HBCUs on the Quest to Achieve Athletic Excellence

Makur Maker, the five-star center from Hillcrest Prep in Las Vegas, Nevada, committed to Howard University on July 3, becoming the highest-ranked (16th in the nation and fourth in his position) basketball prospect to commit to a historically Black college or university (HBCU) since 2007. After making his announcement, Maker took to Twitter, tweeting, “I need to make the HBCU movement real so that others will follow. I hope I inspire guys like Mikey Williams to join me on this journey.” Though his choice to attend a HBCU raises many questions, one thing is clear: it will change the landscape of HBCUs dramatically.

Despite being heavily recruited by them, many high school athletes have historically avoided attending HBCUs, a problem that many HBCUs have struggled with. The root of the problem is that HBCUs consistently gain less revenue than their predominantly white competitors and, thus, are viewed as less desirable options. For example, George Washington University competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference, a widely-watched conference, whereas Howard University competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, a conference with dramatically less viewership. Though both schools were near the bottom of their conference standings, George Washington University was able to make a significantly greater profit. Howard University made $10,120,853 in sports-related revenue during its ’19-’20 season while George Washington University, a Division I school, made $20,243,953 in revenue. This dramatic difference in revenue is important, as sports teams use their revenue to cover the cost of scholarships, post-college educational programs, coaching staff, travel, and many other expenses.

HBCUs have gone to extreme measures to compensate for their comparatively meager profits. For instance, many HBCU football programs make deals with non-HBCU powerhouse football programs in which they play games (knowing they will lose), giving non-HBCU teams easy victories in exchange for money. These games have severe negative consequences for HBCU teams, as these losses are very demoralizing for players and increase the risk of injuries. Nonetheless, teams continue to participate in them to garner as much money as possible, a testament to how underfunded HBCU teams are.

Another consequence of this lack of revenue is that HBCUs cannot easily afford quality training staff and resources. This issue feeds into a never-ending cycle in which highly recruited athletes are more inclined to commit to powerhouse Division I programs, where they have higher chances of success, instead of HBCUs. If more high-ranked recruits committed to playing for HBCUs, these athletic programs could gain a huge financial and reputational boost. Mikey Williams, a guard from San Ysidro High School in San Diego, California, who ranks third in the nation, has recently released a list of 10 schools he would like to commit to—five of which are HBCUs. This news is extremely important for the HBCU community, because if this trend continues, HBCUs will be able to build high-quality, competitive teams capable of gaining nationwide attention, which, in turn, will lead to greater funding and revenue.

But money aside, there is something greater at stake. Committing to HBCUs gives Black athletes the opportunity to honor and continue the legacies of their ancestors, who fought resiliently to ensure educational equity through the establishment of HBCUs. Today, HBCUs serve 300,000 students, and nearly 20 percent of all Black graduates receive their degrees from HBCUs. As more athletes like Maker and Williams continue to use platforms such as sports to promote HBCUs, those numbers are expected to rise, and with them, greater respect for HBCUs.