For almost 30 years Carl “Lut” Williams has been chronicling the exploits of HBCU sports through his weekly publication the Black College Sports.
Now as a contributor for HBCU Gameday he shares his thoughts on the changing perception of Black College sports and what to expect this football season in light of the shifting landscape.
With HBCU football season underway, the Black American national pastime – Black College Football – is enjoying unprecedented visibility, which will have positive and negative effects on the culture of HBCU athletic programs.
PT 2: Black College Football Season Preview
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Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ arrival at Jackson State has brought heightened national attention and even a higher level of prestige to Historically Black College & Universities as a whole.
HBCU football games will be more accessible than ever as ESPN has jumped into the mix and expanded its coverage of Black College Football.
Each weekend fans can find several games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN 3, ESPN+ and ESPNU, culminating on Nov. 4 with the SWAC Football Championship.
Last week, a day before Alcorn State and North Carolina kicked off the SWAC slate on August. 28th, ESPN added five additional SWAC games to be carried live on ESPN+.
Those matchups include McNeese State at Southern (Sept. 18), Alcorn State at Bethune-Cookman (Nov. 6), Florida A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 13), Texas Southern at Alabama State (Nov. 20), and Tuskegee at Alabama State (Nov. 25).
