1989 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team
American college football season
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The 1989 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team represented Prairie View A&M University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by second-year head coach Haney Catchings, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 2–8 and a mark of 1–6 in conference play, and finished seventh in the SWAC.
- Haney Catchings (2nd season)
| 1989 Prairie View A&M Panthers football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
| Record | 2–8 (1–6 SWAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Defensive coordinator | Ronald Beard (6th season) |
| Home stadium | Edward L. Blackshear Field |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Grambling State $^ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17 Jackson State ^ | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alcorn State | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Southern | 3 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama State | 2 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prairie View A&M | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi Valley State | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On October 28, the Panthers defeated Mississippi Valley State 21–12. This would be the Panthers' last win until September 26, 1998.[1]
Off-field incidents
The 1989 season was marred by several off-field incidents within the program. Several players accused Catchings of withholding their financial aid until they proved themselves on the field. Catchings would even take their book away because players weren't playing well enough. After university administration was slow to act, several players boycotted the program.[2] The academic performance of the team also came under scrutiny; at one point only 12 players had a GPA over 2.0.[3]
Dismissal of Catchings and shuttering of program
In May 1990, the university announced that the athletic programs were suffering major financial issues, generating a deficit of $3 million over the previous 5 seasons; a month later, the Houston Chronicle reported that more than $100,000 was missing from the athletic department.[4] Head coach Haney Catchings was later charged for filing fraudulent expense reports.[5] Catchings pleaded guilty, was sentenced to five years probation, and fined over $1,500.[6]
Due to financial difficulties, the university announced that it would be shuttering all athletic programs except for track and field. The football program would return for the 1991 season.[7]
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2 | at Texas Southern | L 7–45 | [8] | ||
| September 9 | at Southwest Texas State* | L 0–41 | [9] | ||
| September 16 | Jackson State | L 0–66 | [10] | ||
| September 23 | Southern | L 3–34 | [11][12] | ||
| September 30 | vs. Grambling State | L 0–39 | 59,302 | [13] | |
| October 7 | at Arkansas–Pine Bluff* | W 32–35 (forfeit win) | [14][15] | ||
| October 21 | at Alabama State | L 0–47 | 7,000 | [16] | |
| October 28 | Mississippi Valley State |
| W 21–12 | [17] | |
| November 4 | at Langston* |
| L 18–19 | 7,200 | [18] |
| November 11 | vs. Alcorn State |
| L 7–56 | 5,161 | [19] |
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