WASHINGTON, D.C. — The day after Howard University’s men’s basketball team had its first-ever NCAA tournament win, students on the campus were hoping for more.
But the Bison’s dreams came to an abrupt end on March 19, as the team lost to the University of Michigan 101-80. Howard kept the game close, trailing by just 50-46 at halftime, before the Wolverines pulled away.
Despite Howard’s loss, the school was part of history. For the first time in decades, three historically Black colleges made the opening rounds of the men’s tournament. The Bison joined Prairie View A&M University and Tennessee State University.
In addition, Southern and Howard’s women’s teams also qualified for the tournament. Southern won its second First Four ever on March 19 against Samford University, 65-53, but later lost to the University of South Carolina 103-34. The Howard women’s basketball team was also eliminated in the first round by Iowa State University.
While historically Black colleges and universities competing and winning in March Madness is rare, what’s really at stake is a college’s image, sponsorships, and, of course, money. Black colleges have a funding disadvantage compared to their peers that have predominantly white student populations. With HBCU players’ talents on full display, not only are fans watching, but also sponsors.
After decades of building a name for both the women’s and men’s teams, Howard’s men’s team defeated the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 86-83 in the First Four, the opening round of the tournament with the lowest-ranked teams.
When a college with less money and recognition beats a more well-known team that gets the fans going, students and a professor told Capital B. When asked whether Howard could beat Michigan, some students were extremely confident.
“I feel they can do it,” said Dorsett Edwards, a freshman football player for Howard. “It’s March, anything could happen.”
Edwards’ teammate Liam Allen said he’s watched every game the men’s team played this season. To see them play a “one seed,” or a team at the top of its bracket, is exciting, he said.
Still, Allen and Edwards are hoping the wins open more discussions for collegiate athletes getting paid for their hard work.
“It’s big [a tournament win],” Allen, who’s also a freshman, added. “I think that the money that they win should go to them. I know it’s not gonna happen, but it should.”
The money side of March Madness is a little complicated.
In the men’s tournament, each conference earns a “unit” worth approximately $2 million, which is then distributed to conference members regardless of whether the team plays in the tournament, according to The Washington Post. Payments are spread over the next six years. The more games played, the more money conferences earn.
It wasn’t until last year that the NCAA introduced a similar financial system for the women’s team, according to Fox Sports, yet women’s conferences only make $113,000 per game.
The legacy of HBCU teams
HBCUs may have not been considered at the tournament’s conception in 1939, but in recent years coaches, athletic directors, and players alike have advocated for their inclusion in the annual spring tournament.
People usually associate playing in the NCAA tournament with being a “rich” or “large” school, but J. Kenyatta Cavil, a sports professor and interim dean at Texas Southern University, said that’s not always the case.
“When teams do not have the same level of resources, and they beat the team with more resources, we use the term upset,” said Cavil, who teaches sport management, sport studies and sports entertainment. “People get excited about what they perceive as upset based on all those components associated with the opening-round game.”
But Howard isn’t the first Black college to achieve success or win a game in the tournament.
The NCAA has released a complete history of every tournament game winner, dating back to 1980, when Alcorn State University became the first HBCU to win a tournament game. However, the team lost to Louisiana State University in the next round. Texas Southern has the most tournament appearances, with 11.
Like Howard, Texas Southern won its First Four game in 2021 and came back the next year with another win. With that, the Houston-based university has attracted more visibility for its basketball program and even its academics.
Texas Southern’s past tournament success paved the way for the sports management program, which Cavil spearheaded in 2010.
Within the program, students can choose from five majors for undergraduate and graduate studies, including sports journalism, sports management, and kinesiology.
A chance to break barriers
Teams can earn a bid by winning their conference championship — this accounts for 31 of the spots in the tournament. In Howard’s case, it won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.
The NCAA committee can select an additional 37 “at large” teams based on their performance during the season.
Division 1 is the top tier of college sports programs. While there are more predominantly white institutions that are Division 1 schools, some HBCUs compete on this level as well. The majority of D1 HBCUs colleges are in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, known as the MEAC, and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, or SWAC.
MEAC Schools:
- Howard University
- Coppin State University
- Delaware State
- Morgan State University
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- Norfolk State University
- North Carolina Central University
- South Carolina State University
SWAC Schools:
- Alabama A&M
- Alabama State University
- Alcorn State University
- Bethune-Cookman University
- Florida A&M
- Grambling State University
- Jackson State University
- Mississippi Valley State University
- Prairie View A&M University
- Southern University
- Texas Southern University
- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Kameron Hayes, a junior at Howard, said he didn’t think the Bison could defeat Michigan, but he was still celebrating the team’s first March Madness win. Coming from Atlanta, where college football is huge, he said Howard’s recent wins fulfilled his craving for the kind of sports competitions that he’s been missing.
“It’s history-making to say the least,” Hayes said. “My mom actually used to be the manager for the Howard men’s basketball team eons ago, so it’s really big for her.”
This story has been updated.