A development inside an HBCU basketball arena last week has now revealed a much larger administrative decision that had quietly unfolded behind the scenes. The disappearance of a retired jersey banner honoring Kevin Granger sparked renewed attention around the status of the former Texas Southern University athletic director.
The university has now confirmed that Granger was formally terminated from his position earlier this year.
Texas Southern officials announced that Granger was notified of his termination on Feb. 13, 2026, following several months of internal and external investigations tied to a civil lawsuit filed against him in 2025.
The announcement came roughly one week after the HBCU quietly removed Granger’s retired No. 10 banner from the rafters of H&PE Arena. The move immediately prompted questions from media outlets and observers around the college sports world.
Banner Removal Reignites Dormant Story
For months, Granger’s public status had remained largely unchanged.
The university placed him on administrative leave in June 2025 while legal proceedings and administrative reviews continued. Interim leadership stepped in to oversee the athletic department, but the broader situation surrounding the longtime administrator remained largely out of public view.
That changed when reporters noticed the missing banner inside H&PE Arena.
The removal of the tribute — which had commemorated Granger’s decorated playing career at Texas Southern — quickly reignited discussion about the unresolved situation involving the former athletic director.
Shortly after, media outlets began asking questions about the banner’s disappearance. The university issued a statement a confirming that Granger had already been informed of his dismissal weeks earlier.
University Details Investigation Process
In its statement, Texas Southern said it launched two external administrative inquiries after learning of the allegations in June 2025.
“In June 2025, Texas Southern University was formally notified of serious allegations made in a civil lawsuit against Dr. Kevin Granger,” the university said.
School officials said the allegations prompted an immediate decision to place Granger on administrative leave while the university pursued investigations conducted outside the institution under Title VII and Title IX procedures.
According to the university, those inquiries unfolded over several months before administrators reached a final decision regarding his employment.
Granger was informed of his termination on Feb. 13, with the HBCU setting an official termination date of March 16, 2026.
University officials also confirmed that President James W. Crawford made the decision to remove Granger’s retired jersey banner from public display inside the arena on March 5.
Civil Case Still Ongoing
The situation surrounding Kevin Granger stems from a civil lawsuit filed in June 2025 by a former Texas Southern athletics staff member.
The lawsuit alleges that Granger sexually assaulted and harassed the staff member during an encounter in April 2025. The complaint also claims that Granger suggested he could help advance her career if she complied with his requests.
Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents the plaintiff, said the legal case remains active, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Granger’s attorney, Letitia Quinones-Hollins, has disputed the allegations. She previously told reporters that her client maintains the relationship in question was consensual and criticized the university’s decision to terminate him.
Texas Southern University has declined to comment further on the matter because the litigation remains ongoing.
Legacy on the Court Remains
Despite the removal of his banner and his dismissal from the athletic department. Texas Southern officials emphasized that Granger’s achievements as a student-athlete remain recognized.
His name remains part of the Texas Southern University Sports Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in recognition of one of the most prolific scoring careers in program history.
Granger starred for the Tigers from 1992 to 1996. He earned SWAC Freshman of the Year honors and later became a two-time Black College All-American. During the 1995–96 season, he led all of NCAA Division I in scoring with 27.0 points per game. He even finished ahead of future NBA stars Allen Iverson and Ray Allen.
He left the program with 1,971 career points, ranking among the top scorers in school history.
A Quiet Process Brought Into the Spotlight
Texas Southern officials said the university followed a deliberate process in reviewing the situation and pushed back against any suggestion that administrators failed to act.
“Any suggestion that the University failed to act or acted without due consideration is inaccurate,” the university said in its statement.
For months, the investigation and administrative decisions surrounding Granger had largely remained out of public view.
But once the banner that symbolized his legacy disappeared from the rafters, the story resurfaced. And ultimately revealed that the HBCU had already moved to close the chapter behind the scenes.
With the termination now confirmed, one of the most prominent figures in modern Texas Southern athletics is no longer part of the university’s leadership, even as the legal case connected to the allegations continues to unfold.