Should Black Athletes Play For HBCU’s
FeaturedRecently I came across a behind-the-scenes conversation sparked on Brandon Marshall’s podcast “I AM ATHLETE,” about whether or not it would be most beneficial for black college athletes to attend HBCU’s (Historical Black Colleges and University) or PWI’s (Private White Institution’s). The discussion was led by Former NFL linebacker Channing Crowder and Ese Ighedosa, the former associate counsel for the Carolina Panthers. Both made valid points but the decision for top Black recruits to attend a PWI over an HBCU could easily boil down to the financial gap between the institutions.
However, a shift is beginning to happen with the recent rise/attention in the black movement, where black athletes are seriously considering Taking their talents to HBCUs across the country. Top basketball recruit Makur Maker has decided to commit to Howard University, a Historically Black College, over the likes of UCLA, Kentucky, and Memphis.
A decision that has sparked a movement for other top players thinking about attending HBCUs. Top recruit in the 2023 class Mikey Williams had HBCU offers flying in after his tweet hinting at, and later confirming that he would consider HBCUs seriously when deciding where he would go to school.
As NBA star Carmelo Anthony put it, someone of Williams caliber has the power to change college sports if a young black man at the top of his game decided to attend a black university.
It’s been 50+ years since Texas Western College (now known as University of Texas at El Paso or UTEP), won the 1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship. Making NCAA history with an all-black starting lineup. Fast forward to today, seeing an all-black starting 5 is normal in today’s college hoops. So it hasn’t been that long since the thinking has switched on recruiting players based on skill and not skin color. This championship set the stage for college blue bloods like the University of Kentucky (UK) to re-think recruiting as Coach Adolph Rupp offered black athlete a chance to play at that UK the following year.
Some may argue that these smaller black universities can’t compete with well-funded white institutions, being that most recruits want to put themselves in the best situation to make it to the professional level. This essentially means you want to go somewhere that has the best facilities, coaches, competition, and most importantly nationally televised games. But what if all the top recruits decided to commit to an HBCU, then wouldn’t the money follow? You would have the best competition to go up against on a nightly basis. The ESPNs, Fox Sports, and the Turner networks of the world would want to broadcast these games, because of the number of eyes that would tune in. Which in turn is more money for the universities thur sponsorships, ad revenue, and potential alumni engagement as boosters to pay the best coaches.
As the NCAA has been proven it is a organization that wants to rule with absolute power, but can only operate if the student- athletes (employees) comply. However, prior to joining this organization by committing to a university, the top athletes have all the power to swing the pendulum in the direction of their choosing. At an HBCU these young men would be seen as more than just fixtures for a set amount of time. They would be apart of Black history, while also learning about their cultures history and achievements from doctors and professors that look like them.
At a place where they feel at home and comfortable being themselves. Most importantly, these pivotal decisions could keep the momentum moving forward to the next generation of black scholars athletes. So for those top Black Athletes on ESPN’s 300 list, why not attend a prestigious university were you are the majority instead of the minority.
(Some of the most highly recruited black athletes from the past reimagined attending an HBCU)
