Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Author: Devin Jackson

  • Penn State ‘White Out’ game scheduled for Oct. 10 against Southern Cal

    Penn State ‘White Out’ game scheduled for Oct. 10 against Southern Cal

    One of college football’s best atmospheres has an official date.

    Led by new head coach Matt Campbell, Penn State will host its iconic “White Out” game against Southern California on Oct. 10, the program announced on Tuesday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (NBC10, Peacock).

    The tradition started in 2004 with just the Penn State student section and expanded to the entire stadium in 2007. This will be the 19th year with a full “White Out” in Happy Valley.

    Last season, the Nittany Lions lost to Oregon during the “White Out” game in overtime, which set off a string of six straight losses and included the firing of longtime head coach James Franklin. Last year’s loss also ended a six-game winning streak in the annual game, dating back to 2019.

    ‘A sense of urgency,’ focal point of the offense, and more takeaways from Penn State football’s media day

    This matchup will also mark the first time Penn State will host USC in Beaver Stadium since the Trojans joined the Big Ten ahead of the 2024 season. Their only meeting as conference foes came in 2024, when the Nittany Lions overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to win in overtime, 33-30. Overall, USC holds a 6-5 advantage in all-time meetings between the two programs.

    Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, left, meets with Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley, right, before an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney)Matthew Putney

    Campbell and Lincoln Riley will face off as head coaches for the first time since 2021, when the former was at Iowa State and the latter was with Oklahoma. Riley’s Sooners held a 4-2 advantage over Campbell’s Cyclones, including a Big 12 championship game win in 2020.

    Ohio State and Oregon are 1-2 in preseason Top 25 football poll; Penn State 18th

    Before Penn State hosts USC for the White Out game, it will face Marshall (Sept. 5) at home, travel to Lincoln Financial Field for a noon kickoff against Temple (Sept. 12), and host Buffalo (Sept. 19). Then, Big Ten Conference play begins with the opener against Wisconsin (Sept. 26) before traveling to Northwestern’s new Ryan Field for a Friday night in Evanston, Ill. (Oct. 2).

  • Bryce Harper’s got some new cleats, and he’s far from the only one ahead of MLB Players’ Weekend

    Bryce Harper’s got some new cleats, and he’s far from the only one ahead of MLB Players’ Weekend

    Last month, Bryce Harper debuted his new Under Armour Harper 11 cleats that payed homage to SEPTA and its colorful map for the MLB All-Star festivities at Citizens Bank Park.

    Now, his cleats have a new colorway that has already hit retailers — for $140.

    The low-top cleats have a camouflage base with highlighter-orange lining on the sock collar, along the top and bottom outlines of the cleat, and outlining his “BH” initials, black shoelaces, and with a cream-colored midsole to separate the camouflage base from the bright orange soleplate.

    To pair with his new cleats, which Harper wore on July 20 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Aug. 1 against the Baltimore Orioles, he wore black-and-orange Under Armour gloves and a camouflage sleeve on his right arm.

    Bryce Harper’s new cleats have touches of orange and a camo design.Mitchell Leff

    In a release, Under Armour says Harper’s new cleats are “inspired by Bryce’s tunnel-fit fashion as he’s often been seen rocking camo on the way to the ballpark, combined with his support for the University of Tennessee.”

    Harper’s “All Lines Lead Home” cleats he released last month was part of a Yard Icon collection at Under Armour and released in five colorways representing Philly’s transit lines.

    It’s been a busy year for Harper and Under Armour. Earlier this year, Harper released the “Mad House” colorway of his Under Armour Harper 10s, which referenced the Jersey Shore. He’s also paid homage to Wawa with his “Gottahava Harper” PE cleats, which were released during HoagieFest two years ago. And, of course, he’s continued his love affair with the Phillie Phanatic, rocking fuzzy Harper 3s inspired by the mascot’s colors last year.

    But he’s not the only Phillie with new cleats as Players’ Weekend gets underway.

    Bryson Stott wore custom made “Toy Story” cleats on Friday night.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Animated kids movies come to life

    Ahead of the Phillies’ Field of Dreams game against the Minnesota Twins in Dyersville, Iowa, Downingtown-based NXT LVL Customs produced an iconic design for Bryson Stott that featured late Phillies legends Harry Kalas, Tug McGraw, Roy Halladay, Darren Daulton, Robin Roberts, and Richie Ashburn emerging from a cornfield. After the game, Stott donated the cleats to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

    Now, NXT LVL Customs, which is run by father and son Ron and Ryan Stevens, has created custom cleats for more Phillies, including Stott, for Players’ Weekend, which allows players to wear custom gear, share personal stories, or otherwise express themselves.

    Stott, for the second straight year, honored his daughter, Braxtyn, after last year’s Elmo-inspired Sesame Street footwear. This time, Stott will sport Nike Toy Story-themed cleats, with the left one rocking a Buzz Lightyear theme, and the right a Woody theme with “Braxtyn’s Story” written on it. He wore the cleats during Friday night’s game.

    Stott also will have Toy Story-themed bats from King of Prussia-based Victus Sports. One of them features Jessie the cowgirl, and the other has a green alien from the movie.

    The third baseman also had cleats made to honor his son, Jaxson. They’re royal blue, light blue, and white with star designs on the upper part; tiny illustrations of bears, trucks, and dinosaurs; and his son’s name on the back of the left cleat along with his birth date on back of the right cleat.

    Cristopher Sánchez, Orion Kerkering, and Edmundo Sosa also received custom cleats from NXT LVL Customs.

    Sánchez, who will pitch Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals, will be wearing Adidas cleats in the Phillies’ colors with the team’s pinstripe design on the heel counter, the numbers of his teammates across both cleats, a white Phillies bell logo near the midsole, and blue shoelaces.

    Kerkering will be sporting Lilo and Stitch-inspired Adidas cleats, with the left cleat representing Lilo’s red dress with cream-colored flowers white laces, and a pink heel counter. The right cleat mimics Stitch with two-toned blue, Stitch’s face on the toe, and fuzzy light blue shoelaces.

    And Sosa, like Stott, payed homage to his daughter, who loves tennis. The base of his New Balance cleat is colored fluorescent yellow with images of tennis balls, a white strap and heel counter, and his daughter’s name, “Naya,” written on the back of the left cleat.

    Plenty of other custom bats are being unveiled this weekend. These include Brandon Marsh’s Victus bat that honors his sister, Erin, who won a gold medal in the heptathlon at this year’s USATF national championship, and Harper’s camouflage custom bat that’s also by Victus.

    Players’ Weekend runs through Sunday.

  • Pocono’s racing weekend set on NASCAR’s 2027 calendar as Craftsman Truck Series returns

    Pocono’s racing weekend set on NASCAR’s 2027 calendar as Craftsman Truck Series returns

    Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., has been a popular NASCAR destination in the Northeast for more than a half-century, and it’ll again have a three-day weekend of races next year.

    After taking a year off from hosting the Craftsman Truck Series, the trucks will race again at the “Tricky Triangle” on June 11, 2027, with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race a day later on June 12. The weekend will culminate with the NASCAR Cup Series on June 13.

    Pocono Raceway has sold out the NASCAR Cup Series race for four straight years and had a record of roughly 115,000 people in the stands for its races this past June. But instead of having the Truck Series on Friday, the ARCA Menards Series took its place.

    What makes Pocono Raceway, a track nestled in the mountains, NASCAR’s best? Everyone seems to have a similar answer.

    Ben May, Pocono Raceway’s president, cited the absence of NASCAR’s Truck Series this year as an agreement between NASCAR and the racetrack to not host that series because this year “there was conflicts with production on the World Cup side.”

    “That’s an important piece of our business. To have the [Craftsman] Truck Series, the O’Reilly [Auto Parts] Series, and the Cup Series three days in a row is massive for us,” said May, who has been Pocono Raceway’s president since 2017. “The discussion was, ‘OK, we understand that the trucks won’t be here.’ The World Cup’s maybe a once- or twice-in-a-lifetime thing for a lot of folks, so we’ll step out of the way and not get in the way of that conflict, knowing that the trucks would be back here in 2027.

    “To have [the trucks] back, the fans love the trucks. They’re a cool machine.”

    Chandler Smith (18) leads the pack down the front straight on a restart at the 2022 NASCAR Truck Series race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Matt Slocum / AP

    Pocono was a biannual racetrack for NASCAR for 40 years until 2022, when NASCAR added other courses to its yearly schedule. Similarly, Dover Speedway in Delaware and New Hampshire Speedway, two other premier tracks in the Northeast, also went from two races to one in the last nine years.

    Despite having just one race each summer for the last five years, May believes “treating people like family” keeps fans coming back.

    “I think that’s a little bit of the secret sauce that some tracks and other sports in general or arenas or stadiums can’t really replicate,” May said. “And a lot of the folks that worked here knew our founders. They know the family. It’s just a little bit of our magic. Outside of that, we don’t try to over engineer our experience. … The best example has always been, for me, the infield, where we have a dog park and a playground.

    “We created this massive $30 million fan zone, and it’s all things that our fans want that we’ve talked to them about. And we make them come to life, and the whole little magical mix starts to work.”

    South Jersey’s Lavar Scott, one of NASCAR’s three Black drivers, is chasing greatness and not looking back: ‘There was no Plan B’

    Single-day tickets for next year’s Cup Series race are on sale, starting at $65.

  • LeBron James releasing sneaker to commemorate only All-Star Game he missed

    LeBron James releasing sneaker to commemorate only All-Star Game he missed

    LeBron James, in the midst of his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, already had his All-Star sneakers from Nike designed and created 22 years ago.

    Though James averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists during the 2003-04 season and was named Rookie of the Year, he was snubbed by NBA coaches because of the Cavs’ losing record.

    James, who signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers this offseason, will drop the shoes he was supposed to wear at the 2004 All-Star Game in Los Angeles during next year’s All-Star Weekend.

    The Nike Air Zoom Generation “L.A. All-Star” player-edition shoes, which features a white base color with blue and red trimmings near the toe, on the Nike check, the accents of the shoelaces, an “LA” logo with the Nike check on it, and the date “2-15-2004″ in the tongue of the shoe outlined with red trimming and blue lettering.

    The shoes were designed to match the East All-Star’s jerseys that year, which were blue with white letters and numbers and red trimmings, including down the sides of the jerseys.

    They also happen to match the Sixers’ home jerseys perfectly.

    The sneakers are set to drop on Feb. 19, 2027, at $190 retail price, according to Just Fresh Kicks. That is the weekend for the 2027 NBA All-Star festivities, which will be held in Phoenix and would be James’ 23rd All-Star selection should he make it on what will be a loaded Eastern Conference team.

    LeBron James’ Nike Air Zoom Generation shoes, which he debuted in 2003, appear to be making a comeback next year.RICK BOWMER

    The shoes are the latest tease for James’ 24th NBA season this year. A few weeks ago, he displayed new shoes on the horizon with the low top LeBron XXIV shoes, which are expected to release on Nov. 17 at a retail price of $200.

  • Better than it looked? Four biggest film observations from the first preseason game of the Sean Mannion era

    Better than it looked? Four biggest film observations from the first preseason game of the Sean Mannion era

    Much like Sean Mannion’s first-ever play-calling experience in an exhibition atmosphere at the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this year, the first-year Eagles offensive coordinator’s debut on Saturday night didn’t offer detailed play designs nor gaudy production.

    The Eagles’ 24-7 loss to the Ravens did, however, give the 34-year-old an opportunity to call and sequence plays at the NFL level and provided a glimpse into the many influences that could ultimately shape what the offense, in full, will look like during the 2026 regular season.

    And there were encouraging signs that the offense has been modernized this offseason to keep pace with some of the league’s potent attacks.

    Here’s what the film showed in Mannion’s first stab at calling plays for the Eagles:

    Outside zone leads the way in run game

    All spring and summer, there was an expectation that the Eagles would move toward running the Sean McVay/Kyle Shanahan outside zone run scheme as a key tenet of the run game, and the results from the preseason opener backed that up.

    Six of the 12 called run plays (including those that included post-snap penalties) were of the outside run variety. Four of them gained 8 yards (and two were called back for holding), and one went backward for a 3-yard loss because of a missed block.

    There will be growing pains implementing the new blocking style, which requires the offensive linemen and tight ends to create vertical seams to allow the running back to find a lane and go while stretching the defense horizontally.

    With the Rams, McVay paired the duo run to his patented outside zone run scheme, thriving when implementing it from under center.

    The Eagles ran duo three times from under center on Saturday, and it was the second-most called run scheme on a night where the ground game was hardly present in the second half. The run scheme allows the back to get downhill quicker and opens up play-action passing opportunities.

    For the other three runs, the Eagles sprinkled in under-center split zone with tight end Eli Stowers coming from the back side of the formation to block the play side edge rusher, inside zone from shotgun, and a zone-read keep from Cole Payton with a tight end leading the way on the edge.

    That last run should be particularly noteworthy should Jalen Hurts reemerge as a key part of the running game.

    Pre-snap motion limited, but effective

    Across the entire game, there weren’t many pre-snap motions or shifts as Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee got the offense set on their respective drives. In fact, of the six pre-snap motions that occurred, it was McKee who signaled them the most, accounting for five that Mannion dialed up.

    There were flashes of success because of how it made the defense react. On McKee’s 13-yard pass to Darius Cooper, he motioned Stowers away from a bunch set on the left side of the formation to align at tight end off the line to the right, and changed Baltimore’s off-ball linebacker from a second-level defender to a standup edge rusher. It opened a lane for Cooper to get hit in stride on a slant route.

    On another occasion, in the quick passing game, Cooper went from McKee’s right to his left on a motion, bumping the corner aligned over Stowers to outside the numbers, creating room for McKee to find the rookie tight end for a short gain.

    There was also an example of the offense changing its formation after breaking the huddle. After coming out in 10 personnel (one running back, zero tight ends), Carson Steele motioned to outside receiver, creating an empty backfield for McKee. It forced Baltimore to show its blitz and McKee was able to identify it and get the ball out.

    Compared to last year’s offense, there already seems to be a different approach to formation presentation. The more an offense can confuse the defense with motions and shifts, the more answers it can provide to a quarterback and keep defenses guessing.

    Generating ‘layup’ throws

    Under-center play-action throws have been an element of the offense the Eagles have shown during training camp, and carried over into the preseason opener.

    Dalton, McKee, and Payton each had an opportunity to run play-action from under center, with the first two quarterbacks running bootleg actions off it.

    The route combinations off the bootleg action — a deep corner route, a back side crossing route, and short flat route — are part of the McVay/Shanahan style of offense and can stress a defense that must respect the wide zone run threat.

    As teams prepare for that threat of play-action, the other route options will open up if the Eagles can generate those types of easy completions that weren’t always available for Hurts last season. Those quick-hitting throws on the move also allow for receivers to generate big plays in space.

    Grizzard’s pass game influence

    As the Eagles were deciding their next offensive coordinator hire, Josh Grizzard, who previously worked as a the Buccaneers’ pass game specialist, then was promoted to offensive coordinator, was among the candidates.

    Mannion has mentioned the offense would be a “blend” of various approaches and Grizzard, who was hired as Eagles pass game specialist, appears to have his fingerprints on the passing game — especially in third-down situations.

    A play Tampa commonly ran in 2024, when Grizzard presided over the third-down offense, featured a bunch formation that had two receivers clear out and created space for an option route for the third receiver to sit in a vacant area in zone coverage, or take advantage of a defender’s leverage in man coverage.

    On a couple of third downs in the preseason opener, the Eagles showed a similar type of play design: The two receivers ran in- or out-breaking routes and the tight ends got close to the first down line or found vacant space to turn and prepare for a pass to come their way, which was often a tight end.

    Another play Grizzard has seemingly brought from Tampa is mesh rail, which features two inside receiver shallow crossing routes, a route sitting over the middle of the field behind the mesh action, an outside receiver running a deep route, and a running back running a wheel route out of the backfield.

    The Bucs would catch teams off guard by quickly lining up and running the play while the defense was still getting set. The Eagles utilized this vs. the Ravens as they moved down the field on their lone touchdown drive.

    While the Eagles’ offense was vanilla with the objective of not revealing much, Mannion’s scheme change appears to match the expectation of the style of offense the team intends to run. The key will be the execution, and limiting the mistakes that prevented Mannion and the offense to get into a true game flow on Saturday night.

    We won’t see the offense in full until the season opener, but Saturday offered a glimpse of what the long-term vision can look like when plays are executed.

  • LeBron James unveils new signature shoe ahead of 24th NBA season and Sixers debut

    LeBron James unveils new signature shoe ahead of 24th NBA season and Sixers debut

    The offseason heading into LeBron James’ 24th season has already been full of fireworks, and his latest social media post added to the anticipation for his 76ers debut later this fall.

    James, who has enjoyed a long partnership with Nike throughout his career, teased the release of his 24th signature shoe Wednesday on Instagram, which he called “the lightest LeBron’s ever.”

    Wearing his new signature shoes during what appears to be a morning workout, the low top LeBron XXIVs include an aqua blue base color with a black lining tracing the midsole, sockline, and lace panel, and gold accents with his signature crown logo on the shoe’s tongue. The material on the shoe, which looks like a mesh fishing net, is reportedly called “KingKnit,” according to Nick DePaula, and the outsole has an outline of a crown.

    In the last slide of his post, James appeared to give a sneak preview of some other colorways for the shoe. Among them are a two-toned pink colorway, a white and red pair, a charcoal gray and dark red colorway, and a two-toned yellow pair.

    New LeBron James mural in Chinatown — featuring Billy Penn as Dwyane Wade — is about more than celebrating the Sixers star

    James will join teammate Tyrese Maxey in releasing new shoes to the public this fall. Maxey announced earlier this week that his signature shoe, the New Balance Maxey v1, will drop on Oct. 2 in three colorways: In a black base made of suede and mesh material, with light blueish gray accents that swoop into the design, a white and cream base with light blueish gray accents, and a black base with orangish red accents.

    Several sneaker outlets are reporting that the LeBron XXIV shoe is expected on Nov. 17 at a retail price of $200.

  • Bryson Stott’s ‘Field of Dreams’ cleats — featuring Harry Kalas, Roy Halladay, and more Phillies legends — were born in Downingtown

    Bryson Stott’s ‘Field of Dreams’ cleats — featuring Harry Kalas, Roy Halladay, and more Phillies legends — were born in Downingtown

    Bryson Stott has worn plenty of unusual cleats over the years, from his many Phillies-themed kicks to last year’s Elmo-inspired Sesame Street footwear to honor his daughter, Braxtyn.

    That’s thanks to a partnership with Ryan Stevens and his company, NXT LVL Customs, which dates to 2023. And the latest cleats Stevens and NXT LVL Customs have unveiled for Stott honor an iconic baseball movie.

    On Thursday, Stott will wear a custom pair of cleats for the Phillies’ Field of Dreams game (7:30 p.m., Netflix) against the Minnesota Twins in Dyersville, Iowa, where the 1989 Field of Dreams movie was filmed. The design features late Phillies legends Harry Kalas, Tug McGraw, Roy Halladay, Darren Daulton, Robin Roberts, and Richie Ashburn emerging from a cornfield, just like the old MLB stars did in the movie.

    Mickey Harrington was the Phillies’ Moonlight Graham. He never got his Field of Dreams.

    “Basically, you have these old-time legends come out of the cornfield, and I was like, ‘OK, well, how can we kind of spin that to make it like the Phillies legends from the past that have passed away?’” said Stevens, who lives in Downingtown.

    “When I was looking up some of the shots from [Field of Dreams], I found this really cool shot. It was during the daytime, and you had the legends coming out of the cornfield. And something that stuck out of me right away was the catcher in the movie [John Kinsella]. The way he was positioned, it kind of looked like Darren Daulton. … Then I started thinking about some of the other legends. So I was like, ‘Well, how can I incorporate someone from every era or every era as far as I could go?’”

    From left: Tug McGraw, Roy Halladay, Darren Daulton, Robin Roberts, Richie Ashburn, and Harry Kalas featured on Bryson Stott’s “Field of Dreams” cleats designed by Nxt Lvl Customs and Stadium Locker.Courtesy of Ryan Stevens

    Stevens knew he “didn’t want to do a silhouette or didn’t want to do a cartoon version of it,” and after he got the stamp of approval from Stott to pursue his idea, he enlisted the help of Stephen Hatala, the owner of Stadium Locker, a sports art studio, to bring the design to life. The pair had worked together on four other cleat projects.

    These father and son Philly sports diehards paint the cleats that their favorite players wear

    Hatala, who lives about an hour from Stevens in Bucks County, creates realistic portraits and has only transferred portraits onto cleats four or five times, he estimates. The process began with measuring the cleats to account for uneven surfaces and a pencil-drawn sketch on white paper.

    “I only had five days to paint them. We were in definitely a time crunch, and I actually finished putting the last stroke on the cleats as [Stevens] was pulling up in the driveway to pick them up,” said Hatala, who grew up a Phillies fan. “I met Bryson once before. Didn’t do cleats for him. But this time he actually got to acknowledge my artwork, which is very important to me. I like getting recognition for things that I do, and especially the Field of Dreams [cleats]. It’s a once-in-a-year chance.”

    Stevens and Hatala delivered the cleats to Stott last week. What did he think of the design?

    “I didn’t really tell him anything about it,” Stevens said. “This time, he was pretty taken aback. … We’ve been teasing it to him for a while, saying it was our best pair we’ve done, but, yeah, it was it was a really cool reaction.”

    Added Hatala: “It just brought a little pleasure to myself. I’m like, ‘Oh wow, he’s really enjoying these cleats.’ I’d rather be in person seeing the reaction than seeing it on a screen.”

    Orion Kerkering’s “Field of Dreams” cleats designed by Nxt Lvl Customs.Courtesy of Ryan Stevens

    Stott won’t be the only Phillies player, past or present, with custom cleats from NXT LVL Customs on Thursday night. Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering, outfielder Edmundo Sosa, and utility man Kody Clemens, who’s now with Minnesota, also will wear Stevens’ custom cleats.

    Stevens says Clemens “wanted like the dark from the movie poster background, with the stadium lights peering down on the corner,” while Kerkering’s Adidas cleat has a “gradient dark background with the blues and the purples and the pinks, and we made the Adidas logos look like corn.”

    Kody Clemens’ cleats for the Field of Dreams game on Thursday night.Courtesy of Ryan Stevens

    Stevens is excited for his cleats to be on Thursday night’s national broadcast, while Hatala will attend the game in person.

    “I think MLB does an incredible job with the movie, the field, the whole entire aura that comes with the Field of Dreams,” Hatala said. “The cornfield itself is a really cool graphic visual in the background, and also there’s nobody in the outfield. … I have never been there, but I’m expecting [MLB] to make it feel like a big-time high school game.”

  • The Linc will host two HBCU football games, including Delaware State-Norfolk State rematch

    The Linc will host two HBCU football games, including Delaware State-Norfolk State rematch

    After drawing a crowd of 47,266 in the HBCU Battle of the Legends game last fall, DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State and Michael Vick’s Norfolk State will meet again in South Philly.

    The rematch between the former Eagles teammates is set for Oct. 31 at Lincoln Financial Field. Last year, Delaware State squad held off a late rally from Norfolk State for a 27-20 victory.

    The Norfolk State-Delaware State matchup is one of two historically Black college and university football games set for the weekend at the Linc. As previously reported by The Inquirer, Division II Lincoln University will host Virginia Union, but the game will take place a day earlier, on Friday, Oct. 30.

    HBCU football is returning to the Linc this fall when Lincoln University hosts Virginia Union

    “I know firsthand what it means for a young person to walk into a room and see excellence that looks like them. That’s why this event is so important,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker wrote in a news release, noting she’s a Lincoln University graduate. “Last year’s Delaware State-Norfolk State game brought 47,266 fans together and celebrated the excellence, pride, and tradition of HBCU athletics.

    “With Philadelphia legends Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson joining us, it became more than a football game. It became a powerful source of inspiration. We were honored to partner with Delaware State University, Norfolk State University, and the Philadelphia Eagles to make that day such a tremendous success, and we are excited to build on that momentum through One Philly HBCU Week 2026.”

    Last season, Delaware State finished with an 8-4 record in Jackson’s first season at the helm, and he was named the Boxtorow HBCU Coach of the Year. He was rewarded with a contract extension in December, tying him to the program through 2028.

    Vick is coming off a tough season in which the Spartans finished 1-11.

    Michael Vick’s Spartans finished with a 1-11 record during his first year as head coach.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    “Coming back to Lincoln Financial Field never gets old for me — this is a place that holds a lot of special memories,” Vick, an Eagle from 2009-13, said in a Norfolk State release. “Last year’s game was a special moment for our program, and to lead our players back onto a field I once called home is something I’ll always cherish. Doing it against Delaware State, led by my former teammate and longtime friend DeSean Jackson, adds another exciting chapter to the matchup. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the bands, traditions, and pageantry that make HBCU football special.”

    Added Jackson: “We are not putting any limits on our potential. And we are not resting on that potential either. There is no replacement for hard work. That’s the standard. The game at the Linc just gives our scholar-athletes a bigger stage to do what they do every day.”

    How Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson are navigating the ‘culture shock’ of coaching at an HBCU | From 2025

    For Lincoln, the Oct. 30 game will be its first game in Philadelphia in 16 years, when it played Cheyney University at Northeast High School in 2009 and 2010. The two programs played yearly from 2009 until Cheyney’s football program was shut down in 2017.

    Lincoln was winless in 10 games last season, including a 66-21 loss at Virginia Union. Overall, Lincoln is 1-16 all-time against Virginia Union, with its only win coming in 2011, a 19-10 victory.

    Kickoff times and ticket information for both games will be announced at a later date.

    “Lincoln Financial Field is thrilled to serve as the host site for two highly anticipated HBCU matchups this season,” said Frank Gumienny, the Eagles’ senior vice president and chief operating officer. “In partnership with the City of Philadelphia, we look forward to hosting the programs, families, alumni, and fans for what will be a memorable One Philly HBCU Week at Lincoln Financial Field.”

  • HBCU football is returning to the Linc this fall when Lincoln University hosts Virginia Union

    HBCU football is returning to the Linc this fall when Lincoln University hosts Virginia Union

    Following the success of Michael Vick’s Norfolk State and DeSean Jackson’s matchup in the HBCU Battle of the Legends game last fall at Lincoln Financial Field, more historically Black college and university football is coming to South Philadelphia this fall.

    The Eagles are coordinating with the City of Philadelphia to host an HBCU weekend that could feature one or two games at the Linc, according to a team spokesperson. Because the negotiations are ongoing and not yet finalized, the spokesperson could not confirm which teams will be featured that weekend.

    Last week at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association media day, Lincoln University head coach Frank Turner revealed his team would be playing Virginia Union at the Linc. Those teams, who compete at the Division II level, are scheduled to play Oct. 31, per the program’s schedule.

    Neither school responded when The Inquirer reached out directly.

    Boisterous DeSean Jackson gets the best of stoic Michael Vick during ‘surreal’ HBCU showdown at the Linc

    It would be Lincoln’s first game in Philadelphia in 16 years, when they played Cheyney University at Northeast High School in back-to-back years in 2009 and 2010. The two programs played yearly from 2009 until Cheyney’s football program was shut down in 2017.

    Lincoln was winless in 10 games last season, including a 66-21 loss at Virginia Union. Overall, Lincoln is 1-16 all-time against Virginia Union, with its only win coming in 2011, a 19-10 victory.

    Frank Turner (center) has coached at Lincoln since 2018 and became the program’s head coach ahead of the 2023 season.Erin Blewett

    Turner is entering his fourth season as head coach and has been on the staff since 2018, serving previously as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Turner has a 6-24 record at the helm.

    Virginia Union, meanwhile, finished with a 9-3 record last season and lost in the first round of the Division II playoffs to California University of Pennsylvania. The Panthers were picked as the preseason favorite to win the CIAA in 2026. Lincoln was picked to finish last in the preseason conference poll.

    Penn State and Temple set a kickoff time for their Week 2 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field

    The matchup between Lincoln and Virginia Union will be the second straight year the Linc hosts an HBCU game. Last year, Jackson’s Delaware State squad held off a late rally from Vick’s Norfolk State for a 27-20 victory. The game brought in a crowd of 47,266 people and brought out all types of stars, from former NFL players Cam Newton and Marshawn Lynch to rapper Meek Mill and longtime Eagle Brandon Graham.

    Lincoln, located in Chester County, was the first college-degree granting HBCU in the country.

  • Vanessa Bryant gives social media a preview of new Kobe shoes on the horizon — including an Eagles colorway

    Vanessa Bryant gives social media a preview of new Kobe shoes on the horizon — including an Eagles colorway

    A few months after Nike paid homage to Kobe Bryant’s Lower Merion roots with a full collection for the 30th anniversary of his state championship run, it appears more locally inspired shoes are on the way next year.

    Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, gave fans a sneak preview of new Kobe releases on the horizon, and among them are Eagles-inspired Kobe 5s in Protro form.

    The shoes — which appear to have a green suede base color — have a black Nike check, a white color lining the midsole and tongue, which features the signature green Mamba logo. According to multiple sneaker outlets, the shoe will drop next January and will retail for $200.

    Bryce Harper pays tribute to SEPTA with debut of new line of Under Armour cleats

    The “Eagles” Nike Kobe 5 is one of seven styles of shoes that Vanessa Bryant posted on her Instagram stories on Tuesday evening. The six other shoes coming in the next year are: the Nike Kobe 6 “Polka Dot White,” Nike Kobe 6 “Polka Dot Red,” Nike Kobe 6 “Bellisima,” Nike Kobe 9 Elite High “Ironman,” Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low “Dusty Pink,” and Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low “CA Mountain Snake.”

    Kobe Bryant’s fandom of the Eagles was well-documented, from watching them win Super Bowl LII to visiting with the team in 2017 while they were in California.

    One of the last images taken of Bryant before his death, with his daughter Gigi, featured him wearing an Eagles beanie and WNBA sweatshirt.

    Kahleah Copper is ‘just a kid from Norf Philly.’ Now, it’s immortalized on her shoes.

    Now, it appears Bryant’s love for the Eagles will be displayed through a sneaker as another display of the late superstar’s connection to the city.