Stephen A. Smith Launches HBCU Sports Scholarship Program, Partners with Student-Athlete on $25,000 Fund

Stephen A. Smith, the ESPN personality and Winston-Salem State University alumnus, is transforming his longtime advocacy for historically Black colleges and universities into direct financial support with the launch of the HBCU Week Sports Scholarship Program.

The new initiative is designed to provide financial support to HBCU student-athletes across the country. Smith is partnering with the HBCU Week Foundation and Robert O. Wright, a 20-year-old Division I student-athlete who is contributing $25,000 to the scholarship fund.

The announcement marks a significant evolution in Smith’s relationship with the HBCU community. Since 2019, Smith has partnered with HBCU Week, participating in the organization’s programming and leveraging his prominent ESPN platform to spotlight HBCU campuses including Tennessee State University, Florida A&M University, Norfolk State University, Howard University, Delaware State University, and his alma mater, Winston-Salem State.

Beyond Philanthropy: A Business Opportunity

The scholarship initiative coincides with Smith’s exploration of a larger opportunity in HBCU sports media. In August, Smith revealed on his SiriusXM show that he was working toward a deal to produce and distribute HBCU basketball games.

“I’m about to ink a deal where we’re broadcasting HBCU basketball games. I’m going to need some Black folks working for me as talent, as producers, and beyond.



That’s what I’m doing!”

This business angle suggests Smith’s latest HBCU push extends beyond pure philanthropy. Sports media has become an increasingly important commercial platform for colleges, athletes, and content creators, while HBCU programs continue searching for greater visibility and new revenue opportunities.

Smith’s own career trajectory offers a blueprint for the value of building a recognizable personal brand. His influence extends far beyond ESPN’s First Take, where he has become one of the network’s most prominent personalities. He has been candid about his business arrangements, recently contrasting his ESPN contract with the independent model used by fellow sports-media personality Pat McAfee, who owns his platform and licenses it to ESPN.

“Pat McAfee has a level of independence I’ve never had,” Smith explained in a recent interview, noting that while McAfee owns his content, ESPN owns First Take. This understanding of media ownership and business models could inform how Smith structures his HBCU media ventures going forward.

As HBCU athletic programs seek greater parity with better-resourced institutions, initiatives like Smith’s scholarship program — combined with increased media exposure — represent important steps toward leveling the playing field for student-athletes at historically Black colleges and universities.

Originally reported by Black Enterprise.