(Todd A. Smith)
A rebirth is happening in the world of HBCU sports, and my home conference, the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is at the forefront of that movement.
Unfortunately, movements are not always easy.
But who said a renaissance was all smooth sailing?
When Deion Sanders became the head football coach at Jackson State University, bringing his son quarterback Shedeur Sanders and top high school recruit Travis Hunter with him, many other top athletes began looking at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) as possible destinations f0r their college careers.
With that excitement that Sanders brought to the SWAC came more media attention and eyeballs as people wanted to see what the Hall of Famer could do on the sidelines, especially an HBCU sideline.
Even after Sanders left for Colorado, HBCUs kept the momentum up by hiring high profile former NFL players as coaches like Michael Vick (Norfolk State University), DeSean Jackson (Delaware State University) and Marshall Faulk (Southern University).
But the Southern Jaguars do not seem content at being steppingstones for the next generation of college coaches.
The HBCU in Baton Rouge, La. has now begun contemplating selling the naming rights to their sports facilities as a means of pumping revenue into athletic programs that are constantly strapped for real cash because of a lack of lucrative television deals or wealthy alumni.
Like all HBCUs, Southern might not have many wealthy graduates.
But they do have some like attorney and board member Tony Clayton.
The Southern graduate, who is known for his unwavering financial support of his alma mater wants to rename the famed A.W. Mumford Stadium on campus after a corporate sponsor willing to cut a big enough paycheck.
Kendrick Marshall of HBCU Sports reported, “Southern University Board Chairman Tony Clayton used a recent public appearance to deliver an unusually blunt call for the university to pursue corporate naming rights for its historic football stadium, saying the athletics program must start treating the venue ‘as a business…’
“The chairman framed his push in stark economic terms, repeatedly reminding listeners that ‘you got to pay to play’ in modern college athletics. He argued that Southern’s fan base represents a powerful marketing asset, noting that the university ‘puts a bunch of fans up there throughout the year.’
“Clayton said he wants ‘naming rights’ and urged the university to ‘advertise,’ making it clear that he views the stadium’s exterior and name as premium space for corporate branding. Describing the athletic department as ‘a business,’ he insisted the school can no longer afford to leave that potential revenue untapped.”
The stadium is named after Mumford, one of Southern’s most successful football coach.
Likewise, the playing field is named after another revered Southern football coach, Pete Richardson.
Almost immediately, Clayton received criticism and pushback from alums and the Mumford family who want to preserve history and not sell the school’s traditions to the highest bidder.
But HBCUs must decide if they want to compete in the new age of college sports with name, image and likeness (NIL) deals being the determining factor for what college a top athlete will attend.
Or do they want to preserve a history at the risk of falling behind the rest of the country.
HBCUS have a great history.
The schools started because Black students could not attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs) because of segregation.
The colleges often had less than their White counterparts when it came to finances and resources.
But what they lacked in cash, they made up for it with caring and compassionate faculty members who treated the students as if they were their own sons and daughters.
Because of the love and dedication that they showed those students, buildings began bearing their names.
Statues of legendary figures decorated the grounds on campuses across the South.
And stories of their sacrifices became etched in school lore.
Those stories should not be lost to the back pages of history.
They should just need to share a page with the reality of college life in 2026 and beyond.
Why can’t Mumford Stadium be renamed something like Raising Canes-Mumford Stadium?
Why can’t a statue of Mumford be placed in front of the stadium like University of Texas has for its legendary coach Darrell K. Royal, if his name is indeed removed from the stadium?
With the money that is generated from selling the name of rights of a stadium, who’s to say that the school cannot build more athletic complexes and name the new ones after Mumford or other legendary sports figures from Southern?
If HBCUs like Southern had more ways to generate money, they might not need to agree to so many money football games that result in their shellacking.
More importantly, if HBCUs had more money, they could possibly getter better recruits and actually compete better on the field with the big boys.
Decades ago, smaller schools could not compete with the larger institutions because of the lack of resources and the lack of exposure.
With streaming services like SWAC TV, exposure is no longer an issue.
People from around the world can watch almost any game that they want in the palm of their hands via an app.
Now that exposure is no longer an issue and a predominantly Black conference like the SWAC is making money via their own platform instead of only relying on ESPN+, why not eliminate the expense problem by profiting off Black talent and Black culture.
Lord knows, others have profited off us for far too long.
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