- University News Archive - 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock /news-archive/tag/george-lee/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Fri, 01 Jul 2022 15:43:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Little Rock Officially Joins Ohio Valley Conference /news-archive/2022/07/01/little-rock-joins-ovc/ Fri, 01 Jul 2022 15:43:07 +0000 /news/?p=81822 ... Little Rock Officially Joins Ohio Valley Conference]]> The move to the Ohio Valley Conference provides a new conference affiliation for 13 of Little Rock’s 15 intercollegiate athletic programs. The new membership was officially announced last December in a press conference at the Jack Stephens Center. Little Rock officially joined the league Friday alongside Lindenwood and Southern Indiana. “In accepting the Ohio Valley Conference invitation, we begin a new and exciting chapter for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and Trojan Athletics that better aligns our sports portfolio with available conference resources and reaffirms our commitment to athletic and academic excellence,” said 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale in that December press conference. “I am very excited that the day is finally here, and we are now proud members of the Ohio Valley Conference,鈥 said Director of Athletics George Lee. 鈥淚n doing our research on the Ohio Valley Conference, the history and tradition of the league made it an enticing new conference home for our Trojan athletic programs as we look forward to adding our mark to the history of the OVC this year as the league celebrates a milestone anniversary and for years to come.”Little Rock becomes the league’s 10th institution, joining Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri State, SIU Edwardsville, Southern Indiana, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin. As the nation’s eighth-oldest NCAA Division I conference, the OVC is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The additions of Little Rock, Lindenwood and Southern Indiana mark just the 22nd, 23rd and 24th additions to the league over its 74-year history. The move to the Ohio Valley Conference will bring about more regional rivalries and a better experience for the Trojan student-athletes as all but one member of the OVC is located less than 500 miles from Little Rock鈥檚 campus. This will mean reduced travel time for student-athletes, less time missed from class, lower travel expenses for the entire athletic department and more opportunities for alumni, donors and fans to attend road conference games.
A map of the members of the Ohio Valley Conference.

A map of the members of the Ohio Valley Conference.

Since making the jump to Division I, Little Rock’s athletic programs have combined for 51 conference championships, including a combined 21 for men’s and women’s basketball, with 42 NCAA postseason appearances by Trojan athletic programs. In the last seven seasons, Little Rock athletic teams have combined to make 12 NCAA postseason appearances, most recently being represented by men’s golf and men’s track and field in 2022. Throughout its history, Little Rock has two team national championships, 11 individual national championships and has had 12 Trojans honored as Academic All-Americans. Find out . Additionally, Little Rock’s athletic programs have excelled in the classroom with the department boasting a cumulative GPA of 3.358 through the spring 2022 semester. The Trojans have produced 12 Academic All-Americans since 2000 with seven Trojan athletic programs receiving academic recognition by their respective governing organizations since 2020-21. “The OVC is delighted to add Little Rock to its membership, given its history of competitive success and its commitment to student-athletes,”聽 OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche said at the December press conference. “As we discussed the process of membership, there was an immediate acknowledgment that the values of our conference and their institution align. Our intention is to create a long-lasting partnership that will enhance the student-athlete experience and strengthen the competitive success of the entire OVC.” The move to the Ohio Valley Conference affects 13 of Little Rock’s 15 intercollegiate athletic programs, each of which will begin competing in their new league beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. Little Rock’s wrestling program will continue to compete in the Pac-12 Conference with swimming and diving remaining a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Since 2018, the OVC has hosted its men’s and women’s basketball championships at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana, with the tournament contracted there through at least the 2022-23 season. The OVC also hosts neutral site championships for baseball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s and women’s golf, with campus site championships for men’s and women’s cross country, soccer and volleyball. ABOUT THE OVC The Ohio Valley Conference, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022-23, was founded in 1948, making it the eighth-oldest Division I athletic conference. Over the years OVC teams have garnered national championships in football along with national team or individual titles in the sports of rifle, cross country, track and golf.聽 In the 1950s the OVC became a pioneer when Morehead State became one of the first non-traditionally Black mid-southern institutions to accept an African-American student. Soon after the passing of Title IX legislation, the OVC began formulating plans for women’s athletics, which began in 1977. The OVC has long been a national leader in sportsmanship and in 1995 implemented a first-of-its-kind Sportsmanship Statement, a policy that promotes principles of fair play, ethical conduct and respect for one’s opponent. The OVC has a multi-year media rights agreement with ESPN as well as a sponsorship agreement with LEARFIELD. The Ohio Valley Conference sponsors 18 championship sports. The league consists of 10 member institutions in six states, including include Eastern Illinois University, Lindenwood University, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Morehead State University (charter member), Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, University of Southern Indiana, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University and the University of Tennessee at Martin. For more information, visit .  ]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Announces Partnership with NOCAP Sports /news-archive/2021/08/25/nocap-sports-partnership/ Wed, 25 Aug 2021 15:55:25 +0000 /news/?p=79694 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Announces Partnership with NOCAP Sports]]> NOCAP Sports offers 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student-athletes a portal to major brands and companies eagerly looking to sign up collegiate influencers at no cost to the athlete. Both athletes and local brands interested in influencer marketing opportunities can sign up at聽. “This is an exciting time for all in college athletics, and we want to ensure that Little Rock student-athletes are able to capitalize in the most effective way possible,” said Director of Athletics George Lee. “Our partnership with NOCAP will enable our student-athletes to maximize their name, image, and likeness opportunities, while also gaining the best branding and financial literacy education.” NOCAP’s platform automates the monitoring of NCAA and university compliance rules to proactively protect every student-athletes’ eligibility and eliminate the compliance and documentation burden for all parties involved. Student-athletes that sign up will receive exclusive access to some of the most lucrative brands and deal opportunities in the industry and access to NOCAP’s education partners to teach every athlete financial literacy, social media best practices, branding, and entrepreneurship. Most recently, NOCAP ushered in the聽聽in this new NIL era.]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Receives NCAA AASP $100,000 Grant for Greg and Marilyn Brown Academic Center /news-archive/2021/07/22/ncaa-aasp-greg-and-marilyn-brown-academic-center/ Thu, 22 Jul 2021 14:37:56 +0000 /news/?p=79420 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Receives NCAA AASP $100,000 Grant for Greg and Marilyn Brown Academic Center]]> The Little Rock Athletics department has been awarded $100,000 to assist with the program’s initiative to enhance the Greg and Marilyn Brown Academic Center. The funds will be used to renovate the center as well as provide technological and software enhancements for Trojan student-athletes, including more workstations and updated computers. Additionally, the department will add a graduate assistant position to assist in creating programming aimed at providing support for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student-athletes to become better prepared for life after graduation. “We’re pleased to be able to receive this grant from the NCAA to be able to further support our Trojan student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics George Lee. “We remain committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience, which includes success in the classroom. This grant from the NCAA will help聽 add more resources for our student-athletes to continue to excel.” The AASP grant will further assist in 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock’s commitment to ensure student-athletes succeed in the classroom as well as in competition. The Trojans continue to add to a tradition of excellence academically, coming off a spring semester in which the department boasted a 3.17 GPA with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student-athletes holding a combined GPA of 3.31. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock has extended its streak of semesters above a 3.0 department GPA to 18-straight as an impressive 71 percent of the Trojans’ 248 student-athletes finished the spring 2021 semester with a 3.0 GPA or higher.]]> Trojan Student-Athletes Register Record-Setting Semester /news-archive/2020/05/28/trojan-student-athletes-register-record-setting-semester/ Thu, 28 May 2020 13:34:02 +0000 /news/?p=77001 ... Trojan Student-Athletes Register Record-Setting Semester]]> The performance extends the department’s impressive streak of semesters above a 3.0 to 16-straight, continuing to show Little Rock’s commitment to success in the classroom. “This semester was unlike any we’d ever seen, and I’m extremely proud of the effort of our student-athletes in prioritizing academics during this unprecedented spring,” said Director of Athletics聽. “With the inability of our student-athletes to compete, I’m thankful to our coaches for making it a top priority among each of their teams. I’m also appreciative of the efforts of聽聽and her staff and the challenges that were faced with our student-athletes not on campus for a good portion of the semester.” An incredible 79.5 percent of Trojan student-athletes (175) posted a GPA of 3.0 or higher with 116 finishing with above a 3.5 and 58 notching a perfect 4.0. Additionally, 14 of Little Rock’s 15 athletic programs finished the spring 2020 semester with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. Women’s golf boasted the top team performance of the spring with a 3.95 team GPA as all five golfers finished with a 3.8 or higher, with four of them notching a perfect 4.0. Volleyball finished second with a 3.71 team GPA as 91.7 percent of the roster finished with a 3.0 or higher, including eight above a 3.5 and four with a 4.0. Swimming and diving had a stellar spring semester as well, finishing with a team GPA of 3.62 as 90 percent of the squad was above a 3.0, including a department-best 14 swimmers with a perfect 4.00 GPA. Soccer added a 3.61 GPA as 88% of student-athletes eclipsed the 3.00 mark with seven tallying a 4.0. Men’s golf had all eight of its student-athletes finish with a 3.0 or higher with three perfect marks, followed by women’s track and field/cross country’s 3.48 team GPA. The Trojan women saw nine student-athletes reach a perfect 4.0 GPA for the semester as men’s track and field added four additional, finishing with a 3.25 team GPA and 76 percent of the squad notching a 3.0 GPA or higher. Baseball continued to elevate its team GPA, finishing the spring with a 3.32 mark during its competition season as 78.1 percent of the team posted a 3.00 or higher and six registered a 4.0 for the spring term. Wrestling continued to show its impact on the department with a 3.20 team GPA following its first competition season with 72 percent of Trojan wrestlers above a 3.0 and three with a 4.0. Improvements were also made in both the men’s and women’s basketball programs with the women finishing with a 3.09 GPA and nine players above a 3.0. During their Sun Belt championship season, the Trojan men saw 10 players finish above a 3.0 GPA with three 4.0 finishers as the team GPA just missed reaching the 3.0 threshold at 2.98. The academic honors continued what has become a major focus for Trojan athletics. Over the past year, six different Trojan athletic programs earned academic recognition by their respective national organizations while a handful of Little Rock student-athletes achieved individual academic recognition. Student-athletes who achieved a 4.0 GPA for the spring 2020 semester include: Baseball (6):聽Kale Emshoff, Nathan Lyons, Houston Parker, Reed Shepherd, Austin Smith, Gage Trahan Men’s Basketball (3):聽Marko Lukic, Ryan Pippins, Jovan Stulic Women’s Basketball (1):聽Nicole Hemphill Men’s Golf (3):聽Anton Albers, Danial Durisic, Devon Whitaker Women’s Golf (4):聽Malena Austerslaatt, Tilde Bocker, Kellie Gachaga, Thea Wakeford-Wessman Soccer (7):聽Bergros Asgeirsdottir, Julia Curatolo, Peyton Laughley, Maddy Peake, Samantha Rolka, Kenedie St. Mary, Hilma Svalander Swimming and Diving (14):聽Jessie Baldwin, KateLin Carsrud, Fernanda Gamez, Mia Gibson, Carolyn Godwin, Ashleigh Green, Annya Grom, Alexis McCauley, Avery McLean, Palmer Ristroph, Sierra Thain, Katelyn White, Charis Won, Lea Zengerling Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country (4):聽Caleb Chevis, Max Holzmueller, Troy McKnight, Jose Vivanco Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country (9):聽Shelby Dunlap, Mia Dunning, Nicole Edison, Amanda Gordon, Lauren Hurrell, Hannah Manning, Tricia Pierce, Allison Risius, Alison Stephens Volleyball (4)聽Cassidy Brady, Laura Jansen, Annelise Samson, Nathalia Vigineski Wrestling (3):聽Noah Aziere, Aidan Campbell, Miles Santiago]]> Lee to Lead 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Athletic Department /news-archive/2019/10/11/george-lee-athletic-director/ Fri, 11 Oct 2019 15:10:09 +0000 /news/?p=75408 ... Lee to Lead 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Athletic Department]]> Lee, who joined the Athletics Department 23 years ago as business manager, assumes the position Nov. 1. He replaces Chasse Conque, who left the university in August to become vice chancellor and AD at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. 鈥淕eorge Lee鈥檚 experience with our Trojan Athletics program, along with his thorough understanding of every aspect of NCAA Division I collegiate athletics, make him highly qualified for the position,” said Drale. “He is well respected by his colleagues and is dedicated to the success of our student athletes. This two-year appointment will give us the opportunity to review and strengthen our program under the leadership of someone who knows the program well, understands our mission, and has critical institutional insight.鈥 Lee thanked Dr. Drale for the opportunity. 鈥淲e have an outstanding program of coaches and staff who will help me continue to move 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Athletics forward,” he said. “Our student-athletes are talented not only in their respective sports but also in the classroom. Last year our athletes鈥 GPA average was one of the highest percentages in program history.鈥 The new athletic director pointed out that this is the university鈥檚 inaugural year of men鈥檚 wrestling, and many fans are enthusiastic about starting the state鈥檚 only Division I wrestling program. Lee commended the members of the Trojan Athletic Foundation for their support and assistance in raising funds for the program and helping raise the profile of the Trojans. 鈥淲e wouldn鈥檛 be where we are today without them and all of our fans and supporters over the years,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e will continue to lean on them and the community to back Little Rock鈥檚 Team and generate enthusiasm for the program.鈥 Lee urged central Arkansans to come out to beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, in the Jack Stephens Center. Men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball coaches, players, and the Trojans Dance Team will be introduced during an evening of activities and refreshments. Season ticket holders can pick up their tickets and schedules for the 2019-20 season. A 1987 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, he is married to Joni Lee, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock vice chancellor of University Affairs. They have two children.]]>