BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (September 25, 2020) – The Southeastern Conference has established Dec. 29 and 30 as the new start dates for its 2020-21 men’s basketball conference schedule while the women’s basketball start date will remain Dec. 31, 2020 as previously scheduled, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Friday.
The 2020-21 SEC men’s basketball conference schedule will be comprised of 20 play dates that would accommodate an 18-game schedule with two open dates. Ten SEC schools will fill one of those open dates with the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in late January. The four teams not participating in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge will play league games that day.
The 2020-21 SEC women’s basketball conference schedule remains at 18 play dates that will fit a 16-game league schedule.
Earlier this month, the NCAA Division I Council approved a Nov. 25 start date for the 2020-21 men’s and women’s college basketball seasons, when the SEC will begin non-conference play. Teams can begin preseason practice on Wednesday, Oct. 14 and will have a 42-day window to conduct no more than 30 practices.
Chris Stapleton shared the second song, “Cold,” from his upcoming studio album, Starting Over, which drops on Nov. 13.
Co-penned by Chris, Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure and Derek Mixon, “Cold” follows the release of the album’s title track in August.
Starting Over features 11 songs that Chris co-penned, as well as three covers: John Fogerty’s “Joy Of My Life” and Guy Clark’s “Worry B Gone” and “Old Friends.” The new album was recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, with additional work completed at Muscle Shoals Sound and Compass Sound Studio. Produced by Dave Cobb, who also plays acoustic guitar, the record features wife Morgane Stapleton (vocals, tambourine), with longtime bandmates J.T. Cure (bass) and Derek Mixon (drums). Special guests include musicians Mike Campbell (electric guitar), Benmont Tench (Hammond B3 organ) and Paul Franklin (pedal steel), as well as the All Voices Choir who are featured on “Watch You Burn.”
The upcoming album follows the release of Chris’ two No. 1 albums in 2017: From A Room: Volume 1 and From A Room: Volume 2, which reference the legendary RCA Studio A where they were recorded with Dave Cobb.
Brantley Gilbert will release a deluxe version of his fifth album, Fire & Brimstone, on Oct. 2.
Fire & Brimstone Deluxe will feature the 15 tracks on Brantley’s 2019 album with two additional tunes: “Old Friends” and current single, “Hard Days.”
“‘Old Friends’ is about treasuring friendships with those folks who always have your back through thick and thin, the ones you make memories with that last a lifetime,” says Brantley about the song he co-penned regarding his late friend/crew member Al Ditch. “Al was that kind of friend, and he had that kind of impact on the entire crew. He made sure we’d have plenty of good memories to look back on, and we’re so blessed to have had him with us for eight years.”
Brantley shared a new acoustic video of “Hard Days,” which you can watch below.
Fire & Brimstone (Deluxe Edition)
1. Fire’t Up (Brantley Gilbert, Brandon Day, Justin Weaver)
2. Not Like Us (Brantley Gilbert, Rhett Akins, Brock Berryhill, Amy Wadge)
3. Welcome to Hazeville (Brantley Gilbert, Rodney Clawson, Andrew DeRoberts, Colt Ford) featuring Colt Ford, Lukas Nelson and Willie Nelson
4. What Happens in a Small Town (Brantley Gilbert, Rhett Akins, Brock Berryhill, Josh Dunne) featuring Lindsay Ell
5. She Ain’t Home (Brantley Gilbert, Brian Davis, Justin Weaver)
6. Lost Soul’s Prayer (Brantley Gilbert, Andrew DeRoberts)
7. Tough Town (Brantley Gilbert, Blake Chaffin, Andrew DeRoberts, Josh Phillips)
8. Fire & Brimstone (Brantley Gilbert) featuring Jamey Johnson and Alison Krauss
9. Laid Back Ride (Brantley Gilbert)
10. Bad Boy (Brantley Gilbert, Andrew DeRoberts, Josh Phillips)
11. New Money (Brantley Gilbert, Rhett Akins, Brock Berryhill, Brandon Day)
12. Breaks Down (Brantley Gilbert, Jaida Dreyer, Josh Mirenda, Justin Weaver)
13. Man of Steel (Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Cole Taylor)
14. Never Gonna Be Alone (Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Erik Dylan)
15. Man that Hung the Moon (Brantley Gilbert) DELUXE TRACKS
16. Hard Days (Brantley Gilbert, Jimi Bell, Brock Berryhill, Jay Brunswick, Logan Wall)
17. Old Friends (Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Randy Montana)
A very limited number of Tennessee football single-game tickets are now on sale to the general public.
Fans are encouraged to purchase online at AllVols.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-332-VOLS.
The Vols enter the season riding a six-game win streak and ranked No. 16 in the country. Tennessee is set to host five home games against SEC foes Missouri (Oct. 3), Kentucky (Oct. 17), Alabama (Oct. 24), Texas A&M (Nov. 14) and Florida (Dec. 5).
Ticket inventory remains available for each game but is extremely limited. There are fewer than 300 tickets remaining for the Alabama, and fewer than 600 for the Florida game.
Fans are permitted to purchase a maximum of four tickets per game, per transaction.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – LVFL Candace Parker was named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, the league office announced. With that honor, the 13-year veteran swept both league and Associated Press honors in that category.
Parker received 16 votes from a national panel of 47 sportswriters and broadcasters. Seattle Storm forward Alysha Clark finished in second place with 11 votes and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas finished in third place with 10 votes. The other players to receive votes were Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner (four votes), Storm forward Breanna Stewart (three votes), Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (two) and 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard of the Storm (one).
Parker, who has played her entire career with the Los Angeles Sparks, previously garnered AP accolades as well as WNBA Peak Performer status back on Sept. 15 for being the league’s season leader in rebounding.
During the 2020 regular season, Parker averaged a WNBA-high 8.0 defensive rebounds, 1.23 blocked shots (eighth in the WNBA) and 1.18 steals in 22 games. She was one of five players to average at least one block and one steal per game, joining Collier, Stewart, Turner and 2020 WNBA Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces. Parker grabbed at least 10 defensive rebounds in a game nine times.
Behind Parker, the Sparks ranked third in the WNBA in defensive rating, allowing 98.8 points allowed per 100 possessions. The 6-4 Parker helped Los Angeles hold opponents to 31.3 points per game in the paint, the second fewest in the WNBA.
Parker’s defensive prowess was part of a season in which she averaged 14.7 points, a WNBA-leading 9.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three-point range. A two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player, Parker finished in third place for the 2020 WNBA MVP Award. With Parker excelling on both ends of the court, the Sparks posted the WNBA’s third-best record at 15-7.
In honor of being named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Parker will receive $5,150 and a specially designed trophy from Tiffany & Co.
As for the previously-announced WNBA Peak Performer Award for rebounding, the league awards those honors annually to the players who lead in scoring, rebounding and assists during the regular season. Each winner receives a trophy crafted by Tiffany & Co. in honor of her accomplishments.
Parker posted 10 or more rebounds 13 times this season, including a streak of five consecutive double-digit rebounding games July 30-Aug. 9. The three-time WBCA All-American and two-time NCAA champion at Tennessee from 2006 to 2008, grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds against the Washington Mystics on Sept. 10 and had 15 rebounds to go with 24 points against the Chicago Sky on Sept. 6.
Shenandoah will release a new album, Every Road, on Nov. 13.
The 10-song collection of brand-new tunes features an A-list cast of collaborators, including Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Ashley McBryde, Dierks Bentley, Lady A, Zac Brown Band, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson and Brad Paisley.
Shenandoah topped the charts in the late ’80s and early ’90s with a string of hits, including “The Church on Cumberland Road,” “Sunday in the South,” “Two Dozen Roses” and more.
Listen to the album’s lead single, “I’d Take Another One of Those,” featuring Zac Brown Band, below.
Every Road Track List & Songwriters
“I’d Take Another One Of Those” with Zac Brown Band (Brett Beavers, Stephen Robson, Brett James)
“Make It Til Summertime” with Luke Bryan (Dallas Davidson, Marty Raybon, Mike McGuire)
“If Only” with Ashley McBryde (Lori McKenna, Phil Barton, Jaron Boyer)
“Every Road” with Dierks Bentley (Brett Beavers, Jamie Moore, Kevin Griffin)
“Then A Girl Walks In” with Blake Shelton (Adam Sanders, Lance Miller, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
“High Class Hillbillies” with Cody Johnson (Marty Raybon, Mike McGuire, Wade Kirby, Jim Collins)
“Every Time I Look At You” with Lady A (Dallas Davidson, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood)
“Life Would Be Perfect” with Brad Paisley (Wade Kirby, Phil O’Donnell, Bill Luther)
“I’ll Be Your Everything” with Carly Pearce (Marty Raybon, Barry Hutchens, Mark Narmore)
Michael Ray will ship a new single, “Whiskey and Rain,” to country radio on Oct. 26.
Penned by Josh Thompson and Jesse Frasure, “Whiskey and Rain” is the first taste of new music from Michael’s upcoming third studio album. The tune finds Michael crooning: “Yeah, whiskey and rain coming down, coming down / Splash of bourbon in a glass / Yeah pouring something on the pain / Let it drown, let it drown / Trying to wash away the past.”
“I miss story songs that you have to listen to all the way through to understand,” says Michael. “This song is everything I love about country music—traditional country music, like Tim McGraw and Earl Thomas Conley, and I want to bring that back. This is the music I originally came to Nashville to make, and I’m grateful to have this opportunity for fans to get to know me better as an artist.”
Travis Tritt dropped a fiery new single, “Ghost Town Nation,” on Sept. 25.
Penned by Aaron Raitiere and JB Strauss, “Ghost Town Nation” is the lead single from Travis’ forthcoming album, which was produced by Dave Cobb.
“I loved the overall groove of the song when I first heard the demo, but what really hooked me was the lyrics,” says Travis. “At a time when so much of the country was on pandemic lockdown, I think the idea of escaping to a secluded spot in the woods was very appealing for a lot of folks. It reminded me of a ‘country folks can survive’ theme. I personally know a lot of folks that still do this regularly.”
(AP) A Tennessee panel on Wednesday conditionally approved licenses for the first three sportsbook operators under Tennessee’s online-only sports betting program, which is expected to begin allowing wagers on Nov. 1.
FanDuel, BetMGM and DraftKings drew the approval Wednesday from the Tennessee Lottery’s Sports Wagering Committee. The panel has also approved companies to play various other roles in Tennessee’s sports betting market. Additional meetings are planned for Oct. 5 and Oct. 16 to consider more applications and review more information from the sportsbook licensees.
There is no limit on the number of sportsbook operators in Tennessee, as long as they meet the state’s requirements. The lottery is regulating sports betting in the state.
Tennessee lawmakers narrowly passed sports betting in spring 2019 for people 21 and older who are physically in the state when they place bets. Republican Gov. Bill Lee let it become law without his signature, citing concerns over an expansion of gambling in Tennessee, a state without casinos.
The law took effect in July 2019, but left many regulatory specifics up to the lottery.
Carrie Underwood released her first-ever Christmas album, My Gift, on Sept. 25.
The 11-song album features a combination of beloved traditional favorites, such as “Silent Night” and “Away in the Manger,” as well as original material, including “Sweet Baby Jesus” and “Let There Be Peace.”
There are also two special guests on the new album. John Legend lends his vocal talents to “Hallelujah,” while Carrie’s son, Isaiah, is featured on “Little Drummer Boy.”
“I was in the booth with him, and trying to get him to access all his little 5-year-old emotions, which he can totally do on his own,” said Carrie on NBC News’ Today. “When I heard the song back with his sweet little voice on it, I was laughing and crying. Just so many emotions. I’m so proud of him.”
My Gift was produced by Greg Wells and mixed by Serban Ghenea. The album features a world-class orchestra led by conductor David Campbell. My Gift follows the release of Carrie’s sixth studio album, Cry Pretty, which dropped in September 2018. My Gift will also be released on vinyl on Oct. 30.
Listen to Carrie and Isaiah sing “Little Drummer Boy” below.
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