Sports fans across the nation are getting a healthy dose of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff this week.
The UAPB football team will host Prairie View A&M at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN2 at Simmons Bank Field in Pine Bluff.
This game will be the second for UAPB (1-4, 0-1 SWAC) on an ESPN network this season. The Golden Lions were on ESPNU when they faced Arkansas in the season opener.
By playing on Friday, there will only be a handful of other Division I games on at the same time as UAPB’s game. This game will follow the conclusion of the only other FCS game of the day between Harvard and Cornell.
There will be four FBS games Friday with which UAPB will competing for viewers, but that is still a much lighter slate than on Saturdays, allowing the Golden Lions and Prairie View (2-4, 1-2) a chance to play on a major sports network.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
UAPB Coach Alonzo Hampton said the Golden Lions are always thankful for the opportunity to play on national television.
“I normally sit in the hotel and watch Friday night games,” Hampton said. “So now, it’s us getting an opportunity to play. So, our young men, as I told them, everybody should be watching you get a chance to go out there and do your very best. We’ll have you ready to play, and so, just take advantage of this moment.”
This comes six days after UAPB’s band, the Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South, performed for a global audience on Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform.
The M4 surrounded the ring at WWE Bad Blood in Atlanta just before the main event to play “Kingdom” by Downstait, which serves as the theme song for WWE champion Cody Rhodes. The M4 went viral after playing the song during the season opener and subsequent games and played it live for WWE fans just before Rhodes entered the ring for his match.
Hampton offers update on Knox
Hampton provided an update on UAPB defensive back Kaleb Knox to the media Monday, saying Knox and his family came by the school.
“He’s doing well, walking on his own, just walking a little gingerly,” Hampton said. “Obviously, it was a scary moment for the young man, scary moment for everybody involved, but man, we people of prayer around here. We had a lot of people calling, praying for him, lifting him up. God delivered again, so that’s the good thing about the God that we serve, right?”
Knox was injured during UAPB’s game at Alcorn State on Saturday. After around 15 minutes on the ground, he was taken by stretcher to an ambulance and eventually airlifted to a hospital in Jackson, Miss.
UAPB announced Sunday night Knox had been released from the hospital. Hampton said Knox appeared to be in good spirits and wants to get back to playing football when he can.
“The kid was talking about, ‘Coach, man, we got practice on Monday, right?'” Hampton said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, we do, but you don’t.’ But that’s just who he is. All is well with the young man, and hopefully, he’ll be coaching with us on Friday when we play Prairie View.”