Why Top Black Athletes No Longer Attend HBCUs
 photo by Steed Media Service
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There was a time when Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) produced some of the most competitive football teams in America. Teams such as Florida A&M University (FAMU), Grambling State University and Southern University were known as national powerhouses and were starting points for Hall of Fame players such as Doug Williams (Grambling), Mel Blount (Southern), Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), and Ed “Too Tall” Jones (Tennessee State University). But since the 1980s, many HBCU athletic programs have lost their allure and are mentioned amongst the top teams in the nation. As the commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Dennis Thomas is looking to play a major role in reestablishing the respectability of HBCU athletics.
“We have 12 outstanding academic universities in the MEAC,” Thomas says. “We nurture our students and we let them know that once you get an education at a MEAC school, you are prepared for life. You can go into the business or education field and succeed. My job as commissioner is to bring exposure to our institutions.”
The MEAC recently received national exposure when the cast of ESPN’s College GameDay took the show to FAMU. It was the first time that the show was covered live from an HBCU. “That was a tremendous experience,” Thomas says. “For three years, we worked to get ESPN College GameDay at one of our institutions. The world has seen what the HBCU and FAMU experience is all about. They understand that all of the MEAC schools are exceptional universities.”
Although exposure given to FAMU by ESPN will bring more attention to HBCUs, the schools are still having a difficult time in recruiting some of the top black high school prospects in the nation. Thomas asserts, “Before [integration], the top athletes were denied access to white universities. I think once those opportunities presented [themselves], the top, talented athletes took advantage of it. Instead of going to HBCUs, they began to go to historically white colleges. We want them to know that they can receive the same or better education at an HBCU.” –amir shaw
