Howard Softball’s Tori Tyson Fined by MEAC for Public Comments Made

What should have been a period of celebration for Howard University softball has quickly turned into controversy.

After Howard stunned Minnesota to grab its first Power 4 win in program history on March 1, head coach Tori Tyson has been fined $1,500 by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) for comments she made toward its Player of the Week Selection.

For the first time in PROGRAM HISTORY your Bison take down a Power 4 opponent & collect their 1st ever B1G WIN! ♥️💙 @NCAASoftball @MEACSports pic.twitter.com/Tsakpyj1io
— Howard Bison Softball (@HUBisonSoftball) March 1, 2026

MEAC issues a public reprimand to Howard softball coach Tori Tyson and a $1,500 find for her comments about the player of the week selection.
— Bonitta Best (@BonittaBest) March 5, 2026

Tyson, who is in her seventh year leading the Bison, has routinely been a passionate advocate for her players and felt that the HBCU program deserved credit for the remarkable achievement.

While the conference did not release the specific remarks made by Tysonin its disciplinary notice, it stated the sanction stemmed from “public comments regarding the conference’s Player of the Week selection process.” The conference also determined that her remarks violated conference sportsmanship and ethical conduct policies.

Howard had already captured the conference’s weekly honors in February, when Merci Hart and Julia Holt earned Player and Pitcher of the Week recognition, but several players put up notable performances during the win over Minnesota.

Aniyah Whipper started a rally with a single, followed by an RBI base hit from Maryn Jordan, an RBI double from Angel Riggins, and a two-run double from Cheyenne Castille to take the 4-0 lead.

The Bison built their lead to 5-2 until the Gophers came around to nearly take the game in the sixth inning. Aiko Conaway came in for relief and kept the Gophers at bay, and grabbed the win, while Julia Holt closed the door in the seventh to record her second save of the season.

“This is something that we’ve been working towards, and I hope it inspires them to go a little harder with their training,” Tyson said postgame. “We wanted to prove to ourselves that we could compete with (Power Four) teams. We lost a close one to LSU, and now we’ve beaten Minnesota. This isn’t the ceiling by any means. This is now the standard.”

The win was not only a massive upset for the Big Ten Gophers, but it was a warning for other programs that the Bison are just as capable of competing with the top teams.

Instead, the MEAC awarded weekly honors to Norfolk State’s pitcher Maddy Morris on March 2. She was awarded for a second-straight week on March 9.

The program's evolution under Tyson has been instrumental. In 2024, she led the team to a 32-win season with a 16-5 mark in MEAC play. After the regular season, the program saw eight Bison receive MEAC postseason honors. 2025 saw a 31-20 record, and 2026 is already off to an unforgettable season.

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