Sports Charlotte

Johnson C. Smith is shaking up CIAA football with a 4-0 start and a pair of signature wins. Interview with Golden Bulls head coach Maurice Flowers on how JCSU is gaining respect and relevance in Charlotte and beyond.

Davidson College athletics director Chris Clunie talks major facilities upgrades, maintaining academics-athletics balance as a mid-major and navigating the shifting college sports landscape.

Cornelius native Vicky Bruce has done nearly everything in soccer: win a national collegiate title at North Carolina and professional titles with professional sides in Australia and Europe. Now she's coming home to play with Carolina Ascent in USL Super League, which kicks off in August 2024.

The Carolina Panthers take South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette with the final pick in the first round of the NFL Draft; the Charlotte 49ers make news with the hiring of Jackson State's Tomekia Reed as women's basketball coach. Also, a review of Charlotte's spring football game and Johnson C. Smith's hire of Antwain Banks as basketball coach.

North Carolina Tar Heels advance in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, transfer portal impacts Charlotte 49ers basketball and North Mecklenburg High wins the N.C. 4A title.

Golden Bulls head coach Maurice Flowers talks about the 2024 recruit class, national TV debut on ESPN and expectations for the season ahead.

New Panthers coach Dave Canales meets the media; what the Hornets need to become relevant and Charlotte 49ers basketball has the campus' attention.

No Victor Wembanyama against the Hornets and J.C. Smith football scores a major recruiting win.

The Carolina Panthers drop another shoe in their housecleaning and upgrades are coming to the Charlotte Hornets' nest.

Philip Poole, an assistant coach with the U.S. Women's National Team, talks about his new assignment with the startup Super League Carolina, the growth of professional women's soccer and differences between USL Super League and National Women's Soccer League.

Golden Bulls coach Maurice Flowers talks areas of need, the transfer portal and parlaying a 7-4 2023 into greater success with recruits.

Herb White and Cameron Williams talk about bad officiating, recap the Duke's Mayo Bowl and make bold predictions ahead of the New Year. The prognosticators disagree on the College Football Playoff semifinals and title game, too.

Herb White and Cameron Williams talk about the Charlotte 49ers football early signees, Power Echols' homecoming with North Carolina football and the Carolina Panthers earning a rare win.

Herb White and Cameron Williams of The Charlotte Post talk about the Carolina Panthers moving forward; Drake Maye opting out of the Duke's Mayo Bowl; recap of JC Smith's Florida Beach Bowl loss.

Cameron Williams and Herb White team up to discuss the Carolina Panthers' woes, Johnson C. Smith's Florida Beach Bowl preparations, preview Duke-Charlotte basketball and NCAA proposal to compensate college athletes.

Johnson C. Smith's turnaround 2023 season was rewarded with an invitation to the Dec. 13 Florida Beach Bowl in Ft. Lauderdale. Golden Bulls coach Maurice Flowers discusses what the bowl game means to the school, football program and himself.

Johnson C. Smith, which beat West Virginia Wesleyan 49-6 in its Sept. 2 season opener, last accomplished the feat in 2013. Head coach Maurice Flowers is using history as inspiration for the Golden Bulls, who haven't posted a winning record since 2012.

Donal Ware, host of the nationally syndicated sports talk program BOXTOROW, talks about expansion into the Charlotte market at 730 AM The Game, the state of radio landscape and his work as the play-by-play voice of North Carolina A&T athletics.

USA Football Women's Flag National Team member Amber Clark talks about playing in the IFAF Americas Continental Flag Football Championship July 5-7 at UNC Charlotte. Clark, a native of Greenville, North Carolina, talks about the growth of flag in the U.S. and abroad and hopes for a place on the Olympic program.

The Golden Bulls went 2-7 with new head coach Maurice Flowers, but at least they were competitive and entertaining – something they haven't been in recent seasons. Flowers offers impressions of his first season and where the program will focus on recruiting for 2023.

First-year coach Shannon Neely Noel and the Royals are searching for their first win as a Division I program. The road has been bumpy, but Noel sees opportunity to grow the sport and the school's profile among North Carolina's best college brands.

The Sept. 3 Duke's Mayo Classic between North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central started as an idea by Charlotte City Council member-elect James Mitchell. Now that it's reality, Mitchell is advocating for an expanded portfolio of HBCU sporting events, including bringing the CIAA basketball tournament back to the Queen City. Can it work?

PGA Tour Executive Director Adam Sperling updates preparations for the Presidents Cup and Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup at Quail Hollow Club. It's the international golf showcase's first stop in the Southeast.

The Panthers kick off training camp, the ACC and Big South held media days in successive weeks in Charlotte. Herb White and Asheebo Rojas talk about everything from Carolina's quarterback competition to North Carolina A&T's season opener against rival North Carolina Central.

Queens University of Charlotte is moving from NCAA Division II to Division I effective July 1. The Royals, who are joining the ASun Conference, are a national power in several sports, and athletics director Cherie Swarthout talks about the process of transition, competing in a crowded sports market and why football isn't part of the equation. Hosted by Herb White.

Figuring out the North American soccer ladder can be confusing at first, but Charlotte FC executive Darrius Barnes straightens it out with a description of where the franchise's MLS Next Pro initiative fits in and his role overseeing its development. Host: Herb White.

For the first time, Quail Hollow Golf Club will host a competition for historically Black college programs with the Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup. The Aug. 29 tournament will feature six programs with Johnson C. Smith University the host school. Golden Bulls head coach William Watkins talks about Sifford's legacy and what the tournament does for golf's growth at HBCUs. Host: Herb White.

Maurice Flowers, an All-CIAA and All-America quarterback at Johnson C. Smith University, returns to Charlotte as the Golden Bulls' head football coach. Flowers takes over a program that hasn't posted a winning season since 2011, but he's convinced the ingredients – namely, Charlotte's a fertile recruiting area –  will lift it to relevance. Host: Herb White.

The Queen's Firm, a Charlotte FC supporters group, gears up for the first Major League Soccer season in the Carolinas. Co-founder Shawn Smith and social media director Jonathan Lee talk about growing soccer culture in Charlotte, representation and why supporters groups are essential to the game day experience. Host: Herb White.

Retired English footballer Lloyd Sam brings professional and life experiences to his new job as Charlotte FC analyst. With playing time in the Premier League, Major League Soccer and lower-level leagues in England and the U.S., he's got plenty to share about the beautiful game. Host: Herb White.

Queens women's soccer coach Aimee Haywood has had a hectic first year. The Royals earned a pair of South Atlantic Conference championship berths and a school-record 16 wins in the fall 2021 season and a first-round win in the NCAA Division tournament. Host: Herb White.

Queens University of Charlotte championship-winning rugby coach Frank McKinney is the subject of "Scrum," a documentary that details the obstacles and challenges faced by one of the first Black American collegiate head coaches in the sport. The film, helmed by award-winning director Thomas Morgan. debuted Oct. 10.

Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns discusses his new documentary on three-time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali and "The Greatest's" place among legendary American figures. Burns also dishes on his storytelling prowess and how producing a documentary movie aligns with journalism. Host: Herb White.

Harding High School sophomore Akala Garrett, the 2021 Gatorade Runner of the Year in North Carolina, won the girls' 400 meter hurdles at the USA Track & Field Nationals and three state titles at the N.C. 4A championships. Her goal is simple: Run in the Olympics.

Knightdale, N.C. native and former Duke soccer player Darrius Barnes is back in his native state as Charlotte FC's director of business operations. A former MLS player and executive in the league's New York office, Barnes talks about the run-up to Charlotte FC's inaugural season and the sport's business end.

Semi-retired NASCAR racer Bill Lester, one of four Black drivers to ever compete at the sanctioning body's top national series, talks about his new book, the state of the sport and his unusual path to competition. He also chimes in on barriers to inclusion on the track as well as the boardroom for historically marginalized people. Host: Herb White.

Black college football made waves with Jackson State University's hire of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Deion Sanders as head coach. Donal Ware, host of From the Press Box to Press Row on SirusXM, talks about the hire and its impact on HBCUs going forward. Host: Herb White.

High school football is as American as apple pie and muscle cars, and Matt Morrow might be the sport's top local advocate. Morrow,  founder of Charlotte Football Insiders, previews the state playoffs, the Queen City Senior Bowl and answers why Mecklenburg County has North Carolina's most competitive programs. Host: Herb White.

Charlotte Independence goalkeeper Brandon Miller is a co-founder of Anti-Racist Soccer Club, a movement to fight bigotry in the sport. Miller also discusses his 10th season as a professional and juggling his many ventures. Host: Ashley Mahoney.

Brandt Bronico, who played college soccer with the Charlotte 49ers, will resume his MLS career with expansion side Charlotte FC in 2022. In 2021, he's playing with the Charlotte Independence in USL Championship. He's talking homecoming and all things soccer with host Ashley Mahoney.

Charlotte 49ers defender Patrick Hogan is on the Preseason MAC Hermann Watch List for the nation's top player. He talks about playing during COVID-19 and what he does away from the pitch. Host: Ashley Mahoney.

Charlotte 49ers women't soccer coach John Cullen talks restarting training in January, coping with COVID-19 infections and playing the season during the spring semester.

CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams discusses why the conference opted to cancel its 2021 basketball tournament for the first time since its start in 1946. Without the postseason showcase, the league, its members and sponsors are bracing for the economic impact as well as looking to keep fans engaged with virtual events.

Rod Reid, the founder of Force Indy, an ambitious open-wheel racing team based in Concord, N.C., talks about its maiden voyage in the 2021 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship. Reid, who leads NXG Youth Motorsports Inc., which has introduced more than 2,300 students from under-represented communities to racing, has two goals. One is to develop African American talent that can succeed in IndyCar. The other is raise open-wheel's profile in communities traditionally ignored by the sport.

Charlotte Independence goalkeeper Brandon Miller joins the podcast to talk about the 2020 USL Championship campaign and earning a playoff berth with the Jacks. He also lends insight into leadership, team-building and the importance of offseason improvement. Host: Ashley Mahoney.

Former Major League Soccer and Charlotte Independence player Aaron Maund talks about his professional journey, time in Charlotte and what's next on and off the pitch.

Charlotte Independence defender Hugh Roberts previews the Jacks' first-round match against Charleston Battery in Matthews, N.C. The Independence are hosting a playoff game for the first time in franchise history after winning Group G in the USL Championship. Host: Ashley Mahoney.

Charlotte 49ers soccer coach Kevin Langan talks about the program's adjustment to COVID-19, playing a spring schedule, producing MLS-caliber athletes and how Charlotte FC changes the Carolinas sports landscape. Host: Ashley Mahoney.

Trenton Cannon isn't going to supplant Christian McCaffrey as the Carolina Panthers' top running back, but the 2017 CIAA offensive player of the year is a master on special teams. Cannon opened up about a new chapter in his career, playing on opening day and his HBCU experience. Host: Herb White.

Brandon Bellamy, the owner of Gastonia's new minor league baseball team, has a lot of work to do before the club takes the field in 2021. Bellamy, owner of a Maryland development company, is working with the city on developing FUSE – the Franklin Urban Sports and Entertaintment District – in addition to building the club and managing its new stadium.

The 49ers women's soccer coach talks about delaying the season to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership of veteran players and a large class of incoming players. Host: Ashley Mahoney.