GAC Tournament last week in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and finished as the league’s runner-up. With three wins in Hot Springs, HSU jumped up to the No. 3 seed in the Central Region, earning a spot in Southern Arkansas’s regional just 75 miles from campus in Arkadelphia. The tournament format is double-elimination, so each team is guaranteed at least two postseason contests.

– Henderson is the highest-seeded at-large team in the region and will be playing an NCAA Tournament contest as the higher seed for the first time in program history on Thursday. In each of their last two trips to the Central Regional Tournament in 2015 and 2021, the Reddies were the No. 6 seed and the final team to make the bracket. HSU set program records this spring with 38 wins, 23 conference victories and a 14-0 winning-streak to open the season.

– HSU was the top pitching team in the GAC this year and boasts a team ERA of 4.28 — a mark which ranks 28th nationally. Henderson had two 2022 First Team All-GAC pitchers in starter Spencer Taack and reliever Brayden Bebee, while starter Ryan Galvan is 6-0 on the year with a 3.28 ERA. Reliever Andrew Howard, who was a 2022 GAC All-Tournament honoree, has a 6-3 record, 2.81 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 41.2 innings pitched. Opponents hit a conference-low .239 against HSU pitching this season.

– As a team, the Reddies are hitting .288 and slugging .464. Henderson finished second in the GAC with 111 doubles and outscored its opponents 391-262 on the season. HSU has five everyday position players hitting .290 or better and counts nine players who have 20 or more RBIs this spring.

– First baseman Greyson Stevens and second baseman Kaden Argenbright are the only two Reddies who have started all 53 games this spring for the red and gray. Stevens bats .356 with a team-high 72 hits, 19 doubles and 47 RBIs. Argenbright is hitting .304 with 65 hits, 17 doubles and 35 RBIs as the lead-off man. Left fielder David Vilches, who has set a new school record with 17 home runs this year, has played in all 53 contests, while centerfielder Bryson Haskins has played and started in 52 of the 53.

– Stevens has written his name across the Reddie record books and has a chance to do so further at the NCAA Tournament. The 2022 All-GAC selection is HSU’s all-time leader in RBIs (130), ranks second in program history in hits (183) and third in home runs (24). He needs 12 more hits and four more home runs to become Henderson’s program leader in both categories. The Pottsville, Arkansas native is currently one of just five players in school history to record 70 or more hits in a single season.

– Third baseman Dillon Thomas vaulted his way into the Reddies’ lineup in March and has been a staple ever since. Thomas leads the team with a .406 batting average and has recorded at least one hit in 28 of Henderson’s last 31 games. He earned 2022 All-GAC Tournament honors in Hot Springs after going 9-for-18 in four games at the plate.

– Henderson was impressive this season against good teams and enters the Central Regional 23-10 on the year against teams with records over .500. HSU was 2-3 against regional host-Southern Arkansas and 5-1 against No. 8 seed and regional qualifier Ouachita Baptist.

– HSU is 7-4 all-time at the NCAA DII Tournament and 5-2 all-time in the Central Regional. Six of those victories came in 2015, when Henderson won the region title and captured two wins at the College World Series in Cary, North Carolina. The Reddies lost to eventual national runners-up Central Missouri and Minnesota State last season, but eliminated Augustana in Warrensburg, Missouri.

– The Reddies are 30-3 this year when leading after six innings and are 53-4 overall in the last two seasons when holding a lead after six complete. Henderson is 21-1 this spring when it commits no errors and is 23-7 when it scores first.

SCOUTING THE MAGNOLIA REGIONAL FIELD
– No. 2 seed Southern Arkansas enters its 14th NCAA Tournament riding high after capturing the 2022 GAC regular season and tournament titles this spring. The Muleriders (41-11) won 27 games in the GAC and were 16-3 at home inside Walker Stadium and Goodheart Field. SAU hits .314 as a club and is led by a barrage of offensive weapons. Brandon Nicoll and Brett McGee have each driven in 64 runs this season, while Tucker Burton has blasted 16 home runs. Southern Arkansas also boasts 2022 GAC Pitcher of the Year, Jeremy Adorno, who has a 14-0 record in 14 starts, a 2.16 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 95.2 innings pitched. The Muleriders are hosting the regional tournament for the third time in program history.

– No. 6 seed Northeastern State is making its first-ever appearance at the NCAA Tournament after finishing a terrific campaign with a record of 37-16 overall. The RiverHawks are one of the best offensive teams in the country with a batting average of .330 and a national-high 117 home runs this season. NSU is one of just 12 teams in the country with 600 or more hits as a club and is No. 3 nationally in team slugging percentage (.609). Northeastern has one of the top outfield duos in all of NCAA DII in Blake Freeman and Brock Reller. Freeman is No. 3 in the country with 89 hits this year, while Reller ranks No. 3 nationally in home runs (27) and RBIs (82). The RiverHawks’ ace is Jonathan Smithey, who has a 7-2 record in 13 starts, a 3.18 ERA and 65 strikeouts compared to just 18 walks.

– No. 7 seed Washburn is also making its inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance at the Magnolia Regional. The Ichabods finished 33-20 overall and won four games at the MIAA Tournament in Edmond, Oklahoma to seize the No. 7 seed in the final rankings. Washburn is batting .301 as a team and has a staff ERA of 5.78. The Ichabods’ top hitters are Brett Ingram, who has a .365 average, 80 hits, 20 doubles, 11 home runs and 45 RBIs this spring, and slugger Parker Dunn, who has racked up 17 home runs and 59 RBIs while slugging .626. Washburn has a deep pitching staff with 14 players who have made 10 or more appearances on the mound this season. Reliever Dalton Huggins has pitched in a whopping 28 contests and carries a 3.82 ERA with five saves in 68.1 innings pitched.

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PINE BLUFF – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Director of Athletics Chris Robinson announced today the hiring of Gabrielle Floyd as the eighth head coach in the history of UAPB Volleyball.

Floyd comes to Golden Lions Nation from Texas Southern University, where she spent last year as the head coach.  Prior to her promotion, she spent more than 10 years as the associate head coach/ recruiting coordinator, where they won three SWAC Western Division Championship.

Under her guidance at Texas Southern, Floyd played a significant role in landing two-student athletes on the All-SWAC Team. Danielle Lilley Spring 2021 SWAC Preseason Volleyball Second-Team and Thalia Cordero Moreno named to the 2021 All-SWAC First-Team.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Floyd and her family to UAPB,” Robinson said. “She is a dynamic teacher and recruiter and has a great vision for UAPB Volleyball. She has a true passion for the game and is known for her work ethic, competitive spirit, and commitment to creating a positive student-athlete experience.”

Floyd took over the program in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in June of 2020 and had to navigate the challenges of managing a program through uncertain times. She was awarded an academic award for maintaining a minimum 3.0 Team GPA by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). Floyd managed to guide the Lady Tigers through the historic spring season in 2021 as they clinched a SWAC Tournament berth.

A native of Missouri City, Texas, Floyd is a former two-sport athlete at TSU as she played both volleyball and tennis. In 2001, Floyd was an All-SWAC Preseason First Team honoree and co-captain as a senior on the volleyball court. She led the Tigers to a divisional championship and top seed in the SWAC Tournament as she ranked third on the team in kills (213) while finishing tied for third in the SWAC in digs (270). As a result of her play on the court that season, Floyd earned SWAC Player of the Week honors and was named Second Team All-SWAC while earning SWAC All-Tournament honors. In 2000, Floyd finished with 228 digs and was second on the team as a sophomore in 1999 with 222 digs while amassing 135 kills in 97 games and 21 aces. Floyd capped off her storied collegiate volleyball career by earning several All-Tournament awards, including MVP honors.

After graduating in 2002, Floyd spent three seasons as a graduate assistant at Texas Southern and was promoted to assistant coach in 2005. As an assistant coach, Floyd has played a major role in the progression of the volleyball program during her tenure. In 2013, she helped lead TSU to its first winning season since 2001 while also winning three SWAC West Titles and a pair of appearances in the SWAC Tournament Championship match. She has had 15-plus student-athletes earn All-SWAC honors under her watch.

In addition to serving on the coaching staff for the past decade, Floyd served on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Assistant Coaches Committee (ACC) as the SWAC Representative. She was also a full-time professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology & Sport Studies and has served on several committees within the department and for the College of Education.

“I would like to thank Chancellor Dr. Alexander, Athletic Director, Chris Robinson, and the Senior Woman Administrator, Betty Anthony for entrusting me with the volleyball program here at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff,” Floyd said. “I am excited to begin this journey as the new head volleyball coach. I want to build a program that the UAPB community would be proud of. We have a great group of student-athletes that are ready to be champions on the court, in the classroom, and in life. I look forward to building relationships with the UAPB community, alumni, faculty, staff, and students to help make our dreams a reality.”

Floyd graduated in 2002 from TSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Affairs and holds a Master of Science degree in Health Education from TSU. She’s a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and volunteers at student leadership and growth events across the Houston area. Coach Floyd and her husband, Quantas, a former student-athlete and alumnus of Texas Southern, have a daughter and future student-athlete, Alexandrea.

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JONESBORO – Arkansas State University System President Dr. Chuck Welch announced Wednesday that Jeff Purinton, a highly-respected and veteran athletics administrator who most recently spent the last seven years as part of the Alabama Athletics Department’s executive staff, has been named the Red Wolves’ Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics.

Purinton comes to A-State following a 15-year stint at the University of Alabama, but his path to Jonesboro also included professional stops working with the Orange Bowl Committee (2006-07) and the Florida State Athletics Department (1994-2006) while also having a national presence on multiple college football committees.

“I could not be more excited about the hiring of Jeff Purinton as the next Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics at Arkansas State,” Welch said.  “From the very first conversation I had with Jeff, I knew that he was someone who would elevate our program to unforeseen heights.  Jeff’s experience, combined with his incredible relationship skills and his network across the nation, made him an exceptional candidate for our position.  Jeff has literally overseen every aspect of a premier athletics department, and every single person I talked with said it is his time to run his own department.  I am thrilled that department is ours, and I cannot wait to see what he accomplishes for our university.”

Purinton most recently served as Alabama’s Executive Deputy Director of Athletics after being elevated to the position in 2021, but also held Deputy AD (2019-21), Executive Associate AD (2018-19), Senior Associate AD (2015-18) and Associate Athletics Director for Football Communications (2007-15) titles during his time with the Crimson Tide.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be named the next Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics at Arkansas State University,” Purinton said. “Thank you to System President Chuck Welch and everyone involved in the search process. It was handled in a first-class manner all the way through. I definitely had an interest when I got the first call about it, and after I had a chance to sit down and talk in-person with Chuck and Brad (Phelps), I was certain Arkansas State was a school I wanted to be a part of.  They were genuine and authentic, and you felt a trust with them right off the bat. I felt like it was the right place and the right timing, but most importantly the chance to work with the right people.

“Successful college athletics programs have alignment with their leadership, and I believe that is a strength at Arkansas State,” continued Purinton.  “I am excited to be associated with an outstanding program that has enjoyed many achievements in the classroom, in competition and in the community, and I look forward to continuing to develop the Red Wolves’ strong national brand.

“We can’t wait to get to campus and meet our student-athletes, coaches, staff members, donors and fans. I’ve heard nothing but great things about Jonesboro, and our family is excited to get to know the community and be part of that.  Wolves up!”

Arkansas State will hold a 1:00 p.m. press conference Monday, May 9, at the Centennial Bank Athletics Operations Center officially introducing Purinton as the Red Wolves’ 13th athletics director.  The press conference is open to the public, and it will be streamed live on AState.edu, the official web site of Arkansas State University.

While operating as Executive Deputy Director of Athletics, Purinton was the sport administrator for football as well as the men’s and women’s golf programs after previously overseeing men’s basketball. Additionally, he supervised several departments within athletics, including human resources, marketing and trademark licensing and was the liaison to Crimson Tide Sports Marketing, Alabama’s LEARFIELD property.

When current Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne was hired to lead the Crimson Tide in 2017, Purinton was charged with the creation and implementation of the department’s new strategic plan.  He served on the leadership group that helped develop and launch the department’s new fundraising initiative (The Crimson Standard) with a 10-year goal of raising $600 million. The first phase of the campaign included renovations to both football locker rooms, the Sports Science Center at the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility, Rhoads Softball Stadium, as well as recruiting and premium areas at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Alabama football won six national championships in Purinton’s time at UA and took home numerous team and individual national awards. Widely known as one of the best venues in college football, Purinton oversaw the revision of the football game-day production in 2017, improving the overall atmosphere and interaction from the crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Part of that process included the implementation of new LED stadium lighting in 2019, which received positive reviews from both the players and fans.

In March 2019, Purinton assisted Byrne in the search for a new head men’s basketball coach that resulted in the hiring of Nate Oats from Buffalo. In Oats’ second season at Alabama (and first full season), the 2020-21 team won both the regular-season and Southeastern Conference Tournament championships for the first time in 30 years and later advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 and finished No. 5 in the final national rankings. Herb Jones was named SEC Player of the Year and earned All-America honors, while Oats was voted the SEC Coach of the Year. The 2021-22 squad once again advanced to the NCAA Tournament.  In 2018, the Tide men’s basketball team received an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2012 and earned its first NCAA win since 2006.

In addition to working with several of Alabama’s successful athletics teams, Purinton was the department oversight to one of the top Learfield/IMG College groups in the nation in Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. CTSM was selected as the 2017 Learfield Property of the Year after setting record-highs in revenue generation. Alabama has also ranked in the top two in royalties generated among the Collegiate Licensing Company’s partner institutions each of the last 11 years and was No. 1 in five of the last six seasons.

In 2021, Alabama football’s social media accounts each eclipsed the 1 million follower threshold, becoming the only college athletics team to reach this feat on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Combined, Alabama athletics social channels generated north of 1.1 billion impressions in 2020. With ties to social media and some of the other external units, Purinton is on the department’s committee responsible for Alabama’s plan for name, image and likeness and assisted with the creation of The Advantage, a comprehensive program that provides Tide student-athletes with the education and tools necessary to build and elevate their personal brands.

Purinton was hired at Alabama in the summer of 2007 as the Associate Athletics Director for Football Communications, handling all external areas of the program for Coach Nick Saban. He has coordinated each of the 12 ESPN College GameDay visits to Tuscaloosa as Alabama has hosted the show more than any other school during that time frame. In addition to building and maintaining relationships with national media and the marketing/promotion of Crimson Tide football, Purinton helped strategize and implement plans for the Crimson Caravan (spring booster tour). He was promoted to oversee all external areas within the department as well as the Crimson Tide Celebrity Golf Tournament beginning in June of 2015.

“My family and I want to thank everyone at the University of Alabama for an amazing 15 years working with the Crimson Tide,” Purinton said.  “We’ve developed lifelong friends and relationships during our time at UA, and we are so appreciative of the opportunity we had in Tuscaloosa. Greg Byrne and Coach Saban have been so supportive, especially during this process, and I want to thank them specifically.”

In 2006, Purinton was hired by the Orange Bowl Committee (OBC) as the Director of Media Relations and Communications. That year, the OBC eclipsed attendance and revenue goals for the Basketball Classic, Fan Fest, Pregame Tailgate Party and Fed Ex Orange Bowl (Louisville versus Wake Forest). Purinton also produced a weekly Orange Bowl radio show and a television program that featured the bowl-sponsored youth football initiative. He led planning for the 2009 BCS National Championship Game which included a $1.4 million media budget.

Prior to the Orange Bowl and Alabama, Purinton spent more than a decade at Florida State University working in various roles in the athletics department. He began as a student assistant in sports information during his undergraduate years, and followed up as a graduate assistant in 1998. He was promoted to a full-time role as assistant SID in 1999, where he worked directly with two of the winningest coaches in college history in Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden and Head Baseball Coach Mike Martin. In addition to the baseball and football SID duties, Purinton was the travel advance coordinator for the football program from 1999-2006.

In total, Purinton worked with 12 bowl teams at FSU including the 2000 Sugar Bowl where FSU defeated Virginia Tech to win the 1999 national title. He made two trips to the College World Series as the SID for the Seminole baseball program (1999 and 2000). In the 1999 season with FSU baseball, Marshall McDougall set the NCAA record with six home runs in a single game, and that team went on to finish runner-up at the national championship. From 2004-06, Purinton was the primary Sports Information Director for football.

Purinton has served on several College Football National Championship Game media coordination committees while working at Alabama and the Orange Bowl and was a member of the College Football 150th Anniversary Committee. He has successfully helped promote four Heisman Trophy winning campaigns (Chris Weinke at Florida State; Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith at Alabama) along with a Campbell Trophy winner (Barrett Jones at Alabama).

Purinton is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics and the Football Writers Associate of America. He was a 2019 NEXT UP honoree by CollegeAD and was selected to attend the NACDA AD Mentoring Institute (2017 & 2019) and the Lead1 Institute (2018). From 2016-17, Purinton served as the athletics department coordinator for the University’s United Way campaign.

A native of Palatka, Fla., Purinton received his bachelor’s degree in sports management and master’s in athletics administration at Florida State University. He and his wife Julie have two daughters, Jillian and Josie.

The post Purinton named Vice Chancellor of Intercollegiate Athletics appeared first on ArkansasSports.Net.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. –  Inclement weather in the Bentonville area has delayed the start of 2022 Under Armour Great American Conference Softball Championships until Saturday morning.

Thursday’s scheduled quarterfinals will now be played on Saturday with the same start times. The semifinals will take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday with the final slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch.

SATURDAY, MAY 7
Game 1 11:00 a.m. Quarterfinal #1 – No. 4 Southern Nazarene vs No. 5 Oklahoma Baptist
Game 2 1:30 p.m. Quarterfinal #2 – No. 1 Arkansas Tech vs No. 8 Arkansas-Monticello
Game 3 4:00 p.m. Quarterfinal #3 – No. 2 Southern Arkansas vs No. 7 Ouachita
Game 4 6:30 p.m. Quarterfinal #4 – No. 3 Harding vs No. 6 Southeastern Oklahoma State

SUNDAY, MAY 8
Game 5 11:00 a.m. Semifinal #1: Winner Game 1 vs Winner Game 2
Game 6 1:30 p.m. Semifinal #2: Winner Game 3 vs Winner Game 4
Game 7 6:00 p.m. Championship: Winner Game 5 vs Winner Game 6

The post GAC softball championship tournament delayed until Saturday appeared first on ArkansasSports.Net.

pitched the eighth, stayed on to pitch the ninth and allowed a couple of runs, but locked the rest of the 

game down to advance CBC to tomorrow. 

The Mustangs will play the Spartans of Missouri Baptist tomorrow in another elimination game at 

CarShield Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. and the winner would have to play again immediately 

following the conclusion of that game. 

The post Mustangs heat up to advance past Eagles in AMC baseball tournament appeared first on ArkansasSports.Net.