Pirate Press: ECU Headlines

Bowl foe and venue subject of speculation

Harrell hauls in Deep South talent [updated]

ecupirates.com

• Pirates Announce 2026 Softball Schedule
• ECU Adds 18th Student-Athlete To 2026 Class
• Pirates to Welcome Elon to Minges Coliseum on Sunday
• Pirates Set To Welcome UNCG To Minges On Saturday
• Baseball Season Ticket Renewals Now On Sale
• Baseball Season Ticket Renewals Now On Sale
• Pirates WBB Suffers 83-66 Defeat to JMU
• ECU Adds Additional Signee To 2026 Class
• East Carolina Football Announces 2026 Early Signees
• Nine Pirates Earn All-American Conference Honors

WNCT 9

• ECU women’s basketball loses to JMU, 83-66
• Nine ECU players earn all-American Conference honors …
• Pirate football ends regular season with 42-3 drubbing …

WITN 7

• Men’s Basketball: ECU snaps losing streak with 68-56 win over UMES
• First Alert Playbook: ECU Bowl Projections & AAC Coaching Vacancies
• College Football: ECU smokes FAU 42-3 to finish at 8-4 entering bowl season

The Associated Press

• UNC Greensboro visits East Carolina on 6-game road slide
• Fulmore, Elon Phoenix to face Fauntleroy, East Carolina Pirates on Sunday

Greenville Daily Reflector (sub req’d)

• Miami Marlins manager, ECU grad Clayton McCullough to speak at fall graduation
• Pirates add 17 to football class; 5 Vikings pledge futures
• ECU women’s basketball: Scoring droughts deadly in 83-66 loss to JMU
• ECU roundup: Baseball releases 2026 slate, football gets 9 all-conference nods
• ECU basketball: Hot second half cues 68-56 win over UMES
• Coley: Here’s how the 2025 East Carolina football team should be graded

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Dippre earns Sun Belt honorable mention; Montgomery leads ECU in rushing The Times Tribune

Around the American Athletic Conference

American Conference

• Tulane tops North Texas 34-21 in American Football Championship Game Presented by LLH Healthcare
• South Florida To Take On ODU In Cure Bowl
• American Conference Announces 2025 Football Award Winners
• South Florida’s Tomasicka, Tulane’s Marshall Earn Women’s Basketball Weekly Honors
• North Texas’ Stevenson, Tulsa’s Lawal Earn MBB Weekly Honors

The Associated Press

• Tulane tops North Texas 34-21 in American Conference title game for a likely CFP bid
• Lyles leads Akron against Tulane after 24-point game
• Philon leads No. 12 Alabama against UTSA after 29-point game
• Florida Atlantic Owls to visit the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Sunday
• Bonke, Charlotte 49ers to host Falslev, Utah State Aggies
• North Texas plays TCU
• Temple Owls face the Drexel Dragons
• Southern Miss hosts Moffitt and UAB

Alex Highsmith becomes second former 49er nominated for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Niner Times

What’s next for Charlotte 49ers’ football program? Five key offseason questions Charlotte Observer

USF to face Old Dominion in Cure Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 17 Tampa Bay Times

Memphis Commercial Appeal

• Memphis to hire Southern Miss’ Charles Huff as football coach, sources
• Memphis basketball vs Baylor channel, time, TV schedule, streaming
•  Memphis OC Tim Cramsey expected to join Ryan Silverfield at Arkansas, per source

Temple News

• Temple adds 33 players on early signing day
• Ford brings invaluable energy in first season with Owls

Tulane secures College Football Playoff spot, holds off North Texas in American Championship Game CBS Sports

NOLA.com

• Tulane makes magic and history in program-defining win over North Texas
• Tulane dominates North Texas for three quarters, holds on to win American championship game
• Guerry Smith’s three thoughts on Tulane’s American Conference title game win
• Tulane signs 14 commitments on signing day despite Jon Sumrall’s impending departure

Jon Sumrall explains why this Tulane team is built for more than one trophy Sporting News

Sports Illustrated

• Tulane Wins American Title to Clinch College Football Playoff Berth 
• Lane Kiffin, LSU football keep elite assistant coach with Tigers amid Tulane pursuit

Reports: Blake Baker stays at LSU over interest from Tulane, Memphis Crescent City Sports

Denton Record-Chronicle

• North Texas falls to Tulane in American Conference title game as CFP hopes end
• Five thoughts, notes on UNT’s win over Tulane: Seeing another big game slip away is tough
• UNT taps veteran coach Neal Brown to lead football program
• Five things to know about new UNT football coach Neal Brown
• Mansfield Summit running back Adarion Nettles sticking with commitment to UNT in time of change

San Antonio Express-News

• UTSA’s Jeff Traylor revisits conversation around revenue sharing
• UTSA lands area receiver, JUCO standout among top gets of early signing period

Tulsa World

• Tulsa volleyball falls to Miami in first round of the NCAA Tournament
• TU football Signing Day 2026: Tulsa-area trio makes commitments to Hurricane official
• Bill Haisten: A potent, intriguing Hurricane team deserves our attention

AL.com

• UAB promotes Alex Mortensen to head coach
• Alex Mortensen’s to-do list after becoming UAB’s next head coach
• Alex Mortensen confident in future as UAB’s next head football coach
• Solomon Beebe headlines recent UAB transfer portal departures
• UAB rebounds to record first road win at Drake

Rice football recruiting: Owls sign 18 including CE King running back Dionne Sims Houston Chronicle

Annapolis Capital

• Army-Navy Game: First-year athletic directors take charge of epic event
• Army-Navy Game: Prayer, or invocation, a big part of pregame traditions
• Like father, like son: Drew Cronic learned Wing-T football from his dad

 

Regional Headlines: The Carolinas and beyond

Norfolk Virginian-Pilot

• ODU will play USF in the Cure Bowl in Orlando
• How high-profile ODU athletes are dealing with the dark side of sports gambling and social media

Raleigh News & Observer

• Viral manager Amir ‘Aura’ Khan leaves NC State. What we know about his departure
• After loss to LSU, Duke’s women’s basketball struggles mirror ACC as a whole
• ACC on losing end of SEC challenge, but winning where it matters (for a change)
• UNC linebacker, leading tackler, Khmori House to enter the transfer portal
• NC State ‘kicking away opportunities’ for tournament resume with recent losses
• In a season of challenges, why Sean Walker might be the Hurricanes’ MVP
• Seeds of Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup success were sown in a summer of uncertainty
• How Rod Brind’Amour has embodied the Hurricanes ideal: honor, grit, simplicity

WRAL

• Diaz: Duke ‘deserves’ to be in ACC title game, ‘absolutely’ belongs in CFP with win
• Duke’s Manny Diaz: Blue Devils ‘deserve’ spot in ACC Championship Game
• ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is emphatically pushing for No. 12 Miami, league champ to get CFP bids
• No. 19 James Madison makes case for playoff with 31-14 win over Troy in Sun Belt title game
• College football transfer portal tracker: UNC’s leading tackler, backup QB to transfer

The ACC’s potential nightmare: What happens if Duke wins the championship? Yardbarker

Columbia The State

• South Carolina will first demolish these sections of Williams-Brice ahead of renovations
• Gamecocks sign Top 25 class: Breaking down best of USC’s 2026 recruits
• It’s official: QB Landon Duckworth signs with South Carolina
• ‘Special men’: Former Clemson coordinators starring in new jobs as CFP looms
• Hometown recruit Julian Walker flips commitment, signs with Gamecocks

Charleston Post & Courier

• Clemson great Elden Campbell’s cause of death confirmed
• The Citadel starting quarterback enters NCAA transfer portal
• A dying Clemson fan met Dabo Swinney. A bunch of Gamecocks helped make it happen.
• Charleston Southern football signs 17 in December early signing period
• Despite ‘great effort’ The Citadel comes up short against former SoCon rival Davidson
• Clemson gets commitment from speedy Daniel wide receiver
• South Carolina flips Dutch Fork star who had committed to Michigan, retains committed QB
• Gamecocks fire third offensive football assistant coach
• The Citadel signs three high school football players, loses 2 starters to transfer portal

The Associated Press

• Matt Campbell hired as Penn State’s coach, ending search for James Franklin’s successor
• No. 19 James Madison makes case for playoff with 31-14 win over Troy in Sun Belt title game
• Iowa State hires Jimmy Rogers as coach after Matt Campbell leaves for Penn State
• LSU coach Lane Kiffin announces that defensive coordinator Blake Baker will remain with the Tigers
• Ex-SEC commissioner Roy Kramer, whose vision paved the way for college football playoffs, dies at 96
• Colorado hires Brennan Marion as offensive coordinator, architect of the high-tempo “Go-Go” system
• Pitt and Wisconsin mutually agree to cancel 2026 matchup. They’ll still face off at Dublin in 2027
• ‘No heart’: DeMarcus Cousins slams No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats after a brutal loss
• Overton and Hall lead the way for No. 20 Auburn in 83-73 win over NC State in ACC/SEC Challenge
• No. 4 Duke visits No. 7 Michigan State after Boozer’s 29-point game
• NC State faces UNC Asheville following Copeland’s 22-point game
• No. 16 North Carolina takes home win streak into matchup with Georgetown