HBCU basketball is poised to make a return to BET, a network that helped bring Black college athletics into homes across the country for decades.
Howard University’s updated 2026-27 men’s basketball schedule identifies six games for BET broadcasts, potentially signaling a renewed investment in HBCU sports programming by the network.
Five of the six games feature historically Black colleges and universities, including matchups with Grambling State, North Carolina A&T, Morehouse College, Morgan State and Norfolk State. The sixth contest features Loyola Chicago.
The development also raises questions about the involvement of ESPN personality and Winston-Salem State University alumnus Stephen A. Smith, who publicly discussed plans to broadcast HBCU basketball earlier this year.
Howard basketball schedule reveals BET broadcasts
Howard’s first scheduled BET appearance comes December 3 against Grambling State at 8 p.m. The Bison will host Loyola Chicago on December 10 before facing former MEAC rival North Carolina A&T on December 17.
The schedule also includes a January 18 matchup against Morehouse College as part of Howard’s MLK Day Classic.
Two conference matchups round out the six-game package. Morgan State visits Howard on February 27, while Norfolk State travels to Washington, D.C., on March 4.
All six contests are scheduled for Burr Gymnasium on Howard’s campus.
The games would represent a significant return to national television exposure for HBCU basketball through a network historically associated with Black college athletics.
Stephen A. Smith previously teased HBCU basketball project
In August, Smith discussed an upcoming HBCU basketball broadcasting venture while responding publicly to receiving a Thumbs Down Award from the National Association of Black Journalists.
During an episode of his Straight Shooter program, Smith revealed that he was approaching an agreement to broadcast HBCU basketball games.
“I’m about to ink a deal where we’re broadcasting HBCU basketball games,” Smith said.
He also expressed plans to create employment opportunities for Black professionals, including on-air talent and production personnel.
According to a source who spoke with HBCU Gameday about the developing project, the BET basketball broadcasts are connected to the initiative Smith referenced in August.
The source also indicated that television personality Kevin Frazier, best known for his work with Entertainment Tonight, has been involved in the developing arrangement.
However, HBCU Gameday has not independently confirmed the involvement of Smith or Frazier, their specific responsibilities or any formal agreement with BET.
Neither has been publicly announced as part of the six-game package.
BET has deep history with HBCU sports
For longtime HBCU basketball followers, BET’s apparent return represents something of a homecoming.
During the 1980s and 1990s, BET provided important national exposure for Black college athletics, broadcasting football and basketball games that otherwise received limited mainstream television coverage.
The late Charlie Neal became one of the most recognizable voices associated with the network’s HBCU sports programming. His work helped introduce generations of viewers to the traditions, rivalries and personalities of Black college athletics.
BET President Louis Carr also identified HBCU basketball as a programming priority during a July interview with TheGrio, months before Howard’s schedule revealed the six broadcasts.
The network’s renewed interest comes as HBCU athletic programs continue seeking greater visibility and opportunities to expand their audiences.
For now, Howard’s schedule provides the clearest indication of what BET’s return to HBCU basketball could look like. Additional details regarding production partners, broadcast talent and the possibility of games involving other institutions have not been announced.
But for a network that once helped define national HBCU sports coverage, the six-game schedule could mark the beginning of a new chapter.