Craig Morgan and his family will be the focus of a new docuseries, Morgan Family Strong, that will premiere on March 1 at 9:30 p.m. ET on Up TV.
The series will follow Craig and his family (wife Karen, daughter Alexandra, and sons Kyle and Wyatt) at home and on tour as they come together after the death of their son and brother, Jerry, in a tragic accident in July 2016, by launching the family’s passion project, Morgan Farms.
This season on Morgan Family Strong, viewers will see the Morgans juggling life at home and on the road, including opening The Gallery at Morgan Farms. The family will also explore the Alaskan wilderness on vacation, take the stage at the Grand Ole Opry and celebrate birthdays and other milestones along the way.
Jake Owen has conjured up the “Cougar” with the release of his new single, “I Was Jack (You Were Diane).”
Both melodically and lyrically, Jake’s new single is rooted in John Mellencamp’s iconic 1982 hit, “Jack & Diane.” In fact, Mellencamp recieved a songwriting credit on Jake’s “I Was Jack (You Were Diane).”
“I never release a song without the intention of stepping up to the plate and knocking it out of the park,” says Jake. “When I first heard ‘I Was Jack (You Were Diane),’ I thought, ‘How can I do this and re-create what is already a classic song?’ But the more I listened to it, the more I saw my own life growing up. The original ‘Jack & Diane’ was about ‘two American kids growing up in the heartland’ and that image is exactly what so many country songs are based on. Plus, the most important thing to me and my team is that we sent the song to Mellencamp and he digs the track. Getting his stamp of approval sealed the deal for me that this song should be our debut single.”
STARKVILLE, Miss. — No. 16 Tennessee went to one of the toughest environments in the SEC and dominated Mississippi State, 76-54, in Humphrey Coliseum on Tuesday night.
Coming off a career performance Saturday at Ole Miss, Admiral Schofieldplayed lights out once again, finishing with 24 points and seven boards to lead the Vols (22-7, 12-5 SEC). The win guaranteed Tennessee a top-two finish in the SEC this season and a double-bye in the SEC Tournament next week.
Mississippi State (21-9, 9-8 SEC) pulled within four points early in the second half at 44-40, but UT responded with a 12-2 run to make it a 14-point game with 12:08remaining. Tennessee extended its lead to 19 after a layup by Lamonte Turner made it a 64-45 game at the 8:40 mark. Turner finished with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting.
In the second period, Tennessee rattled off 11 consecutive made shots to take the crowd out of the game and gain an insurmountable lead. The Vols shot an impressive 68 percent (15-of-22) from the floor in the period.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 25-18 advantage with less than 10 minutes remaining in the opening period, but an 8-0 run evened things up for the Volunteers after a 10-foot jumper by Jordan Bone.
With the shot clock under four seconds, James Daniel III was forced to take a 35-foot three to avoid a shot-clock violation, which he banked in to tie things up at 30-30. The clutch shot sparked a 13-4 run for UT over the final five minutes of the frame.
Schofield had another strong start, dropping 11 points to give Tennessee a 40-34 lead going into halftime. Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 10 points for Mississippi State.
UP NEXT: The Vols return home for their regular-season finale and Senior Night in a rematch against Georgia on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: With 14:44 left in the game, Derrick Walker knocked down a basket to make it a 48-40 game. The bucket marked the first of what would be 11 consecutive made shots by the Volunteers over the next nine minutes of play, capped off by a trey from Lamonte Turner. During the stretch, UT outscored the Bulldogs, 23-12, to pull away.
WINNING IN THE HUMP: Entering Tuesday night’s contest, Mississippi State was 18-1 at home this season, but UT became just the second team to come up victorious in Humphrey Coliseum, joining Auburn. Between the men’s and women’s teams, MSU is now a combined 34-2 on the season when playing at home, the best record in college basketball.
INDIANAPOLIS — Four Tennessee Volunteers – punter Trevor Daniel, defensive back Rashaan Gaulden, running back John Kelly, and defensive lineman Kahlil McKenzie – will participate in the NFL Combine this week.
The Combine begins on Tuesday and ends next Monday in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium. The on-field workout portion of the combine starts this Friday and will air on NFL Network.
Daniel and Kelly are scheduled to participate in on-field workouts on March 2, while McKenzie is expected to perform on March 4 and Gaulden should wrap it up on March 5.
In addition to on-field drills, players will participate in the bench press workout, medical examinations, psychological testing, team interviews and media interviews over four jam-packed days.
After spending three seasons as Tennessee’s starting punter, Daniel finished his time in Knoxville with the highest career yards per punt average in UT history at 45.9 yards per punt. He also finished his senior season ranked second nationally and in the SEC with a 47.5 yards per punt average.
Kelly, Tennessee’s starting running back in 2017, rushed for 1,573 yards and 15 touchdowns in his three-year career with the Vols. Kelly finished 2017 as one of two players in the country to lead his team in rushing yards (778) and receptions (37). Kelly finished with 1,077 total yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns in 11 games in 2017.
A three-year contributor on the interior of the defensive line and a UT legacy, McKenzie notched 72 tackles in his Tennessee career, including a career high 35 in 2017. McKenzie started eight games on the defensive front for the Vols in 2017.
A Spring Hill, Tenn. native, Gaulden appeared in 36 games with 19 starts for the Vols after beginning his career in 2014. Gaulden, who missed the 2015 season with an injury, tallied 140 total tackles and broke up nine passes in his career. The versatile defensive back proved to be one of the nation’s top secondary players in 2017 when he tallied 65 stops, including 3.5 TFLs, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and five PBUs.
Florida Georgia Line has teamed with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans for a free street party and concert in Nashville on April 4.
After the Titans debut their brand-new 2018 uniforms, FGL will headline a free concert at the crossroads of Broadway and 1st Ave. at 7 p.m.
The Titans posted a Facebook video of FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley making the announcement on Feb. 24, and since then, more than 600 keyboard warriors have posted comments—including plenty of negative ones—proving people will complain about anything and everything . . . even when it’s FREE.
If FGL’s sold-out show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in 2016 is any indication, the streets will be packed for this free concert.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The SEC released its women’s basketball awards Tuesday on the eve of the postseason tournament, and five Lady Vols received recognition in voting from the league’s coaches.
Nared and Russell picked up Coaches All-SEC accolades for the second time in their careers, but they made the first team in 2018 after earning second-team honors a year ago. It marked the fourth time during the Holly Warlick era UT had two on the coaches’ first team. Cierra Burdick and Isabelle Harrison had that distinction in 2015, while Meighan Simmons and Harrison made the cut in 2014 and Simmons and Bashaara Graves did so in 2013.
Hayes is Tennessee’s second-ever 6th Woman of the Year, following in the footsteps of Alyssia Brewer in 2010. Davis and Westbrook, meanwhile, are the fourth and fifth members of the SEC All-Freshman Team during the past six seasons. It marked the seventh time in history UT has had two players on that squad in the same year.
Nared, a 6-foot-2 guard/forward from Portland, Ore., is the Lady Vols’ leading scorer at 17.2 points per game and is third in rebounding at 7.7. She shoots a team-leading.827 from the free throw line and is first on the squad in steals (64) and third in assists (70) and blocks (19). She has recorded nine double-doubles this season and has scored 20 or more points on 11 occasions. She is among the nation’s leaders and single-season pace-setters at UT in free throws made (153) and attempted (185).
A 6-6 center from Springfield, Ore., Russell is averaging 15.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting .601 from the field to rank among the nation’s leaders and UT’s all-time single-season leaders. She has blocked a team-leading 41 shots and has tallied 31 steals and 26 assists as well. After setting a Lady Vol junior record with 19 double-doubles a year ago, Russell has a senior-record-tying 14 and counting this season. She became only the sixth player in UT annals to eclipse 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds during a career, standing at 1,542 and 1,046 entering the SEC Tournament.
Hayes, a 5-7 guard from Murfreesboro, has been UT’s top performer off the bench all season long, averaging 9.1 points per game to rank fourth on the squad. She also averages 24.5 minutes, 3.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. She has scored in double figures 16 times and led UT in assists on nine occasions, posting career highs of 17 points vs. ETSU and nine assists vs. Troy and Arkansas. Like Nared, she has been a frequent visitor to the free throw line, making 92 of 131 attempts (.702).
UT’s third-leading scorer and rebounder, Davis averages 12.1 points and 7.6 caroms per contest, starting 27 of 28 games this season. The 6-2 forward from Jacksonville, Fla., is third on the team in steals (33) and fifth in assists (51) while shooting .489 from the field, .333 from the three-point arc and .718 from the charity stripe. She has scored in double figures 17 times and has carded eight double-doubles to stand sixth all-time among UT freshmen. Her rebound average currently ranks sixth as well.
A 6-0 freshman guard from Salem, Ore., Westbrook has handled the starting point guard role in every game, averaging 8.6 points, 4.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds per contest. She has led the team in assists on 18 occasions and scored in double figures 11 times. Her 129 assists are the third most of any freshman in school history, and her 4.4 average is second by any UT rookie. She ranks second on the team in three-pointers made (27) and is tops among regulars at .355 percent on long-range attempts.
AP ANNOUNCES ALL-SEC TEAM:Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell also were named to the Associated Press All-SEC Team which was released on Tuesday morning. Russell was a second-team honoree last season as well.
Decked out in a shiny, sequined bodysuit, Kacey Musgraves stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform the television debut of her new song, “Space Cowboy.”
The new tune was co-penned by Kacey, Luke Laird and Shane McAnally and is featured on Kacey’s upcoming album, Golden Hour, which drops on March 30.
*Releases from the Smokies & U. of Tennessee are below
SEVIERVILLE – The Tennessee Smokies have announced that the Tri-Star Classic presented by Toyota Knoxville has been moved to Lindsey Nelson Stadium on the University of Tennessee campus. The games will take place March 2-4, 2018.
Due to extensive field repair this fall, the field at Smokies Stadium has not fully healed. The University of Tennessee has graciously allowed the event to continue, and the Tri-Star Classic will be played at Lindsey Nelson Stadium to allow the field to mend prior to the 2018 Smokies season.
General admission tickets can be purchased at the University of Tennessee baseball ticket office or online at AllVols.com for $10 per day. Any tickets purchased online must be printed by the buyer before coming to the stadium. UT students and students from any other participating schools may enter for free with their student ID and sit in any general admission areas except for the lower chair back seats.
Tennessee Volunteers season ticket holders can pick up complimentary tickets at the front of the stadium as long as they have identification. All seating will be general admission with the lower chair back seating areas held for Smokies ticket buyers and UT season ticket holders.
Any ticket questions can be directed to the Tennessee Smokies ticket office (865-286-2300) or the Tennessee Athletics ticket office (865-656-1200).
Free baseball parking will be located in Lots GF1, GF2, GF3 and GF4. Free parking will also available in the G16 garage on Sunday. The G16 garage will charge for parking beginning at 2 p.m.on Saturday. Additional parking is located on the street along Todd Helton Drive. Handicap parking is located in marked handicap spaces on Pat Head Summitt Drive and G16 Garage. A full parking map can be found on the document attached to this press release.
Lindsey Nelson Stadium enforces a clear bag policy for fans entering the stadium, more information can be found at utsports.com/clearbag. No alcohol will be served at Lindsey Nelson Stadium during the Tri-Star Classic.
The updated Tri-Star Classic games schedule will be as follows:
Friday, March 2 3:00 p.m. ET: UT vs. ETSU 7:00 p.m. ET: Memphis vs. MTSU
Saturday, March 3 12:00 p.m. ET: UT vs. Memphis 4:00 p.m. ET: ETSU vs. MTSU
Sunday, March 4 12:00 p.m. ET: ETSU vs. Memphis 4:00 p.m. ET: MTSU vs. Tennessee
ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the ten-team Southern League, Smokies baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America’s national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 100 years. To learn more about the Tennessee Smokies, visit www.smokiesbaseball.com
-Smokies
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tri-Star Classic baseball tournament scheduled to be played at Smokies Stadium this weekend has been moved to the University of Tennessee’s Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Changes have also been made to the tournament schedule as well. The complete weekend schedule is as follows:
Friday, March 2 3 p.m. ET – ETSU vs. Tennessee 7 p.m. ET – Memphis vs. Middle Tennessee
Saturday, March 3 12 p.m. ET –Memphis vs. Tennessee (VFL Chris Burke will throw out first pitch before game) 4 p.m. ET – Middle Tennessee vs. ETSU
Sunday, March 4 12 p.m. ET – ETSU vs. Memphis 4 p.m. ET – Middle Tennessee vs. Tennessee
**Home team listed second
Ticket Information
All tickets bought through the Tennessee Smokies will be honored at the main gate of Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Tennessee Volunteers baseball season ticket holders can pick up complimentary tickets at the front of the stadium as long as they have identification. All seating will be general admission with the lower chair back seating areas held for Smokies ticket buyers and UT season ticket holders.
General admission tickets can also be purchased at the baseball ticket office or online at AllVols.com for $10 per day. Any tickets purchased online must be printed by the buyer before coming to the stadium.
UT students and students from any other participating schools may enter for free with their student ID and sit in any general admission areas except for the lower chair back seats.
Any ticket questions can be directed to the Tennessee Smokies ticket office (865-286-2300) or the Tennessee Athletics ticket office (865-656-1200).
Parking Information
Free baseball parking will be located in Lots GF1, GF2, GF3 and GF4. Free parking will also available in the G16 garage on Friday and Sunday. The G16 garage will charge for parking beginning at 2 p.m.on Saturday.
Additional parking is located on the street along Todd Helton Drive. Handicap parking is located in marked handicap spaces on Pat Head Summitt Drive and G16 Garage.
There will be a number of other events happening on Tennessee’s campus throughout the weekend so parking may be limited, especially on Saturday. We encourage all fans to arrive early.
Clear Bag Policy
In order to enhance safety and expedite fan entry at Tennessee athletic events, UT has implemented a clear bag policy at Lindsey Nelson Stadium and all other athletic facilities. Only one clear bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches (gallon size) per person is permitted. Fans are also allowed a small clutch purse not exceeding 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches.
Stadium Entry
Please be aware that gates will not open until 90 minutes prior to game time as opposed to two hours like it has been in years past.
Media Credentials
Since the games will now be played at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, all Tennessee baseball season and single-game media credentials will be accepted.
We expect to have a full press box for each of Tennessee’s games, therefore, media seating in the press box will be limited to one (1) representative per media outlet. There will be overflow media seating in the open-air landing below the press box.
With 18 pets of her own (five horses, two mini-horses, seven dogs and four cats), it’s no secret Miranda Lambert has a soft spot in her heart for fury, four-legged friends.
That’s why in 2009, Miranda and her mom, Bev, started the MuttNation Foundation, an organization with the mission of ending animal suffering and homelessness on every front. The foundation has successfully raised millions of dollars to aid organizations, government institutions and entities that build animal shelters for better care and increased pet adoption.
Miranda and Bev’s latest undertaking was providing more than 50 vetted animal shelters across the country with grants ranging from $3,000–$5,000, for a total contribution of $189,000, as part of their Mutts Across America program. The shelters were selected based on criteria that included adoption rate, volunteerism, fiscal responsibility, community presence and more. Mutts Across America has awarded 200-plus shelters more than $775,000 since being founded.
“I am amazed and humbled by the great work these shelters do, and so honored to be able to support their critical efforts on behalf of rescue animals,” said Miranda.
In January, Dierks Bentley opened his fourth Whiskey Row location—the first outside his home state of Arizona—on Nashville’s Lower Broadway.
The three-floor building, formerly the home of Gruhn’s Guitars, features full bars and dining menus, as well as plenty of live music.
The allure of the location on Lower Broadway—among the bars and honky-tonks where Dierks got his start—compelled the Arizona native to open the venue in Music City.
“I love Lower Broadway,” says Dierks to Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown. “I got my start really playing those bars, and I was listening, first and foremost, going down there and hearing bands like BR549 and Jamie Hartford Band. I just love that part of town. It’s such a special part, unique part of Nashville, and even more so now with the way Music Row has kind of fallen off the map. [Lower Broadway] is the heart and soul . . . the pulse of Nashville’s down there, and there’s nowhere else like it.”
Whiskey Row Nashville is open Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–3 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–3 a.m.
![Jake Owen Releases New Single Inspired by John Mellencamp’s “Jack & Diane” [Listen]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/1446/2018/02/28095458/Jake-Owen1.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
“I never release a song without the intention of stepping up to the plate and knocking it out of the park,” says Jake. “When I first heard ‘I Was Jack (You Were Diane),’ I thought, ‘How can I do this and re-create what is already a classic song?’ But the more I listened to it, the more I saw my own life growing up. The original ‘Jack & Diane’ was about ‘two American kids growing up in the heartland’ and that image is exactly what so many country songs are based on. Plus, the most important thing to me and my team is that we sent the song to Mellencamp and he digs the track. Getting his stamp of approval sealed the deal for me that this song should be our debut single.”
