Thanks to Michael Vick, a MEAC football game is being moved to a larger venue. Howard University and Norfolk State University are set to clash at Audi Field on Saturday, Nov. 22, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET in a contest billed as the Truth and Service Classic, presented by AT&T, and broadcast live on ESPN+. This anticipated matchup not only continues Audi Field’s five-year tradition as an HBCU football showcase in the nation’s capital but also marks the venue’s debut as a host for a regular-season college football game.

Norfolk State looks to repeat as MEAC men's basketball champions for the second time this decade and the preseason voters believe they can, naming the Spartans the conference's top team during Wednesday's media day event. Norfolk State led all teams with 118 voter points while Howard was picked second with 97 points. Rounding out the top four are last season's surprise team South Carolina State…

Saying it wants to foster critical thinking and "challenge the status quo," a group of Black conservatives has scheduled an HBCU homecoming campus tour. Blexit—an organization founded by conservative commentator Candace Owens—is taking a tour called “Educate to Liberate” to 10 campuses this month. According to the Blexit website, the mission of the tour is about "sparking powerful conversations on HBCU campuses.”

The Howard women's basketball team has made the MEAC championship game each of the last five seasons, winning the championship in 2022, so it's no surprise the preseason voters expect them to make it back again this year. The Bison were selected as the top team in the MEAC women's basketball preseason polls with 118 points. Three-time defending champion Norfolk State was picked second with 107 points, while Maryland-Eastern Shore (93 points) and North Carolina Central (68 points) round out the top half of the rankings. Back to back preseason No.

Andrew Body and Jacobian Morgan are set to face off in what is probably the biggest game of the HBCU football season. The spotlight falls squarely on the two dynamic quarterbacks, each looking to make a statement for their respective teams, Alabama State and Jackson State, in a matchup that will decide which team wins the SWAC East. Morgan, of course, has already won a SWAC and HBCU national championship. He was also voted preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year. A win on Saturday would give the Tigers an inside track on another SWAC East championship.

Weeks after one HBCU band asked to be removed from the ESPN Red Lobster Band of the Year rankings, another band's director expressed the same position. Donovan V. Wells, director of Bethune-Cookman's Marching Wildcats, shared a post on Facebook Tuesday, accusing ESPN of "forcing" institutions into the contest. "Despite my repeated requests to exclude the Marching Wildcats, since the event's inception, my requests have been ignored," Wells wrote. "Instead, it feels as though we are being forced into competition. I cannot, in good conscience and as an educator, accept this rule of thought for the young women and men I represent in this band program."

The Delaware State football team has been through some massive changes in the last three years, including their third head coach in that time period, NFL all-pro and Super Bowl champion DeSean Jackson. Many outsiders wondered if Jackson was ready and willing for the task to rebuild a program that has not had a winning record in 13 years. Heading into their homecoming game against D2 Southern Connecticut State, the Hornets are 3-3, including a 3-game win streak that was the longest since their last winning season of 2012. As someone who grew up watching DelState football, covering the program as a student reporter and covering them again 20-plus years later for HBCU Sports (damn, I’m old), I believe I have the insight necessary to explain why this year is cause for hope in a dark, nearly 20-year period of futility.

The Virginia State Trojans men's basketball team come in to the 2025-2026 season as the team to beat, being picked to finish atop the CIAA standings in the conference's predicted order of finish. The 2024-2025 season was a year of improvement for the Trojans, upgrading from an 8-9 record against the CIAA the previous year to a 13-3 record, earning the CIAA North division title.

Much is expected of the two-time defending CIAA Women's Basketball champion Fayetteville State Broncos, being selected to win a third straight title in the conference's predicted order of finish. Last season, the Broncos recorded their second straight 20-win season, finishing with a 21-8 overall record, including a 13-3 record against the CIAA. After taking down Bluefield State and Virginia Union in the first two rounds of the CIAA tournament, they claimed back-to-back CIAA titles after defeating Virginia State…

Florida A&M head coach James Colzie called the Rattlers performance so far “not acceptable” while placing the burden on himself to save the season. “We’ve got to be more consistent,” Colzie said during his weekly media session. “1 and 3 is not acceptable here at this institution — not acceptable for myself, not acceptable for that locker room. To stay as the head coach at most universities, you’ve got to win and have success to keep that seat.

The Virginia Union Panthers' football team remarkable ascent to championship contention has been a story of consistency, trust, and belief. While many will rightfully credit head coach Dr. Alvin Parker, who was hired to take over the team in 2018, for the success of the Panthers, an unheralded name that has played a significant role is Associate Head Coach Diego Ryland. Coach Ryland's journey to Richmond was an unconventional one, where circumstances nearly ended his career in football before it began. Coming out of Lake Taylor High School, Ryland was preparing to walk on as a defensive back for the North Carolina State football team when real life intervened to take him down a different path.

In a season already marked by growing pains, Norfolk State head coach Michael Vick is facing mounting adversity. The former NFL star and newly minted head coach has watched his Spartans struggle to find a consistent footing on the field, hindered repeatedly by penalties that surface at crucial moments and ultimately derail drives and momentum. In his candid remarks following recent games, Vick did not hold back.

When Alabama State and Jackson State meet on Saturday, it won’t just be another conference game. It’s a battle soaked in SWAC tradition, a contest with division title implications, and a nationally televised showcase for two of the league’s top programs. For Hornets head coach Eddie Robinson Jr., the matchup carries a dual perspective — a deep historical connection, and the present-day urgency of chasing a championship.

Morgan State head coach Damon Wilson didn’t mince words after Saturday’s heartbreaking loss at Georgetown, a game that slipped away in the final seconds due to what he called poor “situational football.” The Bears had battled back from a 14–0 first-half deficit to seize control late, but a last-second Hail Mary touchdown pass by the Hoyas turned a comeback into a crushing defeat.

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has issued suspensions and fines following a postgame altercation between the Fort Valley State University and Central State University football teams on October 4. SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman expressed his disappointment, stating, "Acts of unsportsmanlike conduct have no place in intercollegiate athletics or within the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference." He lamented that the incident overshadowed what was otherwise a fiercely competitive game.

Week six of the HBCU football season ends with a strong teaser for the upcoming weekend, setting up what will be the Game of the Year in the SWAC in week seven. The CIAA champs are on the fast track to a third straight title game appearance thanks to what has been a monstrous streak by their star running back.

Week six of the Division II HBCU football season yielded results that prompted a significant shift in the rankings from the previous week. The biggest dropoff came from Livingstone, which suffered its first conference loss of the season against Elizabeth City State (first conference win of the year). Elsewhere, Virginia Union stayed undefeated in conference play with a win over Winston-Salem State,

Week Five went mostly by the letter in HBCU Division I Football, but one convincing win calls for a change at the top of the Ultimate HBCU Sports Division I poll. After that, not much more movement, but Week Six could bring a changing of the guard. Before we get there, here's our rankings after Week Five. 1. Jackson State (4-1) Last Week: Defeated Alabama A&M 57-24 in the Gulf Coast Challenge Up Next: vs. Alabama State, Saturday Oct. 11 The Tigers' offense looked otherworldly in handling AAMU in Mobile…

The leader in the clubhouse in the attendance category for week 6 of the HBCU football season is Alabama State's high-scoring win over Bethune-Cookman. Alabama State vs. Bethune-Cookman: 24,736 South Carolina State vs. Savannah State: 24,322 Morehouse vs. Tuskegee: 14,586 North Carolina A&T vs. William & Mary: 12,783 Jackson State vs. Alabama A&M: 14,517 Hampton vs. Norfolk State: 9,710…

Hampton and Norfolk State renewed their storied HBCU rivalry Saturday in the latest edition of the Battle of the Bay. The Spartans, led by first-year head coach Michael Vick, fell to 1-5 on the season after suffering a 41-34 loss to the Pirates. Hampton improved to 2-4 on the season. But when it comes to rivalries like these, there is another battle that is never determined by a final score, the halftime show between the two marching bands. We’ve found the halftime performances of the Hampton University Marching Force and the Norfolk State Spartan Legion.

A fatal shooting on the campus of South Carolina State University late Saturday night has left one student dead and another person injured. University officials confirmed that officers from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and campus police responded to reports of gunfire near the university’s student housing complex shortly after 11 p.m. According to authorities, the victim, whose name has not yet been released pending family notification, was pronounced dead at the scene. The injured individual was transported to the Regional Medical Center in stable condition. Witnesses reported hearing multiple shots during what appeared to be a confrontation near a parking area.

HBCU homecomings usually happen in the spirit of fellowship and camaraderie, but unfortunately, one such game was not the case. Fort Valley State and visiting Central State exchanged blows in an ugly post-game brawl following the Marauders' 18-14 upset win over the Wildcats. Fort Valley State and Central State football teams got into a massive brawl at the conclusion of Fort Valley’s homecoming loss: pic.twitter.com/IfjYkarhBD — Kalan Hooks (@KalanHookstv) October 4, 2025 The fight, which took the shine off CSU's second straight win under new head coach Tony Carter, capped a terrible week for Fort Valley State. The Blue Machine Marching Band was suspended, and members were criminally charged following allegations of hazing rituals.

Playing without star quarterback Isaiah Knowles, the Albany State Golden Rams don't miss a beat, securing a dominant 47-6 win on the road against the Lane Dragons. Knowles was held out of this game after suffering an injury in the Golden Rams' win over Allen last week, keeping him from playing in the second half. Albany State improves to 3-0 against the SIAC with the win, retaining a three-way tie…

The Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls are back to their winning ways, going on the road to claim a 31-20 win over the Virginia State Trojans. Johnson C. Smith claims its second straight win after suffering its first loss of the year against Virginia Union. They improve to 2-1 against the CIAA with the win (5-1 overall), entering a tie with Livingstone for third place in the conference standings. Meanwhile, Virginia State has dropped its first two conference contests, something they have not done since 2012. Golden Bulls quarterback Kelvin Durham finished with 251 passing yards, completing 62% of his passes, and scoring four touchdowns to one interception.

Braden Davis threw for a touchdown and ran for another as Hampton held off Norfolk State, 41-34, to win The Battle of the Bay. Davis, the Pirates’ signal-caller, completed 16 of 28 passes for 202 yards and connected with Donovan Shepard for a 7-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to help close an early gap. The junior later broke free for a 21-yard rushing score with 8:52 remaining, pushing Hampton’s lead to 41-31 — enough cushion to withstand a late Norfolk State push.