ATLANTA (August 19, 2022) – Morris Brown College (MBC) is proud to announce its partnership with Boyd Parker Sports Group, Black Soccer Membership Association, and Diaspora Athletic Company to bring soccer to Morris Brown College. This is a partnership that will first bring a club soccer program to the college in an effort to transition to a school-sponsored National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) soccer program.
The start date of the program is tentative and in partnership with the consulting services of Boyd Parker Sports Group (BPSG), Black Soccer Membership Association (BSMA), and Diaspora Athletic Company. This partnership comes at the right time as Atlanta, Georgia has been selected to host FIFA WorldCup 2026 which has aided in much excitement surrounding the sport of soccer.
This group of consultants will help Morris Brown College navigate the process of launching a soccer program and develop a plan to execute. As Morris Brown College has recently obtained full accreditation, in addition to scaling its academic profile, it will now focus on bringing back clubs and eventually varsity sports beginning with soccer. The institution will operate the soccer program as a club for two seasons then work to move into an NAIA conference.
This will be the first time in the history of Morris Brown College that a soccer team will represent the Wolverines at any level. MBC will also be the only school in the Atlanta University Center that currently supports a soccer program of any kind.
President Kevin James said, “We are ecstatic that we were able to achieve full accreditation. Morris Brown offers a unique, affordable, and quality education that prepares students for success. As we rebuild the institution, we felt it very important that student life including Greek Life and some athletic programs be implemented for a full HBCU experience. This was truly The Hard Reset. This is just the beginning!”
To learn more about Morris Brown College and this partnership or the arrival of soccer at Morris Brown College, visit morrisbrown.edu.
ABOUT MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE:
Morris Brown College was founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It is a private, coeducational liberal arts college engaged in teaching and public service with a special focus on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, and technology. The institution is the only college in Georgia founded solely by African American patronage.
ABOUT BOYD PARKER SPORTS GROUP:
Boyd Parker Sports Group Founder and Managing Director, Averick Parker is a graduate of Morehouse College (undergrad) and the University of Georgia (MBA) and has over 15 years of experience managing sponsorship strategy, activation, execution, events, and brands for Major League Soccer franchises, Fortune 500 companies, and casinos.
Recently, BPSG has executed HBCU ID Soccer Camps in Atlanta, Georgia which helps high school student athletes who are interested in playing soccer at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
ABOUT BLACK SOCCER MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION
BSMA Chairman Justin Reid explains, “On behalf of the BSMA we are excited to work with two excellent partners in the BPSG and DAco. We all bring an array of expertise in the sports management business with soccer being our number one sport to promote. We are also excited to work with a historical college like Morris Brown and will do our best to ensure that a successful club soccer program is launched and that we can take MBC to the next level which will be to become a varsity program in the very near future.”
ABOUT DIASPORA ATHLETIC COMPANY
DAco. Owner Glenn Goodwine states the following, “Growing up in Atlanta playing club soccer and being part of the Georgia Olympic Development Program allowed me to experience the unique growing soccer scene in Atlanta’s black communities. As a Howard University Men’s Soccer Alumni and having graduated from an Atlanta area high school as well, I’ve always wanted to expand the amount of opportunities for players who choose to attend an HBCU. The strategic partnership between BSMA, Boyd Parker Sports Group, and Morris Brown College is a big step towards a long overdue push for equity in college soccer. I’m very proud to be a part of this initiative.