Sports Charlotte

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 a 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? Host: Herb White. 

Charles Sifford Jr., son of the first Black golfer to play on the PGA Tour, shares stories from his father's career, impact on the sport and why the Aug. 29 Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup at Quail Hollow Club matters.

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.

Central Piedmont Community College Professor Corlis Hayes talks about research and casting for the Three Bone Theatre production "Toni Stone" Aug. 19-Sept. 4 at The Arts Factory. Stone was the first woman to play in an all-male professional sport when she suited up in the Negro Leagues in the 1950s.

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.

Asheebo Rojas, The Charlotte Post's Emerging Journalist Fellow for Summer 2022, weighs in on covering the Baker Mayfield trade, Hornets Summer League preparation and Charlotte's embrace of Major League Soccer. Also: Asheebo dishes on why he's an aspiring sports journalist and the difference between covering professional and college sports, which he does at The Daily Tar Heel.

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.

Robyn Horner, head coach of the Charlotte Independence women's soccer team, talks about their May 15 debut against Greenville Liberty SC, opportunities in the new USL W League and finding a place in Charlotte's sports landscape. Host: Herb White.

Presidents Cup Executive Director Adam Sperling talks about tournament preparations at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, the first facility in the Southeast to host the showcase. The tournament is also homecoming for U.S. captain Davis Love III and its Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup honors the Charlotte-born golf pioneer with an HBCU match play tournament.

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 MAC Hermann Award Watch List as one of the nation's top players. He talks about the delayed start, soccer during the COVID-19 era and what he does away from the pitch. Host: Ashley Mahoney.