Stephen A. Smith is taking his support for historically Black colleges and universities from the TV screen to the bank.
The ESPN personality and Winston-Salem State University alum is launching the HBCU Week Sports Scholarship Program, a new initiative designed to provide financial support to HBCU student-athletes, reports Clutch Points. 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, according to Yahoo Sports
.The announcement comes years after Smith began a relationship with HBCU Week back in 2019. He has participated in the organization’s programming and used his 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.
The scholarship initiative also comes as Smith explores a bigger opportunity in HBCU sports media. Back in August, Smith said 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,” Smith said on his SiriusXM show. “I’m going to need some Black folks working for me as talent, as producers, and beyond. That’s what I’m doing!”
That business
angle could make Smith’s latest HBCU push about more than philanthropy. Sports media has become an increasingly important commercial platform for colleges, athletes, and content creators, while HBCU programs continue looking for greater visibility and new revenue opportunities.Smith’s own career offers a blueprint for the value of building a recognizable personal brand. His influence extends beyond ESPN’s First Take, where he has become one of the network’s most prominent personalities.
He has also been candid about the difference between his arrangement with ESPN and the business model used by fellow sports-media personality Pat McAfee. McAfee owns his platform and licenses it to ESPN, while ESPN owns First Take
, Smith explained in a recent interview. “Pat McAfee has a level of independence I’ve never had,” Smith said.RELATED CONTENT: Stephen A. Smith’s Most Controversial Public Comments