Game to be part of League’s 75th anniversary celebration as NBA extending ongoing commitment to nation’s 107 HBCUs
Howard University and Morgan State University, two of the nation’s oldest and most storied Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), will be center stage in Cleveland during Black History Month when the National Basketball Association brings its All Star Weekend to Cleveland in February.
A highlight of the celebrity studded gala weekend will be a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup between the Howard and Morgan State men’s basketball teams. The game will be played at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center on February 19, 2022 and will be broadcast live.
During the three day weekend celebration, the NBA is expected to contribute more than $1 million in support to the HBCU community through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund [TMCF], the United Negro College Fund [UNCF], and academic institutions. Additionally, HBCUs will be showcased through unique content, storytelling and special performances.
HBCUs account for only about three percent of all colleges in the United States but produce 20 percent of the country’s black college graduates, despite being grossly under-resourced. Their endowments, for example, average about 12% the size of endowments at historically white colleges and universities.
The NBA is partnering with its Players Association to support educational, career and economic opportunities for HBCU students in a variety of ways, in collaboration with HBCU networks. For instance, next year the NBA and its teams will offer a new paid fellowship program for undergraduate and graduate students. The program, which will be led by the NBA Foundation, will offer HBCU students the opportunity to gain real-life insights and professional experience around the business and operations of basketball. The students will work in positions at the league office and NBA and WNBA teams, and be matched with a league or team employee mentor as part of their experience. Applications for the program will open on Careers.NBA.com in the coming months.
The league will also expand the NBA’s targeted referee development strategy to focus on identification, training and educational opportunities for HBCU students and alumni in the officiating pipeline. Its subsidiary NBA 2K League will host events with HBCU networks to introduce students to careers in gaming and esports, creating pathways for students to pursue careers in the growing industry.
Additionally, HBCU alumni and black entrepreneurs will partner with the league as part of the NBA’s commitment to onboarding more minority-owned businesses as league licensees.
Speaking of these initiatives in the press release announcing the NBA-HBCU Classic, Dr. Michael Lomax, UNCF’s CEO, said, “We particularly appreciate the spotlight the league is providing to our member-institutions. All HBCUs deserve this kind of attention, as they have been underserved and under-recognized for decades. … We hope many more doors of opportunity will open for the students HBCUs work so diligently to educate and graduate.”
Kery Davis, Howard University’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and a former HBO Sports executive, said his school “is incredibly proud to take part in the HBCU Classic.” Davis went on in the release to say the “NBA and HBCUs are natural partners because of our rich legacy elevating under-represented communities and our shared passion for cultivating opportunities for people of color. … We are excited to showcase the on- and off-the-court talent and excellence that has come to define student-athletes from the MEAC and HBCUs.”
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