Prairie View A&M gave HBCU basketball another March moment to celebrate on Wednesday night, picking up a First Four win in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers’ 67-55 victory over Lehigh added Prairie View A&M to a short but meaningful list of Black college programs that have earned a win on the NCAA Tournament’s opening stage.
MEAC and SWAC cash in again
The win was important for more than pride and visibility. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, a First Four victory now carries major financial value for a conference office. Thamel reported that the winner earns an additional NCAA Tournament unit worth about $355,000 annually for six years, which comes out to roughly $2.1 million in total. That means Prairie View A&M’s win brings a significant financial boost to the SWAC, just as Howard University’s win did for the MEAC one night earlier. (HBCU Gameday)
Prairie View A&M’s victory also pushed the all-time total of men’s HBCU wins in the First Four era to 10. Howard joined the club on Tuesday night with a win over UMBC, and Prairie View followed by becoming the latest program to break through in Dayton. In the modern First Four format, Texas Southern still leads the way with three wins. North Carolina A&T, Hampton, Norfolk State, Grambling, Alabama State, Howard University and now Prairie View A&M have each done it once. (NCAA.com)
The “Play In Game” vs. The “First Four”
There is also an important historical footnote here. Before the field expanded to 68 teams in 2011 and the First Four concept was created, the NCAA used a single “Opening Round” or “Play-In Game.” In that earlier format, Florida A&M won in 2004 and Arkansas-Pine Bluff won in 2010, with both teams advancing into what was then the traditional field of 64. Those victories came before the First Four era, but they still belong in the larger history of HBCU success on the tournament’s opening night. (NCAA.com)
That history matters because the First Four has often been the doorway through which HBCU programs enter the national spotlight. These games may come before the traditional first round, but they still count in the record books. They also bring national exposure and, now more than ever, they bring real money back to the conference office. (NCAA.com)
For Prairie View A&M, the victory was a historic milestone. For the SWAC, it was a financial win. And for HBCU basketball, it was another reminder that success in the First Four is about far more than surviving and advancing. It is also about building visibility, credibility and revenue on college basketball’s biggest stage.