By Chris Stevens
July 1 marks the dawning of a new day in college sports.
While school is out for the summer and athletes and coaches are preparing to return to action, HBCU administrators are facing a new challenge.
Schools can now officially offer financial compensation to athletes, with the settlement of the landmark House vs. NCAA court case taking effect.
After generations of under-the-table scandals and denials of wealth, the largest governing body of American college sports has come clean.
Now, athletes in any sport can clean up at the bank.
As far as HBCUs go, the Southwestern Athletic Conference has opted in as a league to House v. NCAA, while Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan State, and North Carolina A&T of the Coastal Athletic Association are also all in on paying players.
In an endless series of unprecedented times, this is one of the most important instances of such in HBCU history. Opting into House v. NCAA means that some schools are going to try to play the money game against schools who have been playing it — legally or otherwise — for generations. Many others will be forced to re-examine their athletic pocketbooks and priorities as HBCUs face the threat of extinction at the hands of the Trump administration.
A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from Yahoo Sports! college sports reporter Ross Dellenger underscores how much money is spent on college athletics.
How HBCUs can play the new money game
The numbers don’t lie: College sports are big business. What can HBCUs do to properly compensate athletes and remain competitive without bankrupting their institutions?
The answers that follow are suggestions only, not surefire ways to even the odds that were never meant to be even in the first place.
For one, alumni donations and giving must increase. As Kenn Rashad said on a recent edition of HBCU Sports’ The Roundtable, we’re about to find out how serious various stakeholders are about competing athletically.
Alumni will have to step up financially to keep their schools from falling farther behind state schools, with the benefit of healthy alumni giving and vast federal and state help.
Also, NIL collectives will need to be formed, as well as partnerships with local businesses and community pillars to provide kids with the incentives needed to keep them at the school. Name, Image, and Likeness means student-athletes can pitch products like your favorite professional athlete, so as the athletes get the publicity, the businesses and outlets they are sponsored by do.
Last, but certainly not least, HBCUs will have to be honest with themselves regarding how they view their athletic programs. We talk about sports being the front porch of our universities, but what good is a shiny porch when the house, excuse the pun, is falling apart on the inside?
HBCUs’ mission has always been to educate young Black people and give them a pathway to success in a world that has been against them from the word “go.”
Sports are important, yes, but as UMES vice president of athletics Tara Owens told me last month, they can’t jeopardize the institution.
In short, there are plenty of major decisions that HBCU presidents, chancellors, and athletic directors will need to make quickly. Can our schools play this money game, or will taking our ball and going home be acceptable?
