The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced this week that it will debut an exhibit dedicated to members who played at historically black colleges and universities this fall, with plans for an expanded wing in the Hall of Fame Village, scheduled for completion in 2019.
The Black College Football Hall of Fame, which debuted in 2009 and was founded by iconic Grambling State University football alumni Doug Williams and James ‘Shack’ Harris, will award its inductees in Canton, OH beginning in 2017, with plans in the works for an accompanying HBCU football classic to be played in Hall of Fame Stadium. From the Associated Press:
“All of us associated with the Black College Football Hall of Fame look forward to working with the team at the Pro Football Hall of Fame to elevate the story of great African-American players and coaches who persevered and overcame great obstacles to achieve their dreams,” Harris said in a statement.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame counts 29 former HBCU players as members. The announcement comes just one week after the NFL announced a partnership with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference to create a professional sports management pipeline with member schools to increase diversity in operations, team management and officiating.
