Black College Football Hall of Fame Inaugural Inductees Announced

The following news release was issued today, announcing the 11 Inaugural Inductees to the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or to arrange for interviews with Doug Williams, James Harris or Selection Committee Chairman Roscoe Nance.

Press Release

Contact: Jeff McKenzie

646-246-2480

Jeff@CoachingCharities.com



Inaugural Inductees Announced for Black College Football Hall of Fame

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Eight Players, Two Coaches and One Contributor to be Honored February 20 during Priority Payment Systems Inaugural Enshrinement Ceremony

January 15, 2010 (Atlanta, GA) – Eight players, two coaches and one contributor were announced today as the Inaugural Class of Inductees for The Black College Football Hall of Fame. Established in 2009 by football pioneer quarterbacks Pro Bowl MVP James "Shack" Harris and Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams, the Hall of Fame is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and will honor the greatest football players and coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The Priority Payment Systems Inaugural Enshrinement Ceremony will be held February 20, 2010, in conjunction with Black History Month, from 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org. The members of the Inaugural Class of Inductees are:

·Buck Buchanan (DE, Grambling State University, 1959-1963)

·Willie “Gallopin’ Gal” Galimore (RB, Florida A&M University, 1953-1956)

·David “Deacon” Jones (DE, S.C. State & Mississippi Valley State, 1958-1960)

·Willie “Honey Bear” Lanier (LB, Morgan State University, 1963-1967)

·Walter “Sweetness” Payton (RB, Jackson State University, 1971-1974)

·Jerry Rice (WR, Mississippi Valley State University, 1981-1984)

·Ben “Big Ben” Stevenson (RB, Tuskegee University, 1923-1930)

·Paul "Tank" Younger (RB/DB, Grambling State University, 1945-1948)

·Alonzo “Jake” Gaither (Head Coach, Florida A&M University, 1945-1969)

·Eddie G. Robinson (Head Coach, Grambling State University, 1941-1997)

·Bill Nunn, Jr. (Pittsburgh Courier Journalist and NFL Scout)


ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the Enshrinement Ceremony. Atlanta Falcons Owner and President of AMB Group Arthur Blank and Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Mayor of Atlanta Andrew Young will serve as an Honorary Chairmen of the event. Priority Payment Systems is Title Sponsor, King & Spalding LLP is Presenting Sponsor and The Four Seasons Hotel is a Platinum Sponsor.

A Selection Committee comprised of prominent journalists and football executives chose 35 finalists, from a field of more than 260 nominees, before naming the 11 Inaugural Inductees.

About the Player Inductees

Junious “Buck” Buchanan, as a defensive end for Grambling State University from 1959 to 1963, was an NAIA All-American and a three-time Black College All-America. Buchanan could bat down passes with either hand, play the run and rush the passer. The first of the prototypical defensive lineman, combing size, speed, and strength, he was the first black college player taken as the No. 1 overall pick in an NFL Draft, when the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in 1963. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and the College Football Hall of in 1996.



Willie “Gallopin’ Gal” Galimore, as a running back at Florida A&M University from 1953 to 1956, was all-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference choice four times and was named a Black College All-America by the Pittsburgh Courier three times. The Rattlers won four conference championships while Galimore was at FAMU and one Black College National Championship. He played for the Chicago Bears from 1957 to 1963, before passing away tragically at the age of 29 in an auto accident in Rensselaer, Indiana, on July 27, 1964. As FAMU’s all-time leading rusher, Galimore averaged 94 yards per game and was the Rattler’s first 1,000-yard runner (1,203 yards in 1954).


David “Deacon” Jones played defensive end for South Carolina State University and Mississippi Valley State University from 1958 to 1960. Blessed with speed, agility, and quickness, the “Deacon” became one of the finest pass rushers in the business. Yet had it not been for the chance observation of two Rams scouts viewing films of an opponent, he might never have had a chance to play pro football. When the scouts noted that the 6-4, 272-pound tackle was outrunning the backs they were scouting, they recommended Jones as a sleeper pick. He went on to unanimous all-league honors six straight years from 1965 through 1970 and was selected to eight Pro Bowls. Jones was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.



Willie “Honey Bear” Lanier played Linebacker and Offensive Guard at Morgan State University from 1963 to 1967. He earned first team All-America honors his junior year and led the Bears to bowl games in 1965 and 1966, winning both and holding opponents to 0 total yards offense in the 1965 game. His teams won three conference championships and at one point had a 32-game winning streak. Lanier went on to play in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl and five times being named as an All-Pro Middle Linebacker. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.


Walter “Sweetness” Payton, as a Running Back at Jackson State University from 1971 to 1974. made every All-American team picked for college division or division 1-AA teams. In both years Payton was voted Black College Player of the Year. A tough back, who ran harder than his size (5’10, 200), Payton was a complete football player -- one who could run the ball, block, tackle, pass, catch passes, and kick. It was in college that Payton picked up his nickname "Sweetness" because of the smooth way he ran. He moved on to a legendary career with the Chicago Bears, which included a Super Bowl Ring in 1985, nine Pro Bowls and two NFL Player of the Year Awards. Payton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.


Jerry Rice, a wide receiver for Mississippi Valley State University from 1981 to 1984, is widely regarded as one of the greatest receivers in history at any level. He was named first-team Division I-AA All-America and finished ninth in the 1984 Heisman Trophy voting. His 27 touchdown receptions that season set the NCAA mark for all divisions. Rice was named the 1984 SWAC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year for the State of Mississippi. In addition to being named first-team Division I-AA All-American, the NEA and Football Writers’ Association of America both named Rice to their first-team Division I-A All-America squads. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the 16th overall selection in the 1985 NFL Draft and became arguably the greatest player in NFL history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and is a 2010 Finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


Ben “Big Ben” Stevenson spent his first years at Tuskegee University as a prep-schooler, which at the time allowed him to play eight seasons in all for the Golden Tigers, from 1923 to 1930. During that span, the team amazingly suffered only two defeats. Stevenson combined speed (9.8 100-yard dash), strength and durability. Scoring on a combination of long runs and drop kicks, he also played defensive back, earning a reputation as one of the top pass thieves in the conference. Stevenson was named to seven consecutive Black College All-America teams, numerous Negro all-time All-America teams and was voted as the game's greatest all-around player.



Paul "Tank" Younger had a record-setting career at running back and linebacker at Grambling State University from 1945 to 1948. He was named to the 1948 Pittsburgh Courier All-America team and was the Tigers’ leader on offense and defense. Younger totaled 60 touchdowns during his career at Grambling, which at the time was a collegiate record. After his senior season, he was named black college football's Player of the Year. Younger went on to a very successful NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning Pro Bowl status five times. He became the first black player to play in an NFL All-Star Game, and after his playing days, went on to become the league's first black assistant general manager in 1975.

About the Coach Inductees

Coach Alonzo “Jake” Gaither spent 24 years at Florida A&M University, from 1945 to 1969, amassing an overall record of 203-36-4. His teams won 18 Conference Championships and were Black College National Champions six times. From 1953 to 1962, his teams went 87-7-1. Gaither’s “split line T” offense was adopted by several major college programs. He retired in 1969 with a .844 winning percentage, the best ever among all NCAA coaches. Gaither was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975.



Coach Eddie G. Robinson spent 56 years at Grambling State University, from 1941-1997. He put together an overall record of 408-165-15 and sent more than 80 players to the NFL and AFL. Robinson led the Tigers to a streak of 27 consecutive winning seasons from 1960 to 1986, as well as 17 SWAC Championships and nine Black College National Championships, more than any other HBCU. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997 and received more awards than any other coach in history.



About Contributor Inductee Bill Nunn

Legendary journalist and NFL Scout Bill Nunn, Jr. entered the newspaper business as a sports writer for the Pittsburgh Courier, where he later rose to sports editor and managing editor. After elevating the Courier’s Black College All-American team to new heights, Nunn joined the Pittsburgh Steelers' scouting staff part time in 1967 and then full time in 1969. A true innovator, he constructed a bridge between the Steelers and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Five Super Bowl Rings later, Nunn is among the most legendary NFL scouts of all time.



The Black College Football Hall of Fame is sponsored by The Shack Harris & Doug Williams Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization. For more information visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org.



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___________________________

Jeffrey S. McKenzie
Director of Development
Black College Football Hall of Fame
Shack Harris & Doug Williams Foundation
p: (646) 246-2480
f: (203) 505-6199

Alpha Goes Green Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009

CONTACTS
Lemoine Howard, 225.301.3875, lemoineh@yahoo.com
K. Diane Losavio, 225.301.0037, diane@batonrougegreen.com

Alpha Goes Green Initiative

BATON ROUGE, La. The Xi Nu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., located in Baton Rouge, wants all Baton Rouge Area residents to help celebrate Arbor Day 2010 with Baton Rouge Green and the Xi Nu Lambda Chapter!

Kids will be digging holes, getting their hands dirty and so will brothers in Alpha as we plant trees to support Alpha's Green Initiative. “With this new initiative the next generation can start incorporating more responsible practices into their daily routines that will foster a lifetime of good earth stewardship,” said Joshua Oliver, chairman of the Chapter’s Health & Environment Committee.

“It's the responsibility of all our residents to care for this urban forest and of Baton Rouge Green to demonstrate how it should be done," K. Diane Losavio, Executive Director added.

The Xi Nu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. along with Baton Rouge Green will be teaching 4th graders a hands-on lesson about photosynthesis and the importance of trees in the environment on January 19, in the Claiborne Elementary School (located at 1650 N. Acadian Thruway) at 11:00 a.m. Immediately following the lesson, each class (four in total) will be planting a tree on the school's campus.

Launched as one of the new initiatives of General President Herman "Skip" Mason, Jr., the plan is for Alpha Chapters in their respective communities to take part in the growing movement to reduce environmental risks in low to moderate income communities, improve energy efficiency and increase sustainability.

Baton Rouge Green and Xi Nu Lambda are dedicated to the enhancement of our urban forest by inspiring the residents of the Baton Rouge area to conserve plants and sustain our community's trees.

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About the Xi Nu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
The chapter was founded in 1986 and works hard "Developing Leaders, Promoting Brotherhood and Academic Excellence, While Providing Service and Advocacy” for the Greater Baton Rouge community.

AKA's Archives: A Crown Jewel of Howard's Moorland-Spingarn Research Center

AKA's Archives: A Crown Jewel of Howard's Moorland-Spingarn Research Center
$1 million gift and historic digitizing capability make Collection unrivaled

Chicago, IL (BlackNews.com) -- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Archives at Howard University’s Moorland-Spingarn Research Center have emerged as one of the Center’s “crown jewels” because of its size, scope and stature. Hailed as one of the largest, fastest growing and most visited of all the Collections, the Sorority’s recent $1 million award to the Center and historic decision to digitize the Collection, mean that it will be a lasting legacy of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s greatness.

According to Barbara A. McKinzie, international president, “The Collection represents a treasure trove that chronicles AKA’s 102-year history, preserves its legacy and dramatically tells its story of sisterhood and service that began right at Howard University in 1908. It will increase awareness and enlighten visitors to the rich heritage of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.”

Howard University President Sidney A. Ribeau has praise for the Collection. “ As one of our most significant treasures, the AKA Archives continues to provide unique, scholarly resources for its membership and other researchers.” He added that the Sorority’s recent “generous donation” will broaden the scope and accessibility of the AKA Archives.”

According to Joellen ElBashir, curator of manuscripts at the Center, “The Archives of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. are an integral part of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, one of Howard’s major research facilities for more than 94 years, and internationally recognized as one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive repositories for the preservation and study of Black history and culture in the United States.

ElBashir said that AKA’s Collection represents one of the most extensive, exhaustive, dynamic, most visited and most researched of all those safeguarded at the Center.

Noting the diversity and historic dimensions of the Collection, ElBashir added, “The contents combine hard copy manuscripts and original letters, with digitized versions of many of its documents, including some that date back to 1908, the year AKA was founded. This foray into the digital era makes it the first Collection to do so. Because of this, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Collection is the most cutting edge, globally-relevant, and dynamic of all the Collections we house.”

A veritable treasure trove of information, the AKA archives trace the Sorority’s journey from its humble beginnings on the campus of Howard University in 1908, with 16 members in one chapter, to its rise as one of the world’s most powerful organizations. Today it boasts 225,000 members in 975 chapters worldwide including in Japan, Canada, Germany, the Bahamas and on the continent of Africa. Among its members are some of the most influential women worldwide including the late Rosa Parks, the late Coretta Scott King, Phylicia Rashad, Dr. Mae Jemison, Alicia Keyes, and a host of government officials including Melody Barnes, who serves on President Barack Obama’s economic team.

McKinzie declared that because Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded a mere 43 years after slavery, she sees parallels between the Sorority’s growth and that of the nation.

“As the Collection will attest, Alpha Kappa Alpha’s incredible journey is indelibly woven into the history and progress of America.”

Dr. Earnestine Green McNealey, international chairman of AKA’s Archives Committee, who at McKinzie’s charge has elevated the Collection to its current world-class status, says the Collection was first launched in 1978 with a $50,000 contribution. Hailed as a “significant event” at the time, it began with eight boxes of materials from two past international presidents. Today, it takes up over 500 linear feet of space.

Among its highly-heralded possessions include:

• papers from three founders, Beulah and Lillie Burke and Anna Easter Brown
• documents from incorporator and first national president, Nellie M. Quander
  
• records of the Cleveland Job Corps, which was founded during President Lyndon Johnson’s administration and is credited with training thousands who landed viable employment and launched meaningful careers
  
• audio and videotapes of the AKA Oral History Project
  
• files of past presidents Barbara K. Phillips, Faye B. Bryant, Bernice Sumlin, Mary Shy Scott, Eva L. Evans and Norma S. White
  
• materials documenting the growth of Mississippi Health Project, which was founded in the 1930s as a vehicle for providing health services to the underserved in rural Mississippi.

The Collection also provides a repository for the Sorority’s publications including the Ivy Leaf, the Sorority’s official publication; Along the Ivy Vine, a newsletter distributed by the national presidents, and the Heritage Series. The minutes and materials from the national and regional conferences are also included as well as an extensive clippings file that documents Alpha Kappa Alpha’s programs and achievements of its leadership and members.

Under the direction of corporate liaison volunteer, Anne Mitchem-Davis, a steady flow of materials continues to be added to the Archives each year, from the national office, regional officers, chapters, and individual members, and include photographs, artifacts, corporate documents, national projects and committee materials. A major and recent thrust is the acquisition of undergraduate and graduate chapter records.

Cognizant that the world is in the Global Age, which demands that materials be digitally accessible, Alpha Kappa Alpha took the historic and unprecedented step of having portions of its Collection digitized. While maintaining many documents in their original formats, the Sorority first converted its Ivy Leaf magazines by meticulously computer scanning the issues to digital. This is the first phase in an overall effort that is embraced under the title, “The Moorland-Spingarn Digitalization Project.” This is being underwritten through the $1 million award. In this Project, funds will be allocated for this non-endowed Fund to be used by Howard University’s Moorland Spingarn’s Research Center to develop an online portal to more widely disseminate the historical and current contributions of the Sorority. An importance phase of the Project is the Maintenance of the Collection.

ElBashir applauded the history-making effort by noting that the AKA Archives Digitization Project is the first of its kind at the Center as far as scope is concerned.

Said ElBashir, “Many of our prints and photographs were digitized by a vendor a few years ago, but that project cannot compare to the magnitude of Alpha Kappa Alpha project, whose primary objective - at least in the initial stages- is to provide enhanced subject access to the AKA Archives through the development of a searchable database of selected items, including sorority publications and other documents.”

Green McNealey revealed that the Ivy Leaf digitization project was unveiled at the Centennial celebration held in 2008 and that the Sorority plans to expand its digital offerings. “We are going to have a digital index of everything we have. This unparalleled and unique project will allow visitors to search more quickly and access documents on the world wide web. This allows Alpha Kappa Alpha to preserve our cultural heritage in the era of digitization.”

“Ultimately,” declared Green McNealey, “the $1 million award allows Alpha Kappa Alpha to solidify, strengthen and catapult the Collection to unheralded heights.”

The $1 million gift, which was made as a lead-up to the Sorority’s Centennial, also included the awarding of scholarships named in honor of Nellie M. Quander, and another scholarship named in honor of the Sorority’s Founders. Former international president Faye Bryant and Wenda Weeks Moore, a member of the Alpha Chapter Celebration Committee, spearheaded the effort.

ElBashir said that visitors include schoolchildren, prospective pledgees, researchers and “historyphiles.” She said that upon entering the Alpha Kappa Alpha Collection area, they are awed by the history and vastness of the Collection and the magnificence of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

In reflecting on the significance of the Archives and their importance to America’s history, McKinzie said: “This Collection is a monument to Alpha Kappa Alpha’s history and emergence as a world power. Within its volumes, documents and its digital images are a testament to a proud legacy that is rooted in sisterhood and service."

PRESS CONTACT:
Melody M. McDowell – Chief Information Officer
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
773-660-2001 – Office
312-371-8917 – Cell
melodyaka@aol.com - e-mail

Does the NCAA tournament exploit black athletes?

Does the NCAA tournament exploit black athletes?

By: Devona Walker
Thu, 03/26/2009

Once a year, America gets it — a big, bad case of March Madness. And while it is nice to see the sheer talent and heart of the nation's best college players facing off for the final bragging rights of the season, it also brings a nagging feeling to many African Americans.

We watch the celebrity coaches, the Nike ads, the Gatorade logo plastered across the screen, all of them making billions off these "student" athletes. (Read about President Obama's tournament bracket.) Meanwhile, we all know the dismal graduation rates many of these universities consistently report. It's become such a persistent black eye for the NCAA tournament, that recently it started threatening to strip universities of scholarship funding if they don't get their student athletes' scores up. Next year, it says it just might ban from the tournament altogether some of the schools most notorious for underperforming academically.

Kind of reminds me of how Major League Baseball handles its steroids problem. Just enough reaction to make it appear as if it is doing something. Never once admiting its own culpability in the problem. The idea that "student" athletes underperform academically goes right back to the plantation, to the farm, and that is partly built by the NCAA.

“I love basketball. But watching the spectacle of March Madness always makes me a little bit uneasy,” said Scott Burroughs, of Seattle. “It’s a plantation and you should not be working for free. They work in a billion dollar industry, and all they get are a free pair of shoes out of the deal.”

Burroughs watched the first full weekend of games with friends at a sports bar in Madrona, an upscale Seattle neighborhood. He is a 6-foot-7-inch black man, who once played college ball himself. He is now in the process of getting a microbrewery off the ground. While he does not believe the solution is paying student athletes money to play, he said it’s hard to ignore the racial implications. Sometimes it's hard to watch when commentators begin sizing up players as if they are product as opposed to 19-year-old kids.

“The whole ideas is that it’s sold as this great way to get an education. And they do everything but throw roadblocks in the way of getting that education,” Burroughs said.

New America Media reports that in the late 1990s, economists calculated that top caliber student athletes individually generated roughly $500,000 for their schools. That number, of course, has increased over the years. And that number does not even take March Madness into consideration. The six-year contract the NCAA has with CBS is worth $11 billion, according to New America Media.

The vast majority of these student athletes are black. By comparison, the vast majority of these coaches — many of whom are bringing home comfortable seven-figure salaries — are white.

This year revenue from the NCAA basketball tournament is expected to grow 30 percent.

I don't want to begrudge American universities strong athletic departments. Nor am I arguing for paying student athletes to play. My only real problem with student athletes is that they are treated much more like athletic property than students.

Early morning practice schedules, cocoon-like athletes-only dorms, arduous playing schedules, enormous travel schedules and post-season tournaments that routinely conflict with things like mid-terms. And those are just the institutionalized contradictions. If you consider the relationships that develop between the coaching and university staff and the individual student athlete, it goes from suspect to obscene.

Low graduation rates for these student athletes, especially black student athletes clearly reflect how they are viewed and what is expected of them. It also tells you something about how these kids are being recruited.

“Each year the most disturbing information in the graduation rate study is the disparity between the graduation rates of Arican-American and white football student-athletes," Richard Lapchick, of the University of Central Florida, wrote in his new study on NCAA men's basketball tournament teams. “While the graduation rates for African-American student-athletes have improved, the disparity has persisted for years.”

There is another disparity at play here. Often graduation rates are worse at universities with some of the most competitive athletic departments.

Of the 65 tournament teams, about 32 percent had Academic Progress Rates of less than 925, the cutoff at which the NCAA can start to penalize the school and begin stripping it of up to 10 percent of its scholarship money.

Schools in this year's NCAA basketball tournament reporting the lowest graduation rates for basketball players of any race: Cal State Northridge at 8 percent, Maryland at 10 percent, Portland State at 17 percent, Arizona at 20 percent, and Clemson at 29 percent.

Twenty-five men's tournament teams had a gap of 20 percentage points or more in graduation rates for black and white basketball student athletes.

Devona Walker is TheLoop21.com's senior reporter/blogger. She writes the Post-Race? blog.

College football in the education of Black athletes

College football in the education of Black athletes

By: Marvin King
Mon, 01/04/2010 - 01:00

I am huge sports fan, especially of football. This week my beloved Texas Longhorns travel to Pasadena to play Alabama for the national title. Notwithstanding my love for the game, I keep a wary eye on the physical and mental sacrifice made by the players. They sacrifice plenty too.

Certainly, they receive compensation through scholarship money. However, I have met plenty of players and trust me, most barely get by. The NCAA has strict limits and despite whatever story you hear about paying players with a car or a non-existent job (see stories on Joe McKnight or Rhett Bomar), most players barely have enough money to get home on the holidays.

Most of the players will not live their dream. They will not make it to the NFL. Each year, there are roughly 2,550 seniors in the 120 major college FBS programs, but the NFL drafts just 224 each year. Knowing this, most play to get a chance at an education they otherwise would not be able to afford. Now, I am a realist here. I have seen plenty a student-athlete fritter away perfectly good opportunities because they get caught up in the, "Look at me, I'm a star athlete," lifestyle, and then they fall back to Earth - hard, when they go undrafted and no one cares about them anymore. Their name is not in the paper anymore - last year's news. Those are sad stories, but not the entire story.

Most, actually, have realistic expectations and know that football is an opportunity to improve their lives for the better. This is why it is so disappointing because these athletes, half of whom are Black, help their universities earn big bucks. These big bucks for universities, however, often do not translate into degrees for the players.

This is because large gaps remain in Black-White player graduation rates. Colleges, almost all of them, do a woeful job of taking athletes and turning them into student-athletes. The NCAA allows coaches inordinate amount of discretion over the daily schedule of a player's life. Unfortunately, not enough coaches and schools spend that time on schoolwork.

My solution is a mandatory redshirt year for freshmen athletes where the NCAA limits practice time and requires that all students pass a minimum number of college credits before they can play one down of football. If you can't handle Introductory English, then you need to concentrate more on the ABC's, than the X's and O's. Further, there should be punishments (scholarship limitations) if each team does not match the graduation rate for its' student body.

If we want to increase the embarrassingly low number of head Black major college football coaches (now up to 11), then schools have to do a better job of graduating these young men. If we want to increase the number of Blacks coaching in the NFL or serving in administrative capacities for college and pro sports teams, universities have to do more for their athletes than just count the cash.

Marvin King is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Mississippi and writes the blog King Politics.

Highest Attendance at 2009 Black College Football Games

As posted on onnidan.com at ---> http://onnidan.com/bcsp/1621/statc1621.htm

THE STAT CORNER
WHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

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HIGHEST ATTENDANCE AT 2009 BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES

1. FLORIDA CLASSIC - Nov. 21 - Citrus Bowl, Orlando
Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman	59,418
2. MAGIC CITY CLASSIC - Oct. 3 - Legion Field, Birmingham
Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State	55,322
3. BAYOU CLASSIC - Nov. 28 - Super Dome, New Orleans
Southern vs. Grambling State	53,618
4. ATLANTA CLASSIC - Sept. 26 - Georgia Dome, Atlanta
Florida A&M vs. Tennessee State	51,950
5. SOUTHERN HERITAGE CLASSIC - Sept. 13 - Liberty Bowl, Memphis
Jackson State vs. Tennessee State	43,306
6. STATE FAIR CLASSIC - Oct. 3 - Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling State	42,786
7. CHICAGO CLASSIC - Sept. 26 - Soldier's Field, Chicago
Miss. Valley State vs. Alabama State	42,600
8. LABOR DAY CLASSIC - Sept. 6 - Legion Field, Birmingham
Miles vs. Tuskegee	42,010
9. CIRCLE CITY CLASSIC - Oct. 3 - Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
Tuskegee vs. Alabama A&M	35,289
10. JACKSON STATE HOME GAME - Oct. 3 - Mem. Stad., Jackson, MS
Southern vs. Jackson State	33,977
11. TUSKEGEE HOMECOMING - Nov. 7 - Abbott Stad., Tuskegee, AL
Tuskegee vs. Stillman	28,973
12. LITERACY CLASSIC - Nov. 7 - Mem. Stad., Little Rock, ARK
Grambling State vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff	26,712
13. NY URBAN LEAGUE CLASSIC - Sept. 19 - M'lands, E. R'ford, NJ
Morgan State vs. W-Salem State	25,604
14. SOUTHERN HOMECOMING - Oct. 17 - Mumford Stad., B. Rouge, LA
Southern vs. Fort Valley State -	24,500
15. SC STATE HOME GAME - Oct. 17 - Dawson Stadium, Orangeb., SC
SC State vs. Florida A&M	24,496
16. LABOR DAY CLASSIC - Sept. 5 - Price Stadium, Norfolk, VA
Virginia State vs. Norfolk State	24,325
17. JOHN MERRITT CLASSIC - Sept. 5 - Titans Stadium, Nashville, TN
Tennessee State vs. Southern	23,871
18. MOREHOUSE HOMECOMING - Oct. 24 - Harvey Stadium, Atlanta
Morehouse vs. Clark Atlanta	23,123
19. FOUNTAIN CITY CLASSIC - Nov. 7 - Mem.l Stad., Columbus., GA
Albany State vs. Fort Valley State	23,121
20. GATEWAY CLASSIC - Sept. 26 - Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis
Tuskegee vs. Kentucky State	23,000
21. TENN. STATE HOMECOMING - Nov. 7 - LP Field, Nashville, TN
Tennessee State vs. Tenn.-Martin	22,092
22. WSSU HOME GAME - Sept. 5 - Bowman-Gray Stadium, W-S, NC
NC A&T vs. WSSU	22,000
23. LABOR DAY CLASSIC - Sept 5 - Reliant Stadium, Houston
Prairie View A&M vs. Texas Southern	21,775
24. NC A&T HOMECOMING - Oct. 11 - Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC
NC A&T vs. Bethune-Cookman	21,500
25. SWAC/MEAC CHALLENGE - Sept. 6 - Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
SC State vs. Grambling State	21,367
26. M'HOUSE-SKEEGE CLASSIC - Oct. 10 - Mem. Stad., Columbus, GA
Tuskegee vs. Morehouse	21, 023
27. SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - Dec. 13 - Legion Field, Birmingham
Prairie View A&M vs. Alabama A&M	20,218
TOTAL	857,976

31,776 average (27 games)

HIGHEST ATTENDANCE AT 2009 HOMECOMING GAMES

TUSKEGEE vs. Stillman - Nov. 7 - Tuskegee, AL	28,973
SOUTHERN vs. Fort Valley State - Oct. 17 - Baton Rouge, LA	24,500
MOREHOUSE vs. Clark Atlanta - Oct. 24 - Atlanta	23,123
TENNESSEE STATE vs. Tenn.-Martin - Nov. 7 - Nashville, TN	22,092
NC A&T vs. Bethune-Cookman - Oct. 31 - Greensboro, NC	21,500
SC STATE vs. Delaware State - Oct. 31 - Orangeburg, SC	21,257
JACKSON STATE vs. Alabama State. - Nov. 7 - Jackson, MS	18,510
FLORIDA A&M vs. Norfolk State - Oct. 24 - Tallahassee, FL	17,049
NORFOLK STATE vs. Howard - Oct. 31 - Norfolk, VA	15,832
ALABAMA STATE vs. Tuskegee - Nov. 26 - Montgomery, AL	15,632
ARK. PINE BLUFF vs. Edward Waters - Oct. 24 - Pine Bluff, AR	14,823
WINSTON-SALEM STATE vs. Hampton - Oct. 31 Winston-Salem, NC	14,372
ALBANY STATE vs. Clark Atlanta - Sept. 26 - Albany, GA	12,113
MILES vs. Fort Valley State - Oct. 3 - Fairfield, AL	11,381
CLARK ATLANTA vs. Kentucky State - Oct. 3 - Atlanta	10,437
GRAMBLING STATE vs. Miss. Valley St. - Oct. 31 - Grambl., LA	10,425
NC CENTRAL vs. Central State - Oct. 31 - Durham, NC	10,319

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