South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has never been shy about her support for HBCUs. And ahead of South Carolina’s NCAA Tournament matchup with Southern University, she made it clear once again that her respect for HBCUs goes far beyond words. It’s rooted in experience, observation, and belief.
Speaking during Friday’s press conference, Staley was asked about how the perception of HBCUs has evolved in women’s basketball and what still needs to happen for that respect to match the talent on the court.
Staley didn’t hesitate.
“I think women’s basketball has been in the position where it is getting better and better on all levels,” she said. “HBCUs have been given sometimes a raw deal because they’re just HBCUs and they’re not power fours… probably a little less than mid-majors as well.”
Ground starting to shift for HBCUs
That honesty reflects a reality many within HBCU athletics have long understood. But Dawn Staley didn’t stop there — she pointed directly to why that perception is beginning to shift.
“As you’re seeing, they’re super well-coached. Southern is super well-coached. They really understand what they’re doing. They play a battle-tested schedule. They beat a couple of power four teams.”
That last point matters.
Southern University’s resume — including multiple wins over higher-resourced programs — is exactly the kind of “proof” Staley believes is necessary to change national perception. And it’s not unfamiliar territory for her.
“It is going to take games like that where you have to have eye-opening wins,” Staley said. “Similar to the path that South Carolina took. For us, you need to play marquee games and win marquee games.”
That comparison is telling. Before South Carolina became a national powerhouse, it had to earn its respect the same way — by winning big games on big stages.
Now, Staley sees HBCUs walking a similar road.
“I do think the more success HBCUs have in a tournament, they will no longer be looked at as play-in games and 16 seeds,” she said. “When you start to see that happen on a more regular basis, then you know that they’re taken a little more seriously.”
Southern starting to get the blueprint
Southern’s First Four win over Samford is one of those steps.
But Staley also acknowledged the structural challenges HBCUs still face — particularly the reliance on “guarantee games,” where programs travel for payouts, often against Power Four opponents.
“They have to go out and play these money games, the guarantee games that are no longer guarantees,” she said. “And they have to win them.”
That’s exactly what Southern — and other HBCUs — are beginning to do.
For Staley, the path forward is clear: win those games, build tournament success, and force the conversation to change.
“I do think the committee does look at how well you do in tournaments,” she added. “They’re moved by that.”
As South Carolina prepares to face Southern University, this isn’t just another No. 1 vs. No. 16 storyline.
It’s a reflection of a broader shift — one where HBCUs are no longer just participants, but programs demanding to be taken seriously. And with voices like Dawn Staley leading that conversation, that shift is only gaining momentum.