Howard University athletic director Kery Davis says Morehouse College would be a “great asset” to Division I HBCU athletics if the Maroon Tigers ever made the jump.
Davis made the comments after being asked about Morehouse College athletic director Harold Ellis. Ellis recently said Morehouse was coming for Division I HBCU programs, including Howard and Jackson State.
“Ashley Robinson and Kery Davis: we are coming for these guys,” Ellis said on Inside The HBCU Sports Lab. “The SWAC and the MEAC, we’re coming.”
That quote added fuel to a conversation that has followed Morehouse College for years. The Atlanta-based HBCU remains a member of the SIAC at the NCAA Division II level. But there has long been smoke around a possible move to Division I. The MEAC and SWAC have both been mentioned in those conversations.
Nothing has been announced by Morehouse College. There is no formal move on the table. Still, Davis did not dismiss the idea. He welcomed it.
“I welcome Morehouse coming Division I,” Davis said in Atlanta at the MEAC-SWAC Challenge press conference.“I think they would be a great asset to Division I HBCU programs.”
Howard University sees the Morehouse College vision
Howard University is already where Morehouse College has often been rumored to want to go.
Howard is a national HBCU brand with Division I status, MEAC membership and a strong academic profile. Morehouse also has a national academic brand. That is where Davis sees a natural comparison.
“They’re similar to us in that they have a great academic background portfolio,” Davis said.
That is also the point Ellis has made about Morehouse College athletics.
Ellis has said Morehouse has always had a powerful academic name. His goal is to help the athletic department catch up to that brand.
Davis said Howard had a similar mission when he arrived. He said former Howard president Wayne A.I. Frederick made the standard clear.
“He said, we no longer want athletics at Howard to be a hobby, but we wanted to be another showcase of the university’s excellence,” Davis said.
That line could easily apply to Morehouse College right now. Morehouse has the name. It has alumni power. It has Atlanta. What it would need for Division I is the full athletic infrastructure to match.
That part is not easy.
Division I would bring opportunity and pressure
Davis said Morehouse College could succeed at the Division I HBCU level. But he also made it clear that success would not happen overnight.
Moving up would require more than bold quotes and brand strength.
Morehouse would need more resources. It would need more scholarships. It would need deeper staffing, compliance support and facility investment. Football would bring the biggest challenge.
“It may not happen overnight,” Davis said. “And it’s going to be tougher to do in programs like football where you need 40 or 50 people, as opposed to basketball, where you may only need 3 or 4.”
That is the practical side of the Division I conversation.
A basketball program can change fast with a few impact players. Football requires more bodies, more depth and more money.
Davis also pointed to Cedric Taylor as proof that Morehouse talent can translate.
Taylor transferred from Morehouse College to Howard University after a strong season with the Maroon Tigers. Davis said Taylor can compete at Howard’s level. He also praised his pro potential.
“Those kids can compete at our level,” Davis said.
The issue may not be whether Morehouse College can produce Division I talent. The bigger issue is whether Morehouse can build a Division I program strong enough to keep and develop that talent in Atlanta.
For now, Morehouse remains in Division II. It is still part of the SIAC. It also remains one of the most recognizable HBCU brands in the country.
Ellis is talking like an athletic director with bigger targets. Davis is responding like an athletic director who understands why Morehouse is aiming high.
The two schools will meet again on the field and court this year. Davis said he looks forward to those games. He also said he hopes Howard gets the same results it had last year.
There is respect with the rivalry. There is smoke. And there is a serious question beneath it all.
Could Morehouse College become a Division I HBCU someday?
Kery Davis won’t be the one to answer that question.
But he made one thing clear: Howard University would take Morehouse seriously if it did.