COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Old Dominion’s season opener at Virginia Tech is officially a sellout, the Hokies announced Wednesday.
The teams will meet at 8 p.m. Saturday at Lane Stadium, which has a capacity of 66,233.
The Monarchs knocked off Virginia Tech 20-17 in last season’s opener in Norfolk. ODU also surprised the Hokies during the 2018 season with a 49-35 victory at home.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Forward from Orlando commits to Hokies
Tyler Johnson, a 6-5, 190-pound small forward from Orlando, Florida, has committed to Virginia Tech, he announced Wednesday on social media.
He is the Hokies’ first commitment in the 2024 class. He also had offers from Texas Tech, Illinois, Clemson, Central Florida and Florida Atlantic among others.
Johnson is a three-star recruit who is ranked No. 47 among small forwards in the country, according to 247sports.com. He averaged 17.3 points and nine rebounds a game at Oak Ridge High last season.
Tourneys, NSU part of HU’s schedule
The Hampton University men’s basketball non-conference schedule for the upcoming season includes trips to the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam and Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic along with a game at rival Norfolk State.
The Pirates, who went 8-24 in their first year in the CAA last season, will open the season Nov. 6 at Howard. Other road opponents include NSU (Nov. 13), Maryland Eastern Shore (Dec. 1), Bowling Green (Dec. 19) and Eastern Michigan (Dec. 21).
HU will play home games against Mid-Atlantic Christian (Nov. 9), Maryland-Baltimore County (Nov. 27), Mary Baldwin (Dec. 11) and James Madison (Dec. 16).
The Paradise Jam will be Nov. 17-20, while the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic will be Feb. 3 in Newark, New Jersey.
NSU plans event for school kids
The Norfolk State men’s basketball program will host its annual Robert Jones Back to School Bash from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at Echols Hall.
Bounce houses and face paint will be part of the activities for the attendees along with the opportunity to meet their favorite NSU players and coaches.
Free bookbags and other school supplies will be handed out for the 2023-24 academic year.
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NSU AD makes coin flip at U.S. Open
Norfolk State athletic director Melody Webb conducted a ceremonial coin flip at the U.S. Open on Wednesday as a part of HBCU Live Day.
Now in its third year, HBCU Live at the U.S. Open celebrates the history, culture, pride and impact that HBCUs have on the communities around them.
The U.S. Open is celebrating the 50th anniversary of equal pay for prize money. So female HBCU athletic directors were invited to conduct the ceremonial coin tosses during HBCU Live.
Other MEAC athletic directors who participated in the event included South Carolina State’s Keshia Campbell, Morgan State’s Dena Freeman-Patton, Delaware State’s Alecia Shields-Gadson and Maryland Eastern Shore’s Tara A. Owens.
PRO FOOTBALL
Kuntz moves to Jets’ practice squad
Former Old Dominion tight end Zack Kuntz was among the New York Jets’ final-day cuts on Tuesday, but the team has picked him up for its practice squad.
The seventh-round draft pick had six receptions for 41 yards in the preseason, including a 4-yard touchdown reception in a 27-0 win at Carolina.
Briefly
- Walsingham Academy’s Will Patterson has been named a United Soccer Coaches/MaxPreps High School State Player of the Week.
- UVA field hockey player Laura Janssen has been named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week. A native of the Netherlands, she scored a goal and assisted on the game-winning goal in the Cavaliers’ 2-1 victory over No. 5 Penn State on Friday.
