Andrew College Athletics: What to Look out For in 2026

CUTHBERT, Ga. - As our Fighting Tigers prepare for the Spring 2026 semester, it's hard not to reflect on 2025 while applauding the success and unprecedented growth of Andrew College. When students arrived ahead of the 2025 school year, Cuthbert welcomed a record-breaking 602 students for the fall semester.

Since the 2021-22 school year, Andrew College has experienced steady enrollment growth, increasing from 294 students in fall 2022 to 496 in fall 2024 and now surpassing 600. Under the leadership of President William "Rusty" Kennedy, the college has launched nine new bachelor's degree programs and six athletic teams.

Bachelors Degree Programs

Andrew College has expanded its academic offerings through bachelor's degree programs in:

"This growth is a reflection of the hard work of our faculty, staff, and students, and a sign of confidence in Andrew College's mission," said Dr. Kennedy. "We are proud to build on Andrew's legacy while preparing for an even brighter future."

Throughout the Fall 2025 semester several athletic programs thrived and dominated the competition while showcasing the true definition of being a student-athlete.

Football

In just their second full season, the Fighting Tigers Football team dominated the competition, going 8-1 overall (1-1 in conference), including three straight victories to finish off the year.

The Tigers thrived through a balanced attack from both sides of the ball. Led by QB Ty-ren Randolph, Andrew averaged 33 points and 420 yards per game. The defense did not shy away from competition, allowing just 17 points and 190 yards per game.

"As our season comes to an end, I want to express my gratitude to the entire Andrew College community," said Head Coach Nick Garrett following the 2025 season. "It truly takes a village to achieve the level of success our student-athletes have demonstrated both in the classroom and in the community while also representing our institution across the state of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida on Saturday afternoons."

Men's Soccer

Despite a challenging season, several positives came from the pitch. Including Jesus Palma and Baxton Hawkins. Together this Tigers duo scored six goals, three assists and posted 14 points over the course of the year.

Following the season, Hawkins was named to the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association Men's All-Region First Team.

To close out the semester, Andrew College hired former Golden Boot Award winner and NAIA champion (Lindsey Wilson College) Carnell Learmond as Head Soccer Coach.

"I'm very excited to be a part of a historic moment with the university transitioning from a two-year program and joining the NAIA. That is a historic moment, so I'm very happy to be a part of that transition and leading the team moving forward," said Learmond.

Women's Soccer

The Lady Tigers Soccer Team struggled during the 2025 season, however finished the season off with a much needed victory over Wesleyan College, 1-0. The win over Wesleyan ended an eight-year winless drought and marked the first victory for Head Coach Payton Johnson.

Sophomore standout Avah McGinley named GCAA Second Team All-Conference.

Volleyball

Led by first year Head Coach Tevon Harris, the Fighting Tigers Volleyball Team finished the year going 15-15 including a 3-2 record at Jinks Gymnasium. Despite a tough three-game stretch to close out the season, the Tigers showed toughness, skill and dominance throughout the year having piled up multiple winning streaks, including a six-game stretch from Sept. 13 - 19.

Over their six-game run, they outscored their opponents 18-5, including three consecutive wins in straight sets.

Freshmen OH Karolina Cortes led all Tigers in Kills (340), Kills per set (3.40), Serving Aces Per Set (0.48), Hitting Percentage (.278) and ranked second in Digs behind Amiryan O'neill (273) with 205.

Men's Basketball

Despite some early-season setbacks, including five losses decided by 10 points or fewer, the Tigers are ready to compete as they enter conference play.

Despite some early woes, F Elijah Hightower, was a bright spot for the Tigers, averaging 23.9 points and 4.1 reb while shooting 52.9% from the field and 46.7% from long-range. Unfortunately, the Tigers have had to adjust without him following his November injury, sidelining him for the rest of the Fall semester.

Nevertheless, the Fighting Tigers return to action against Albany Technical College for their first taste of conference play on Jan 7th at 7 p.m.

Women's Basketball

After dropping their first two games of the season, the Lady Tigers have gone 7-2 on the year, including a four-game win streak to close out the semester. Throughout the 2025-26 season, the Tigers are 5-0 at Jinks Gymnasium with an average margin of victory of 21.6 points (+108 point differential).

One of their most impressive victories came on Dec. 2, 2025 against Florida State College at Jacksonville when the Tigers pulled out a 95-88 triple-overtime victory. G Jasmyn Thomas posted a career-high 34 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists.

To close out the semester, Hannah Morris was selected as the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) Women's Basketball Player of the Week for week seven.

"We are extremely proud of Hannah. She has continued to improve her game this fall and we are excited to see what January brings for her," said Head Women's Basketball Coach Kelly Britsky.

On Dec. 11, Morris posted 16 points and six rebounds to lead Andrew College to a 69-54 victory over Southern Union State Community College.

The Lady Tigers return to action on Jan. 7 against Albany Technical College at 5:30 p.m.

What to Expect in 2026

As we look towards the future of Andrew College Athletics, there is an added sense of pride as the Tigers prepare to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), effective July 1, 2026. The move to NAIA represents Andrew's dedication to providing students with a top of the line education and heightened competitive opportunities.

"As a former NAIA student-athlete, I am especially excited that our students will now share in the same opportunities for growth and purpose that shaped my own journey," said Kennedy.

As part of their transition to the NAIA the Tigers will compete in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC).

About the NAIA

Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the NAIA is a governing body dedicated to intercollegiate athletics. Founded in 1937 following a basketball tournament in Kansas City, the longest-running event in college basketball history, the NAIA now includes more than 83,000 student-athletes and sponsors 29 national championships.

About the SSAC

Founded in 1991, the Southern States Athletic Conference is an NAIA conference comprised of 12 member institutions across Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Member institutions include Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Blue Mountain Christian University, Brewton-Parker Christian University, Dalton State College, Faulkner University, Life University, Loyola University New Orleans, Point University, Thomas University, the University of Mobile, the University of Tennessee Southern and William Carey University.

New Scholarships

Andrew College has announced the addition of two new non-athlete scholarships set to begin in the fall 2026 semester, the Sports Information Department Scholarship and the Student Athletic Trainer Scholarship.

The Sports Information Department Scholarship is designed to recognize and reward students who provide essential non-athletic operational support to the athletics department through roles in digital media, statistics, live broadcasts and public relations. The scholarship promotes academic focus while rewarding dedication to the professional aspects of the sports industry.

The Student Athletic Trainer Scholarship was established to support highly dedicated students who have demonstrated academic rigor, and professional potential. The award is intended to relieve financial pressure, allowing recipients to focus on their rigorous coursework while gaining hands-on experience.

Student athletic trainers will work alongside Phillip Latimer, director of sports medicine, and Robert Sales, assistant director of sports medicine. Latimer and Sales provide medical coverage for all 14 Andrew College athletic programs and will offer students practical, hands-on experience throughout the academic year.

The amount of each scholarship will vary based on skill level and financial need, additional details will be announced at a later date.

Tiger Talk

Coming Spring 2026, Andrew College Athletics will launch Tiger Talk, the official podcast of Andrew College Athletics. Hosted by Sports Information Director Sterling Bright. The podcast will follow the Fighting Tigers transition to the NAIA while tackling several topics ranging from student success and breaking news to sitdowns with student-athletes, alumni, coaches and administrators.

Stay Connected

As we gear up for our Spring athletic seasons, follow us on social media for all official schedule releases, photos and sports information updates.

To learn more about Andrew College Athletics, visit:

• University Website: https://www.andrewcollege.edu
  

• Athletics Website: https://andrewfightingtigers.com/landing/index
  

• X: @AthleticsAndrew
  

• Facebook: @ACAthletics
  

• Instagram: @athleticsandrew

Andrew College is a National Junior College Athletic Association Division I school located in Cuthbert, Georgia. The Fighting Tigers sponsor 14 sports and compete in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association. Andrew College will move to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, effective July 1, 2026.