South Carolina State is drawing a firm line in the transactional era of college football: the HBCU powerhouse will use the portal, but relationships will remain its foundation.
Head coach Chennis Berry delivered that message Tuesday at MEAC Football Media Day in Baltimore. His comments came as roster retention, NIL opportunities and immediate playing time continue to shape how players choose — and leave — college programs.
“The generation of college football now is more transactional,” Berry told HBCU Gameday. “But at South Carolina State University, it’s going to continue to be relational.”
Berry did not frame South Carolina State as a program trying to escape the modern game. The Bulldogs added 41 newcomers in February, including 21 transfers and 20 high school signees. Instead, he described a program determined to use today’s roster-building tools without allowing them to define its purpose.
“We’re about building relationships,” Berry said. “We’re about molding young men, not just as football players, but getting them ready for the game of life.”
South Carolina State balances the portal and program culture
That balance matters for an HBCU program defending more than a championship. South Carolina State enters 2026 after winning consecutive MEAC titles and the 2025 Celebration Bowl. The Bulldogs have gone 10-0 in conference play during Berry’s first two seasons.
Success can create another problem: other programs want players who have already developed inside a winning culture.
Berry praised the Bulldogs who stayed despite the constant movement across college football. He said returning players love the program, while newcomers quickly learn that South Carolina State operates by an established standard.
“The way we do things is how we do it,” Berry said. “That 1-0 mindset — don’t worry about yesterday, don’t worry about tomorrow. Focus on winning today — really kind of runs our program.”
The school’s 2026 signing class shows that “relational” does not mean closed to transfers. It means Berry wants fit, culture and commitment to matter after a player arrives. In February, he described the class as being about “championship people” rather than hype.
Money is now an unavoidable part of the conversation. Division I athletes can pursue third-party NIL deals, while transfer and compensation rules have become connected parts of roster management. Berry acknowledged that reality while arguing that a football program must offer something beyond a transaction.
“The game now, man, it’s all about the money,” Berry said. “But in our program, it’s going to be about the relationships and making young men better fathers, better husbands, better men, great students, great human beings.”
Jordan Franklin represents an HBCU development model
Linebacker Jordan Franklin gives South Carolina State a living example of that philosophy.
Franklin arrived as a freshman and waited behind Aaron “Bull” Smith before receiving his opportunity. He then led the Bulldogs with 62 tackles and 12 tackles for loss in 2025. The MEAC selected him as its 2026 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
“I tell guys all the time, opportunities don’t go away. They just go to other people,” Berry said. “And he took advantage of his opportunity.”
That path can be difficult to sell in the current college football climate. A player who sits behind a veteran can enter the portal and search for a quicker route to the field. South Carolina State is asking players to see development, trust and timing as part of the opportunity.
The approach has produced results. The Bulldogs enter 2026 as the MEAC preseason favorite and placed a league-high nine players on the conference’s first team.
Still, Berry’s bigger argument reaches beyond the next title. South Carolina State will recruit transfers, adjust its roster and compete in the financial realities of modern college football. But the defending HBCU national champion does not want the value of its program reduced to playing time or money.
In an increasingly transactional sport, Berry believes the Bulldogs’ edge will remain personal.