Our men's golf program has been ranked 44th nationally by Golf Digest, proclaiming it one of NCAA's best colleges for golf. The September issue, on newsstands now, names the 50 top programs, with Tennessee Tech ranked ahead of every other Ohio Valley Conference school.

"This is wonderful to be recognized by Golf Digest as a top program," says Director of Athletics Mark Wilson. "We have watched this program grow into a top-notch organization that many student-athletes wish to join. I am very pleased for coach Bobby Nichols and the players; their hard work and enthusiasm continue to pay off every day."

One of just two Tennessee schools to be listed on the poll, the Golden Eagles
were ranked only seven spots behind Vanderbilt University, which placed 37th.
Murray State University, the only other OVC school named to the list, ranked
49th in the national poll.

"What a great honor," says veteran head coach Nichols. "We've had some
good years and good players. I'm really happy for the players and this program. We are looking for bigger and better things this year. Our goal is to move up higher and higher on the charts. We want to continue to make Tennessee Tech one of the first programs that high school students look to make a home where they can continue to improve their talents."

The Golden Eagles posted a 93-34-1 overall record for the 2005-06 season,
finishing second in the OVC tournament championships. TTU grabbed one first-place finish during regular season tournament play and eight top-five finishes during the past season.

Tech's program has won the OVC championship four times, claiming titles in
1951, 1954, 1955 and 1990.

Golden Eagle junior Scott Stallings finished the 2005-06 season being named
OVC Player of the Year, marking the third time a TTU player has earned this
recognition.

He tied for eighth place at the NCAA East Regional in Florida and earned one of two spots for individuals at the national championships, becoming the second Tech player to reach the nationals championships. He narrowly missed the final round of the 109th NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships in Sunriver, Ore., coming up short by one stroke and finishing his three rounds in 23rd place among the 156 players.

Stallings, named honorable mention All-America, returns to the Golden Eagle lineup in 2006-07 with a season opener Sept. 4-5 at the Wasioto Winds Fall Invitational, hosted by Morehead State University.

The full college rankings, including every Division I, Division II and Division III school in the U.S. with a golf program, can be viewed at www.golfdigest.com/collegeguide. The extensive College Golf Guide package — with tips for identifying the best campuses and a revealing survey of 200 college golf coaches on the student-evaluation and recruiting process — can also be viewed online.

UCLA took the top spot in the men's "Golf First" ranking, being the only
school to rank in the top 10 percent in three of the five categories: scoring,
climate and coaches/facilities.