Rounding up the conference favorites
A tour of the four preseason football round-ups
indicates fans are in for an exciting 2001 black college grid season.
In two conferences, defending champions are big favorites
while in the other two it appears the races will be wide open.
CIAA
At the CIAA confab held on the campus of
Virginia State University, one thing is perfectly clear the coaches want
to get a conference team in the NCAA Div. II playoffs
after missing out for the last eight years. Who, if anyone, that
will be is anybody's guess.
Winston-Salem State was the coaches choice but
they are by no means a clear favorite. The loss of quarterback
Tory Woodbury could be enough to even the playing field
and make contenders of Virginia Union, Virginia
State, North Carolina Central and even
Fayetteville State.
MEAC
For once, Florida A&M is not the pick of coaches in
the MEAC. The Aggies of North Carolina A&T
are. But don't count out FAMU's Rattlers or the Wildcats of
Bethune-Cookman. If anyone else contends it would be a surprise.
SIAC
Tuskegee, coming off a perfect 12-0, black college
national championship season, is reportedly bigger and badder
if you believe what assistant coach Leonard "Bull"
Anderson had to say at the SIAC round-up in Atlanta. Most do.
If everybody else is just playing for second place then
the Morehouse/Fort Valley State matchup to open the
season (Aug. 25 in Griffin, Ga.) could determine that.
SWAC
The biggest news at the SWAC press conference in
Birmingham is what wasn't news the ongoing litigation
involving ousted Commissioner Rudy
Washington. Instead the focus was on another assistant coach,
Grambling offensive coordinator Melvin
Spears, who says he expects even bigger things this year from the defending champs. Most of
the coaches agree the swagger is back at Grambling.
© 2001 Azeez Communications, Inc.
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