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12 The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, July 05, 2023
Tennessee State To Start Hockey Program
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman & TSU President
Dr. Glenda Glover I Photo Credit: NHL.com
Tennessee State Uni
versity is set to make history
by becoming the first histori
cally black college or universi
ty (HBCU) to offer men’s ice
hockey at the collegiate level.
TSU made this groundbreaking
announcement at Bridgestone
Arena prior to the 2023 NHL
Draft on June 28,2023. The ad
dition of ice hockey highlights
the University’s dedication to
fostering diversity, inclusion,
and expanding athletic oppor
tunities for students.
“Bringing ice hock
ey to Tennessee State Univer
sity is a part of our continued
commitment to provide our
students with new opportuni
ties and to broaden new inter
ests in areas where they have
traditionally had limited or no
access,’’ said TSU President
Glenda Glover.
“We appreciate our
ongoing partnership with the
Nashville Predators which has
played a pivotal role in our de
cision to pursue this historic
undertaking, of starting an ice
hockey program at TSU, and
the first for an HBCU. TSU has
a tremendous legacy in athlet
ics. Adding ice hockey to our
programs will start a new chap
ter and build upon that legacy,’’
she went on to add.
TSU Hockey will
commence its inaugural season
in 2024, signaling a new era for
the university. The team will
begin as a club-level program
but aspires to achieve NCAA
Division I status for both men’s
and women’s sides in the near
future. While no specific time
line exists for achieving varsity
NCAA status, TSU is commit
ted to building a solid founda
tion for long-term success.
“Today is a historic
day as Tennessee State Uni
versity, a prestigious HBCU,
collaborates with the National
Hockey League (NHL) and
the Nashville Predators in an
unprecedented partnership,’’
stated Dr. Mikki Allen, TSU
Director of Athletics.
“TSU had been a
great partner of the Predators
for some time, and we are ex
cited to help them work toward
the goal of becoming the first
HBCU to held a NCAA Divi
sion I college hockey team,’’
said Sean Henry, President and
CEO of the Nashville Preda
tors. “President Glover and Dr.
Allen are visionaries in their
respective positions and should
be lauded for continuing to
build Nashville into the ulti
mate hockey town.’’
The club hockey
program will receive com
prehensive oversight under
the guidance of the Depart
ment of Athletics, ensuring a
well-structured and successful
implementation. Tennessee
State is currently in the process
of hiring a Director of Club
Hockey Operations, who will
be responsible for fundraising,
seeking corporate partnerships,
recruiting student-athletes, and
managing day-to-day opera
tions. In the interim, Assistant
AD Nick Guerriero will han
dle all inquiries related to TSU
Hockey.
“I am thrilled to em
bark on this exciting journey
with Dr. Allen to promote di
versity and excellence in col
legiate hockey,’’ said Guerri
ero. “We will strive to elevate
the program to new heights,
establishing a legacy that will
inspire future generations. I am
grateful for the opportunity to
contribute to the development
of the program on and off the
ice, and I eagerly anticipate the
challenges and successes that
await us.’’
The foray into colle
giate ice hockey represents a
significant milestone for Ten
nessee State and the broader
HBCU community. By break
ing barriers and creating fresh
opportunities, TSU Hockey
aims to establish a lasting lega
cy of inclusion, excellence, and
athletic accomplishment.
“Together, we cele
brate the power of collabora
tion as we dismantle barriers,
diversify the game, and propel
hockey into a new era of inclu-
sivity,’’ Allen remarked. “This
partnership serves as a catalyst,
driving change and ensuring
that the game we love embrac
es the beauty of diversity. With
Tennessee State University, the
NHL, and the Nashville Pred
ators working hand in hand,
we have the potential to re
shape the future of hockey and
inspire generations to come.
Together, we will forge a path
towards a more inclusive and
united hockey community.’’
To support this ini
tiative, the NHL, NHL Players
Association, Nashville Preda
tors, and College Hockey Inc.
will play integral roles in the
lead-up to the announcement.
College Hockey Inc. conduct
ed a feasibility study in 2021,
emphasizing the significance
of introducing ice hockey at
an HBCU to promote diversity
and inclusion in sports.
“Introducing hockey
at the collegiate level is always
exciting but Club Hockey at
Tennessee State University
is truly special,’’ said Kevin
Westgarth, VP Hockey Devel
opment & Strategic Collabora
tion. “Welcoming Club hockey
at a storied HBCU is a mean
ingful step in the right direction
for the sport and will undoubt
edly contribute to the vibrant
hockey community and inspire
future generations of players.’’
The Nashville Pred
ators organization has main
tained a strong relationship with
TSU and began the partnership
by joining the University in its
February 2020 ‘One Million
in One Month’ fundraising
campaign as a major contribu
tor. The Nashville-based NHL
team has continued to donate
to the TSU’s scholarship pro
grams and provide internship
and job opportunities through
the TSU Career Development
Center.
Furthermore, during
Black History Month in Febru
ary 2022, the NHL hosted the
Black Hockey History Tour at
Hale Stadium, a pivotal step in
bringing the sport of hockey to
the TSU campus.
Thank You
for Reading
The Savannah
Tribune
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Georgia Native Tyrone Brown Inducted
Into American Basketball Hall of Fame
Tyrone Brown is inducted
into the American
Basketball Hall of Fame
The American Bas
ketball Hall of Fame (ABHOF)
recently inducted former Har
lem Globetrotter dribbling wiz,
Tyrone “Hollywood’’ Brown,
into the American Basketball
Hall of Fame. Brown was
honored alongside some of
the greatest men and women
icons in basketball including,
ESPN Basketball Analyst Dick
Vitale, Detroit Pistons legends
Earl Floyd, Isiah Thomas,
Earl Cureton, Terry Mills and
John Fong, among others. This
year’s enshrinement ceremony,
held in Detroit, Michigan on
June 25, was a combination of
2022 and 2023 classes.
The goal of the ABHOF is to
honor the history of basketball
and to give players, coaches,
and contributors another op
portunity to be inducted into
a national hall of fame. The
ABHOF inducts high school
and college players and coach
es, barnstorming teams, play
ground legends, CBA, ABA,
NBA, and WNBA players,
coaches, and contributors that
have made an impact on the
game.
“I am deeply grate
ful to FaMont Robinson,
CEO-Founder of the American
Basketball Hall of Fame and
the Harlem Globetrotters orga
nization for the opportunity to
stand alongside so many leg
ends who love basketball,’’ said
Tyrone Brown, Savannah, GA
native. “I am honored, thank
ful and humbled by this rec
ognition and dedicate it to the
children I’ve entertained and
talked to at schools across the
country about the importance
of reading, goal setting and
hard work.’’
Born and raised in
Savannah, Georgia, Tyrone
“Hollywood’’ Brown’s stirring
ability to turn life lessons into
life’s blessings has given him
a unique perspective, heart
felt concern and countless
opportunities to help others.
Brown is recognized as one of
the greats in the history of the
Harlem Globetrotters, and yet,
his social impact far exceeds
what he has accomplished on
the court. Brown is currently
a literacy and character educa
tional speaker who has reached
millions of children at school
districts, corporations and non
profits across the United States
and Canada in his 23 years of
service.
Author of the chil
dren’s book, “A Piece Of Pa
per’’, Brown credits his success
to perseverance, hard work and
a willingness to pay it forward,
reach back and reach out to
help children develop a thirst
for reading. For three consec
utive years, Brown served as a
spokesperson for the National
Education Association (NEA),
promoting the Green Eggs To
Hamlet Program, which was
the precursor to the annual
Read Across America Program.
In 2019, Brown received the
Mannie Jackson’s Human Spir
it Award from the Naismith
Basketball Hall of Fame for his
humanitarian body of work.
Brown founded the
Ambassadors of Responsibility
Foundation to enable former
teammates to better serve ele
mentary and middle school stu
dents across the country. The
foundation is a conduit to fight,
and ultimately eradicate, illit
eracy by leveraging books and
school-wide enrichment pro
grams. He also delivers books
to students at underperforming
schools. For more information
about Ambassadors of Re
sponsibility Foundation, go to
www.aoresponsibility.org.
Same Race Production Goes To Movies
Feat. The Eighth Round Short Film!
L-R: Stan Allen, Gov. Brian Kemp, Zeke Wilson,
First Lady Marty Kemp and Ke’Naia Jones
Former boxer Zeke
Wilson recently caught the
attention of Georgia Gover
nor Brian Kemp with the an
nouncement of his book-based
short him, “The Eighth Round’’
at Wilson’s press conference in
May. The him tells the story of
Wilson’s early life, including
the precedent-setting case of
Wilson vs McClure , which was
the hrst lawsuit to expose the
concept of “black-on-black’’
same-race discrimination in a
national court of law.
In Wilson’s book,
“The Eighth Round’’, he ad
dresses this life experience in
an attempt to bring forth aware
ness to one of America’s many
hard truths: the reality of prej
udice, jealousy, and classism
within the African-American
community.
“If we want equal
ity under the law, we have a
duty to be actively involved in
shaping the laws that affect our
lives. Granted, it is always eas
ier to accept the status quo than
to change it, but ease should
not be our primary resolve. If
we want future generations to
enjoy true freedom and equal
ity, we must fight now to wipe
out injustice at every level. We
cannot resort to violent means.
We cannot resort to fostering
hatred...It is my fervent desire
to encourage every person to
replace excuses with action. If
you like education, know and
accept that you have the capac
ity to educate yourself. Make
informed decisions. Ask ques
tions. Use reason.
I speak from experi
ence, having existed at various
levels of the American dream.
Accept that I fought this hard
battle without the funds that
everyone told me were neces
sary. I found truth in the princi
ple outlined by our hrst States
men- that Justice in America
must be available to all, or it is
useful to none.’’
Mr. Wilson went on
to write a short him based on
his book “The Eighth Round’’.
Same Race Productions will
be holding a viewing party for
their new short him on July 8 th,
2023 at the American Region at
1108 Bull St. Mr. Wilson will
be present.
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