Football money, attention finally coming to some HBCUs, but resource gap keeps growing

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Football money, attention finally coming to some HBCUs, but resource gap keeps growing

瓜神app | By Leoneda Inge

Published September 2, 2022 at 1:03 PM EDT

Florida A&M defensive back Eric Smith plays against UNC on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.

If you follow college football in the South, you may notice game days are looking a little more diverse. There is a new emphasis on historically Black college football, as 鈥渂ig time鈥� schools like UNC-Chapel Hill schedule games against schools like Florida A&M University.

That game 鈥� between the Tar Heels and the Rattlers last week 鈥� was promoted as an 鈥淗BCU Celebration" by UNC. There were T-shirts printed and sold bearing the title, date and football helmets facing off in Blue-and-White and Orange-and-Green.

For many, it's a welcome change.

鈥淚鈥檝e been married to a Rattler 59 years鈥� said Tommy Mitchell, a Rattler fan and former national alumni association president. 鈥淎ll of my children went to FAMU. Five of my grandchildren went to FAMU. So I don鈥檛 only bleed Orange-and-Green; I breed Orange-and-Green."

Florida A&M's Marching 100 performs at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill on Aug. 27, 2022.

Mitchell said, before the game, that he wasn鈥檛 all that concerned about losing.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e concerned about is always be representative,鈥� he said. 鈥淥bviously, if we don鈥檛 have the budget that a team has we can鈥檛 always expect to really compete.鈥�

There are many reasons last Saturday鈥檚 contest was not your average football game. The last time the Tar Heels played a historically Black school was North Carolina A&T State University in 2015. The Aggies lost 53-14. HBCUs are, across the board, smaller in size and have fewer resources than schools in the 鈥淧ower 5鈥� conferences, which includes the ACC, which UNC belongs to. FAMU plays in the SWAC 鈥� a league made up of exclusively Division I HBCUs.

So, what turns out to be a 鈥減ractice game鈥� for these large predominately white powerhouse programs, turns into a 鈥渕oney game鈥� for the HBCUs.

According , UNC paid FAMU $450,000 to play a game at Kenan Memorial Stadium. For an HBCU, that sort of payday can help fund a large chunk of an athletic department's yearly budget.

Raja Rahim is an assistant professor of African American History at Appalachian State University. Her focus is 鈥淭he Black Experience in U.S. History through Sports.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e starting to have those conversations,鈥� Rahim said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about Black Lives Matter, but then that larger umbrella comes in these notions of this new conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion and how do we continue to level the playing field.鈥�

Rahim questions if the games are worth it. In the coming weeks, just in the ACC, Miami plays Bethune-Cookman, and Duke University hosts NC A&T. But schools in Power 5 leagues, like the ACC, make much of their money through bountiful TV contracts. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, from TV revenue.

鈥淪o, if I am thinking about the millions of dollars that a predominately white institution is making off of these money games, I don鈥檛 think a $450,000 pay-out is fair,鈥� says Rahim.

Florida A&M football coach Willie Simmons coaches against UNC on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022 at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.

Florida A&M football fans cheer on the Rattlers against UNC at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill on Aug. 27, 2022.

Others, closer to the programs themselves, think differently.

鈥淎 great opportunity. Nationally televised game and we鈥檝e told our guys, this isn鈥檛 a quote, un-quote 鈥榤oney game,鈥� this is a 'get money game,'鈥� said FAMU football coach Willie Simmons, before the 56-24 loss to Carolina.

It was a game that could have been canceled after more than 20 FAMU players were deemed ineligible.

After the game, Simmons said: 鈥淧eople may have given us a pass on this one because of the stuff we went through over the last 48 hours and the fact that we were playing a Power 5 school, but we won鈥檛 get any more grace with the rest of them. We will be expected to be on the other side of the win column from here on out.鈥�

On the other sideline, UNC football coach Mack Brown also touted the game as a success.

鈥淥verall, I thought it was a great opening ballgame,鈥� he said. 鈥淕ive (FAMU) credit, they played hard, they played well. It ends up only three players out of their two-deep didn鈥檛 play. So, there鈥檚 a lot of talk about all the players that weren鈥檛 there. Everybody that played was there.鈥�

Todd Cody of Raleigh is a Carolina graduate and was glad to make the game. He said he made new friends, got to see FAMU's renowned 鈥淢arching 100鈥� band, and supports future games like this one.

Cody thinks it鈥檚 a new day for all college football players.

鈥淭hey have a lot more ability to get noticed, they have a lot more ability to make money as they get seen with the new situation (with) Name, Image and Likeness,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd so the more publicity, the better.鈥�

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Florida A&M's football team played at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan Memorial Stadium on Aug. 27, 2022. The Tar Heels beat the Rattlers 56-24. It was part of what UNC called its "HBCU Celebration Weekend," which included a performance by FAMU's Marching 100.

Mitchell Northam / 瓜神app