Morehouse College is still a Division II HBCU, but its alumnus-turned-NBA ex-turned athletic director is no longer speaking like the Maroon Tigers are confined to that box.
Harold Ellis, Morehouse’s AD, used a recent appearance on “Inside the HBCU Sports Lab” to make it clear that his program is comparing itself to Division I HBCU brands — and not shrinking from that comparison.
Ellis appeared after being named the top mid-major athletic director in Dr. Kenyatta Cavil’s inaugural ranking for NCAA Division II and NAIA HBCU programs. Morehouse earned the No. 1 spot after winning the SIAC men’s all-sports award and making gains across several sports.
The former NBA veteran did more than accept the recognition. He sent a message.
“The SWAC and the MEAC, we’re coming,” Ellis said.
That line will travel, because it touches a conversation that has followed Morehouse College for years. Could Morehouse, one of the best-known academic brands in Black higher education, eventually make the jump to Division I?
Nothing has been announced. Morehouse remains in the SIAC and competes at the NCAA Division II level. But the smoke around Morehouse and Division I has lingered for years, with the MEAC and SWAC both surfacing in conversations around possible future fits.
Ellis also name-checked Jackson State’s Ashley Robinson and Howard’s Kery Davis as Division I peers he is chasing. His comments will not quiet that talk.
Morehouse wants athletics to match its academic brand
The key to Ellis’ commentary was not just bravado. It was brand positioning.
Morehouse College already has what many athletic departments spend decades trying to build: national name recognition. Its academic reputation reaches far beyond the SIAC footprint. Ellis said the challenge is making athletics catch up to that reputation.
“We have a high academic brand, so in athletics, I had to catch our athletic brand — I mean, I had to catch our academic brand,” Ellis said.
Morehouse is not trying to sell athletics as a replacement for academics. It is trying to present athletics as an extension of the Morehouse brand. Ellis said he personally helps recruit athletes and families, even giving campus tours.
His pitch is simple.
“If you give me four years at Morehouse College, just four, we gonna give you 40 years back,” Ellis said.
That line explains why Morehouse could be intriguing to Division I HBCU conferences. It brings Atlanta, alumni power, celebrity visibility and a name that plays nationally.
The question is whether Morehouse can build a Division I athletic operation to match that brand.
A Division I future would require more than talk
Moving from Division II to Division I is not a simple branding exercise. It would mean more resources, more scholarships, more compliance demands, larger operating budgets and a stronger facilities plan.
Ellis did not sound like an administrator satisfied with one strong year. He sounded like someone trying to raise the ceiling. That’s not surprising for a Morehouse grad who made his way into the NBA as a player, coach and scout.
“We were not at the top of this conference,” Ellis said. “We are now the best, we’re the best in class. That’s what I wanted to do. We still have a long way to go.”
Morehouse has already started testing itself in bigger spaces. Ellis pointed to football scheduling against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a SWAC program, and referenced national matchups involving Howard. Those games place Morehouse College in front of Division I HBCU audiences.
That does not mean a move is coming tomorrow. It does mean Morehouse is acting more comfortable in those conversations.
NBA-level competitiveness fuels Ellis
There would be major questions. Would the MEAC see Morehouse as a natural brand addition with Howard and the rest of its schools? Does the SWAC view Atlanta and Morehouse as too valuable to ignore? Would Morehouse want the cost and pressure that come with Division I football and basketball?
Morehouse remains a major brand in a historic Division II HBCU conference. Its rise benefits the SIAC, and Ellis praised commissioner Dr. Anthony Holloman for the conference’s growth.
Still, Morehouse’s lone NBA product has made it clear he doesn’t want to be boxed in.
“Next year, move us out of this division, put us with the big dogs, because I want them,” Ellis said.
That is not an announcement. But it is a statement of ambition.
For Morehouse College, the Division I question may come down to alignment. Does the money match the mission? Do the facilities match the vision? Does the institution want athletics to carry the same national weight as its academic name?
Ellis is talking like the answer should eventually be yes.
And in HBCU athletics, that kind of talk usually means people are listening.