Jones runs out onto the field, along with his fellow Trojans for the Utah State game. Troy Athletics photo Everything has always started with family for Nerria and Eric Jones’ son, Jordon. Troy's fifth-year offensive tackle highlights the support he received as a student-athlete, especially from his mother. “She is the reason why I do all this in the first place,” Jones said. “She’s a big reason why I even got into college.” Jones excelled playing high school ball at Paul

The United States Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act by a sweeping majority, 77-22, on Monday, Sept. 28. Shortly after the passage of the act, Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill released a statement online in support of the bipartisan legislation. “The Senate's overwhelming passage of the Protect College Sports Act represents an important step toward providing stability and consistent national standards in college athletics,” Gill said. “The Sun Belt and its 14 memb

Troy football team high fives the student section after its ASU Win. Emma Wasden photo Troy University’s Student Government Association (SGA) has revived the Fortress, an unofficial student section for Troy, after three years of inactivity. The Fortress is returning in an official capacity with Troy Athletics serving in an advisory role. "The Fortress, for a long time, has been an unofficial student section for a few years with Troy alumni,” said Deputy Athletics Direc

Troy men's tennis competed in the Mercer Tournament from Thursday to Saturday at the John Drew Smith Tennis Center, making the finals matches in the E-Final. "It was a tricky tournament, because we had to start a little bit earlier than expected due to the weather conditions on the weekend, so it was a big load in a short amount of time, but I think the players were ready," said head coach Rolando Vargas. "It was a physical stretch, but they managed to meet the expectation m

Going into the weekend, Southern Miss boasted the best overall record in the Sun Belt at 11-2, with two convincing wins over Louisiana Tech in Sun Belt play in opening week. Nevertheless, the Troy volleyball team traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and walked out with two match wins in a hostile environment to bring them to 3-1 in conference play. Both matches went four sets, with five of the eight on the weekend being decided by two points. On Friday, Troy took the first

Troy soccer celebrates its 1-0 win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday at the Troy Soccer Complex. Troy Athletics photo Troy wins first conference game against Coastal Carolina in rainy thriller Troy took down Coastal Carolina, 1-0, in a late goal thriller for its first conference win of the season. Troy capitalized on a corner from Brooke Slater in the 87th minute, after Imani Hamilton was sent off for a challenge. The ball was played in, where it found Alaina Uncapher as

Goose Crowder finds the endzone on a rushing attempt. Troy football got back on track Tuesday night with a record-breaking effort against Southern Miss in Veterans Memorial Stadium, 55-34. The Trojans had 662 offensive yards, the most since Troy had 706 against Austin Peay in 2016. Out of those yards, 437 would come on the ground, the most for Troy since 2002. With the fourth 200 plus yard passing game to add to the running game, head coach Gerad Parker said while the night

The Troy men's and women’s basketball teams are looking ahead to the 2026-27 slate after releasing their non-conference schedules last week. Right before a strong Sun Belt schedule, both Troy basketball teams are set to face several Power Four opponents. However, before the thick of the conference slate, the Trojans have the chance to stun teams like LSU on the road. The non-conference action kicks off on Nov. 2 with the men playing UMass at home, and the women playing Kent

The Trojans come together on the field during their game against Utah State Saturday night at the Maverick Stadium. Troy Athletics photo Troy football looks to start its Sun Belt play with a midweek matchup against Southern Miss Tuesday night at the Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Trojans and Eagles ended last year against each other, with Troy taking the victory and the Sun Belt Championship berth in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 28-18. The Trojans are 6-2 against the Eagles, a

Men’s golf poses with the championship placard. Troy Athletics photo Troy men’s golf wins its first competition since Spring 2025 on Tuesday at the Argent Financial Classic in Ruston, Louisiana. In the team’s win, the Trojans beat out teams like Louisiana, Texas State and Louisiana Tech. “I couldn't be more proud of the way these guys have gotten better and better,” said head coach Clay Bounds. Individually, Jack Lowery shot 6-under overall, with a first round of –1 and a

Men’s cross country races ahead during a recent meet. Troy Athletics photo For the first time in program history, the Troy men’s cross country team brought home the victory in back-to-back meets after winning the Azalea City Classic Friday. The men tallied 25 points in the win, while the women finished as runners-up with 45 points. In the process, both men and women ran multiple top 10 finishes and broke numerous personal records. Head coach Brian Cunningham spoke about how

Track and field star represents home country in Commonwealth Games Tayjo Oppong-Adjei takes part in the Doc Anderson Invitational. Brady Fitch photo For many athletes, representing their country on the international stage is the goal. The lights, the camera, the adventure. Troy track and field thrower Tayjo Oppong-Adjei got to live that dream over the summer when he competed at the Commonwealth Games for Turks & Caicos. The recent foray into international competition isn’t

Troy volleyball opened conference play at home this past weekend with a razor-tight series against the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, with five of the nine sets decided by three points or less. The Trojans prevailed in the first match, 3-1, but fell in five in the second. “Knockdown, drag-out is what we expected, and that’s what we got,” said head coach Josh Lauer. The star outside hitters were on display Friday, with Troy’s Kalina Calvillo and Louisiana’s Lolo Lambert leading t

Isabella Hartofelis fights for the ball against Marshall Thursday night at the Troy Soccer Complex. Brady Fitch photo The Trojans dropped a pair of matches, falling to Marshall, 2-1, Thursday at the Troy Soccer Complex before falling on the road to Louisiana, 5-0, at the Home Bank Soccer Facility. At kickoff on Thursday, Troy applied pressure quickly and put up multiple shots on goal. The biggest chance came from Layla Juliano, who had a chance to shoot at the top of the

Gavin Griffin runs toward the end zone against Utah State in the Maverick Stadium Saturday. Troy Athletics photo The Trojans collapsed in their final non-conference game, losing 21-10 to Utah State on Saturday evening at Maverick Stadium. After going into halftime with a 10-7 lead, Troy allowed two touchdowns to start the second half and could not find a rhythm on offense to get back into the game. For head coach Gerad Parker, this loss is frustrating. “It's hard when yo

Wrestling Club members compete in a 2024 competition. Contributed photo The Troy wrestling club has one simple goal: to grow wrestling in the Wiregrass. The club was founded in 2023 by Nicholas Gelsosomo. Gelsosomo, who currently serves as the head coach for the club, came to Troy after serving in the military and saw a hole he believed wrestling could fill. “I wrestled for 20-plus years and saw Troy didn't have a wrestling team or a wrestling club, so I figured it would b

Goose Crowder jogs onto the field ahead of Troy's matchup with Missouri. Troy Athletics photo After falling 27-17 to No. 20 Missouri on Saturday, the Trojans prepare for another road test as they head to the mountains to take on the Utah State Aggies. In the matchup this past Saturday, the Trojans outgained the Tigers, having 323 yards to Missouri’s 230 yards. Troy would also dominate the time of possession. However, turnovers and field position proved to be the difference-

Since the start of her career at Troy, Kady Schwietz has been breaking records on the track. Schweitz’s comes from an athletic family, where her mother and sister ran track and field as well. With her sister eventually being one of her coaches, it was a dynamic that Schweitz said helped her journey. “I’m extremely grateful for her and the work she’s put into me, and just us being able to feed off of each other,” Schwietz said. “I think it’s pretty special to be able t

Like many athletes, Troy baseball’s Sam Neal hopes to get his name called on TV. For Neal, it’s a more personal connection than it is for others. “One of my summer coaches asked me before I entered the portal what my goal is,” Neal said. “I told him, ‘I want my dad to call my name on TV.’” Neal’s father, Dave Neal, is a play-by-play announcer for ESPN with a big focus on the Southeastern Conference. Neal’s grandfather, Bob Neal, is also a sports broadcaster, formerly worki

Tyler Cappi chest bumps with TK Keyes. Troy Athletics photo The journey from a walk-on to a DI season-opening starter is not an easy one. However, Tyler Cappi proved through belief and hard work that it can be done. Troy's fifth-year player is a rare archetype in today's college sports landscape. Where many players play at five schools in five years, the former walk-on has stayed committed to Troy throughout his entire career, through championships and coaching changes. “W

Troy men's tennis opened its fall season at the ITA-All American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday, where itcame up short in both singles and doubles matches. "Overall, we played at a very good level," said head coach Rolando Vargas. "We played very good teams and created opportunities, especially on the second day. Ausia Martin Melo started off for the Trojans in singles play for the Round of 256 against Wisconsin's Tomas Zlatohlavek. Zlatohlavek claimed the m

The Troy soccer team fell to in-state rival South Alabama, 2-0, in the first conference game of the season on Thursday at Mobile. The Jags would score in the 15th and 80th minutes, with their goalkeeper Sierra Giorgio making many crucial saves against Troy to secure the win. The Trojans, on the other hand, would maintain 44% of possession throughout the entire match, including five shots on goal. Troy would also have more chances at goal than South but unfortunately couldn’t

Ashlynn Axtell tosses the ball over the net during Trojan Invitational. Brady Fitch photo The Troy volleyball team dominated over the weekend, winning all three matches in three sets in Trojan Arena. The Trojan Invitational wrapped up Troy’s non-conference play, and the Trojans seemingly could not have finished much better, defeating Murray State on Thursday, the Citadel on Friday and Northwestern State on Saturday. Third-year middle hitter Ashlynn Axtell spoke about the to

Troy’s cross country team earned its first victory as a team since 2016 last Friday at the Montevallo Falcon Classic. The men won the competition in the 8k event with 40 points, and the women were runners-up in their event, earning 66 points in 5k. During the meet, multiple top-ten finishes were placed individually and numerous personal records were broken. Riley Treadaway was the individual runner-up in the men’s 8k event, running a time of 25:46.00 and breaking his perso

Jaheim Merriweather gets tackled while running to the end zone in Missouri game. Troy Athletics photo Troy bent No. 20 Missouri, but the Tigers did not break as they held off the upset-minded Trojans Saturday night, 27-17, at Memorial Stadium. Troy outgained Missouri 323 yards to 230; the first time Missouri has been outgained all season. The Trojans also limited Tiger quarterback Austin Simmons to only 91 passing yards, his lowest amount this season. Head coach Gerad Park

Trojans tackle ASU player at The Vet. Brady Fitch photo After starting the season 2-0, Troy faces its toughest challenge yet against the nationally-ranked Missouri Tigers. The game is the first between the Trojans and the No. 20 Tigers since 2019, when Missouri dominated Troy 42-10. This game also marks the second straight year the Trojans have faced a ranked Power conference school. Head coach Gerad Parker praised Missouri and how they have become one of the best teams in

Meade runs out to the crowd after the Trojans defeated Little Rock in Super Regional. Brady Fitch photo Coming off a historical season, head coach Skylar Meade and starting catcher Jimmy Janicki received Alabama Baseball Coaches Association (AlaBCA) awards. AlaBCA awarded Meade with the 2026 Large College Coach of the Year and Janicki the Player of the Year award following last season's record-breaking run in the postseason. Meade will be entering his fourth year as th

Troy Women’s golf won eighth place during its time at the Pirate Collegiate Classic in Greenville, North Carolina, on Monday and Tuesday. Throughout the tournament, held by East Carolina, the Trojans showed signs of improvement over their last season. They scored 882 overall, which is better than any of their tournaments last season, and they scored three rounds under par throughout the tournament. Improvement was shown over last year’s season on an individual level as we

Ocampo waves to crowd before taking on ASU in Trojan Arena. Brady Fitch photo Troy volleyball’s season is now in full swing, but before the season started, the Trojans welcomed several new faces. One new face is transfer student Sophie Ocampo. The middle hitter spent the last four seasons of her career with UT Arlington, however, Ocampo felt it was time for a fresh start. Former Trojan Lacey Jeffcoat was one of Ocampo's coaches with the Mavs and guided her to Troy. "I hopp

Lane Watson prepares to serve during a game of volleyball at an IMPACT event. Brady Fitch photo Lane Watson, a third-year member of the Troy track and field team, spent his summer running. Instead of running on a track or course, though, he spent it running on stage during IMPACT sessions. “Lots and lots of caffeine,” Watson said, with a laugh, about staying energized for the sessions. “Don’t tell my coach that-- but lots of caffeine.” IMPACT is Troy’s version of freshmen

The Troy Trojans volleyball team took a trip to Gainesville to play in the Florida Invite against the Florida Atlantic Owls and the No. 10 Florida Gators. The Trojans struggled on the weekend, dropping both matches to the Florida teams in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Trojans won one set on Saturday and played close throughout against FAU, but Florida swept them on Sunday. The loss to FAU was Troy’s second match of the season to go more than three sets. FAU narrowly

Saager coaches during the 2021 season. Troy Athletics photo Former Troy assistant soccer coach Kayla Saager unexpectedly passed away last Wednesday at the age of 30. Saager was married to Tulsa’s outside linebackers coach John Beckley and was pregnant with the couple’s first child, a daughter, who they named Sawyer. Tulsa’s head coach Tre Lamb announced the team will honor Saager at its matchup against East Texas A&M. “We’re going to honor her with a helmet sticker this

Irene Torres kicks the ball into the net at the Troy Soccer Complex as the Trojans take on Alcorn State. Brady Fitch photo The Trojans tied Alcorn State University 3-3 in the last game of their three-match homestead at the Trojan Soccer Complex on Sunday. Troy dedicated this match to the passing of former assistant coach Kayla Saager. Assistant coach Saager coached from 2020 to 2023 for the Trojans. “That was a tricky match for sure,” said head coach Jake Wyman. “I thought

Jaheim Merriweather runs down the field toward the end zone to score a touchdown during last week's game. Brady Fitch photo Troy defeated the Alabama State Hornets, 34-17, in Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This marks Troy’s first 2-0 start since the 2013 season. In the win, the Trojans put up over 400 yards of offense and held Alabama State to just 105 yards passing and 116 yards rushing. Despite the win, head coach Gerad Parker was frustrated with his tea

Troy practices on the practice field ahead of Alabama State game. Troy Athletics photo After defeating the Sam Houston Bearkats, the Trojans focus their attention on the Alabama State Hornets. Troy trailed Sam Houston at the start of the game but quickly evened the score and did not surrender the lead to the Bearkats for the rest of the game. Head coach Gerad Parker said this resilience is a positive to see out of this new unit for the Trojans. “Anytime you can win games

Devin Lafayette tackles a Jacksonville State player during the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl in Montgomery. Troy Athletics photo. With the start of the new Troy football season, the university takes pride in seeing how many former Trojans made it in the NFL. Kimani Vidal, Jake Andrews, Dell Pettus, Javon Solomon, Devin Lafayette and Reddy Steward are all representing Troy on the biggest stage this year. During the back-to-back Sun Belt Championship years, Vidal was one of th

Manya Saini warms up at practice ahead of the season's opener. Troy athletics photo The Troy men’s and women’s golf teams opened their fall season with high rankings in the Golfweek Fall Challenge. The challenge lasted from Sept. 6 to Sept. 8 at True Blue Golf Course in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, for the men’s and Caledonia Golf & Fish Club for the women. "This week was a great preview of what this team is capable of," said head men’s golf coach Clay Bounds. "We finis

Aldrich plays soccer for Troy. Troy Athletics photo Former Troy soccer player Lauren Aldrich has been a referee for as long as she can remember. Currently, she referees at the professional levels, which includes the National Women’s Soccer League and the United Soccer League. While, it’s been quite a journey to professional refereeing, but a two-year stint in the Troy womens’ soccer uniform helped shape Aldrich into the person she is today. “I have a lot of lessons learn

The Trojans dropped the match at the Carolina Volleyball Center to the No. 18 South Carolina Gamecocks, 3-1, Sunday. This was the first road match of the season for Troy, and the first match to go beyond the minimum of three sets. Troy tallied 47 kills in the match at a .160 hitting percentage compared to 51 at a .289 percentage for South Carolina. The major difference-makers in the match were the Gamecocks' blocking prowess and the Trojans' serving struggles. South Carolina

Brooke Becker dribbles the ball down the field during match against West Florida. Brady Fitch photo During Troy soccer’s first two of three matches at the Trojan Soccer Complex, the Trojans failed to scratch a win after drawing against Kennesaw State, 2-2, and losing to West Florida, 3-1. The third match of the homestand will be Sunday, Sept. 13. Both games came with upsides with Alaina Uncapher who scored two goals throughout both games, including one while being down a w

Gavin Griffin runs the ball up the middle during game against Sam Houston Saturday night. Troy Athletics photo Troy football started the season off strong with a home win against Sam Houston Saturday night, 24-21, at the Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Trojans dominated the run game, rushing for 177 yards while only allowing 38 from the Bearkats. Troy's rushing yards were the best since it ran for 217 against South Alabama last season. Despite the improvement on the ground,

Troy baseball welcomed new coach Zeke Pinkham to the staff. Pinkham steps in as the new recruiting coordinator for the Boys of Troy. Pinkham started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Louisville before transitioning to an assistant coach for four seasons at Georgia Tech, then two years at Kent State also as an assistant coach. When Troy presented itself to Pinkham, he knew this was an opportunity he could not pass up. “When Skylar [Meade] reached out about the

Troy baseball cheers on its teammates from the dugout during its post season run in the College World Series against West Virginia. Troy Athletics photo The last time Rush Hixon wore a Trojan jersey was on May 25, 2019. Now, he returns for the Boys of Troy, but as an assistant coach in what he describes as a dream job. "You don't get a chance in your coaching career to always choose where you go,” Hixon said. “It’s a dream job for me to be able to come back. “There are a

Trojans pose for a photo before the 2025 Southern Showcase. Troy Athletics photo. Troy’s cross country program is set to travel across Alabama and Florida during its 2026 campaign, beginning with four regular season meets before entering postseason competition. The Trojans will open their season this weekend at the Jacksonville State Foothills Invitational in Oxford, Alabama. The women’s race will begin at 9 a.m., followed by the men’s race at 9:45 a.m. Troy will have two

Trojans come together during practice for their fisrst scrimmage of the season. Troy athletics photos When people think of Wi-Fi, many think of the five bars that appear on a screen and allow them to use messages, social media and videos. For Troy football head coach Gerad Parker, Wi-Fi means more. Over the preseason, Parker has started a new branding for his team, “plug in and compete.” The new branding, introduced during this year’s football season, is meant to represent

Manya Saini tees off at the Sun Belt Championship. Troy Athletics photo Troy men’s and women’s golf return to the greens for its fall seasons, with both teams starting to play in September. Both teams make trips to Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina in the fall. The men’s team goes into the 2026 fall season after ending the 2026 spring season eighth in the conference tournament. The Trojans enter the fall with two golfers that appeared on the 2025 NCAA championship

The Troy soccer team had a tough week after falling short against Alabama, 3-0, on Thursday and Jacksonville State, 4-3, on Sunday. The Trojans started their road games in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where they played against the No. 6-ranked Crimson Tide at the Alabama Soccer Complex. Troy was coming off its first win of the season against Stetson, whereas the Tide was coming off a four-game winning streak. Troy started very defensively, with Taylor Richards having a big save

A Trojan prepares for an attack during the Troy Invitational. Troy Athletics photo The Trojans high-five after a point in the Troy Invitational. Troy Athletics photo The Troy volleyball team opened the season with a 2-1 record after playing host to Mercer, North Alabama and Alabama State. The Trojans dominated their wins, sweeping Mercer on Friday and Alabama State on Sunday in Trojan Arena. “The attackers were absolutely dynamite,” said head coach Josh Lauer after Friday n

The Trojans run out onto the field before a home game against Georgia Southern. Troy Athletics photo The wait is finally over: Troy football is set to return to the field Saturday, Sept. 5 as it faces Sam Houston in season opener. “Happy to know it’s now week one for us as we get a chance to open up at home,” said head coach Gerad Parker in a press conference. “Certainly, very grateful for us, a chance to get in front of our Troy fans around the Wiregrass and be at home.”

Football players and cheerleads meet with fans in Trojan Arena ahead of season opener game against Sam Houston. Emma Wasden photos While Trojan Arena is typically filled with basketball fans and players, it was the football fans’ turn to take over the arena Saturday as part of Fall Fan Day. Troy fans met with football players and cheerleaders and got posters of the 2026 schedule signed. For quarterback Goose Crowder, it was a good way for the Trojans to interact with their