It’s time for an HBCU Superconference

5 Comments

1. 

   Kenny

   July 4, 2020 at 10:24 am

   Whether it be a super conference or not, it’s time for some HBCU schools to move up to the FBS level. The one that is most likely to do it in the very near future, is North Carolina A&T. From an overall stability standpoint, they’re best equipped to do it.

   But one of the things I’ve said since FAMU’s failed attempt in the early 2000s, is that a HBCU program shouldn’t make the jump by themselves. At least one other school should join them, to at least have one HBCU on the FBS stage that could be a rival.
2. 

   Kenny

   July 4, 2020 at 10:25 am

   But let’s see what the HBCU schools need to do to meet the FCS to FBS requirements:

   (1) Average at least 15,000 home attendance in a 2 year rolling period ( 2018 – 2019 ) – city size/metro area included

   Jackson St – ( 29,266 ) . . . . . . . . . . . Jackson, MS metro ( 575,000 )
   Southern – ( 17,880 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . Baton Rouge, LA metro ( 830,000 )
   Florida A&M – ( 17,205 ) . . . . . . . . . Tallahassee, FL metro ( 385,000 )
   Alabama St – ( 16,636 ) . . . . . . . . . . Montgomery, AL metro ( 375,000 )
   North Carolina A&T – ( 16,211 ). . . Greensboro, NC metro ( 725,000 )
   Alcorn – ( 14,190 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lorman/Jefferson Co, MS ( 8,000 )
   Alabama A&M – ( 10,327 ) . . . . . . . Huntsville, AL metro ( 455,000 )
   Norfolk St – ( 10,083 ) . . . . . . . . . . . Norfolk, VA metro ( 1,670,000 )
   South Carolina St – ( 9,757 ) . . . . . Columbia, SC metro ( 835,000 ) . . . not officially in the metro, but only 40 mi away
   Tennessee St – ( 9,605 ) . . . . . . . . . Nashville, TN metro ( 2,000,000 )
   Grambling – ( 9,291 ) . . . . . . . . . . . . Grambling/Ruston, LA metro ( 50,000 )

   From an attendance standpoint, these 11 school have the best chance of sustaining, or getting to that 15,000 attendance number over a 2 year period, if the commitment was made by these schools to make the jump. And all but Alcorn and Grambling are located in mid sized to large metro populations with at least 50,000 – 150,000 Black people living in the area .

   At minimum, 8 of these teams will be needed to create the HBCU conference on the FBS level. The creation of this conference, however, will end the SWAC as we know it, with 6 member schools potentially gone, and drive the final nail in the MEAC coffin with the possible departures of Norfolk St and South Carolina St.
3. 

   Kenny

   July 4, 2020 at 10:26 am

   (2) Sponsor at least 16 varsity sports

   Most HBCUs sponsor 13 – 16 varsity sports. At minimum, you’d like for all schools to sponsor at least 7 male sports and 9 female sports. A decision to move up wouldn’t be hard to achieve this, so as long as all member schools are participating in the same sports. The COVID threat this year has forced schools at all levels to cut back or disband sports for this upcoming school year.

   (3) Minimum of 50% of all athletes and 90% of football players on scholarship. ( Minimum of 63 football scholarships. Maximum of 85 football scholarships ).

   On the FBS level, every football player gets a full ride scholarship. On the FCS level, some will receive partial scholarships. FCS schools definitely take advantage of the partial scholarship provision, so this will be a major change for HBCUs to provide athletes with full scholarships.
4. 

   Kenny

   July 4, 2020 at 10:28 am

   (4) Minimum of 200 athletic scholarships across all sports, or spend at least 4 million on athletic scholarships.

   This will be the toughest thing for HBCU schools to meet. If a school isn’t fielding all 85 scholarships for football, meeting that 200 criteria will have to come in the form of creating another sport. And because of Title IX, that sport will more than likely be a women’s sport. Soccer and field hockey is the largest team sports in women’s athletics.
5. 

   Kenny

   July 4, 2020 at 10:30 am

   So this will not be an easy feat for multiple HBCU’s to meet. NCAT, I believe, could get there within the next 5 years, with no help from another HBCU. Athletically and academically, they already have the right focus. And if a coordinated plan was developed, I believe that . . .

   – FAMU
   – Southern
   – Jackson St
   – Tennessee St
   – Alabama A&M
   – Alabama St

   . . . can get there too. And just for history’s sake, somehow Grambling has to be a part of that mix as well.

   So that’s my minimum 8 team FBS conference made up of HBCU schools.