1.) Broadcasting move to The Bull Icons

Mercer University has moved its football radio coverage over to  97.3 FM The Bull Icons, or game coverage can be streamed free online through iHeartRadio. Join the iconic ‘Voice of the Mercer Bears’ Rick Cameron and NFL analyst Roger Jackson live every Saturday. The radio coverage will begin one hour before kickoff. Reporter Megan Trammell will conclude the day’s broadcasts with weekly interviews of Coach Bobby Lamb. Coverage of Mercer sports will continue into the winter and spring months with men and women’s basketball games, which will be followed by Head Coach Bob Hoffman’s concluding remarks.

2.) Men’s basketball schedule released

Head Coach Bob Hoffman announced the schedule for the upcoming season for the men’s basketball team. The Bears kick off season play with the annual Orange and White scrimmage on Nov. 8. Auburn, Arkansas and Ohio State make up a tough stretch of games leading up to the conclusion of non-conference play at Kennesaw State University on Dec. 30. Mercer will top off the 2016 year in January and February with 18 match-ups against Southern Conference rivals, including nine home contests. On March 4-7, the Bears will return to the U. S. Cellular Center in Asheville, North Carolina for their second SoCon tournament showdown.

List of key match ups and tournaments:

Home opener against Allen University (Nov. 13)

Away against Davidson (Nov. 23)

Music City tournament  (Nov. 26, 27 and 29)

SoCon tournament (March 4-7)

3.) Mercer Guard Matt Panaggio to Transfer

After two seasons with Mercer’s men’s basketball team, red-shirt freshman guard Matt Panaggio has decided to transfer. Coach Bob Hoffman expressed nothing but praise for the young athlete when the announcement came last Monday, and he had well wishes for Panaggio and his future career in collegiate basketball. Panaggio appeared in 29 games for Mercer.

4.) New Bear on the Block: Michele Drinkard

Mercer Athletics welcomed Michele Drinkard in June as the new head coach for women’s golf. Drinkard arrived at Mercer with a combined 12 seasons as former head coach at the University of Mississippi and Birmingham Southern College. She boasts seven NCAA team appearances and 15 all-conference performers. Drinkard’s players are not the only ones to receive honors. She has been named  a three-time “Top 50 Teacher” of golf for Women magazine in addition to receiving the honor of Dixie Section PGA Teacher of the Year. Six of Drinkard’s former players are currently on the LPGA tour.

5.) Women’s Lacrosse transitions coaches

Women’s lacrosse Head Coach Eve Levinson, who guided the inaugural women’s lacrosse team to within one win of reaching Atlantic Conference Tournament play, has decided to pursue other professional endeavors apart from Mercer. Levinson’s time at Mercer is noted by a team that boasted a cumulative GPA of 3.27 and 19 All-Academic honors from Atlantic Sun. Earlier this week, Mercer snatched up veteran lacrosse coach Samantha Eustace. Eustace will be leaving her assistant coaching job at James Madison University in Virginia where she played a part in getting the Dukes to the NCAA tournament. As a former lacrosse player, she will bring new energy to this young program as they look to make a smooth transition between coaches.