Talladega off to Oklahoma for NAIA First and Second Round
NEW ORLEANS - Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) champion Talladega College women's soccer team travels to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, as it will compete in the Bartlesville Bracket in the 2025 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women's Soccer National Championship First and Second Rounds presented by Select Sport America Thursday and Saturday.
The Tornadoes (9-4-0) will open with Mid-America Christian University (MACU) which earned an at-large berth from the Sooner Athletic Conference. Match time is to be determined by the host. The winner will face the host No. 8 Oklahoma Wesleyan University on Saturday.
Talladega makes its first NAIA National Championship appearance. It dominated HBCUAC play, winning its four matches by a combined score of 53-0. The Tornadoes continued their strong play in the tournament, never trailing. They outscored Wiley University and Huston-Tillotson by a combined score of 7-3.
The winner of this weekend's matches will advance to the Round of 16 at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola, Florida. Fans can watch the match live on the Urban Edge Network.
About the HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Oakwood University (AL), Paul Quinn College (TX), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.