A look back at some of the defining moments for HBCUs in 2022

January 3, 2023January 3, 2023 HRM Staff Baltimore Ravens, Celebration Bowl, Colorado University, Deion Sanders, Duane Ross, Hall of Famer Ed Reed, HBCU, Jackson State Universtiy, NFL, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, UNC System

By: Kurtis Alston

North Carolina A&T State University was fined $2 million for their growth of out-of-state first-year students. The 2 million A&T had to pay will be reallocated to the board’s UNC Need-Based Grant Financial Program. A&T has an enrollment cap of 35 percent, but according to the UNC System, 41 percent of the school’s students were out of state. James Holmes, part of the UNC Board of Governors, said there would be a meeting in the future to discuss changing this policy, but for now, they “have a rule that is in place.”

Bethune-Cookman has their 16th football head coach in NFL Hall of Famer Ed Reed. A nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time first-team all-pro, three-time second-team all-pro, 2004 defensive player of the year, and NFL All-Decade team of the 2000s. Ed Reed played 12 seasons, most of them with the Baltimore Ravens, where he also won a Super Bowl in 2013.

Deion Sanders, “Coach Prime,” is heading to the mountains. Sanders has taken the head coaching job at Colorado University. After three successful seasons at Jackson State and leading them to two back-back Celebrations Bowls, even though they came up short, that’s a huge accomplishment. They had their first undefeated regular season under Sanders and broke many records this season. Deion agreed to a five-year $29.5 million deal with Colorado.

North Carolina Central finally won the Celebration Bowl over the Jackson State Tigers 41-34 on Dec.17. Davius Richard led the charge completing 15 of 20 passes for 175 yards for a touchdown and running for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Richard was named Bowl Offensive MVP. The NCCU National Championship team joined the other champions in 1954,2005, and 2006.

Trouble in the water at North Carolina A&T State University? Coach Sam Washington and A&T came to a mutual agreement to go their separate ways. But why would someone who had a good year in a new conference decide to leave? You can also ask that same question about why Duane Ross, the former track and field coach, left for the University of Tennessee. Is A&T athletics taking a turn for the worse after having one of the best runs historically in football and track from 2015-2020?