One of many United States’ oldest HBCUs is contemplating a return to the gridiron.
Wilberforce College introduced final week {that a} feasibility research was underway concerning reviving the college’s soccer program, which was discontinued throughout World Warfare II.
“As Wilberforce prepares to surpass 1,000 college students in enrollment by 2026, it’s time to revisit the legacy and potential of our soccer program,” stated Dr. Vann R. Newkirk, President of Wilberforce College. “Rising enrollment is prompting this research, and we imagine soccer could possibly be a strong catalyst for pupil engagement, college pleasure, and institutional visibility.”
Wilberforce’s Inexperienced Wave gained the 1931 Black Faculty Nationwide Championship with an 8-0 document, together with stopping Tuskegee’s 35-game win streak in a sport performed in Chicago, Illinois. This system was canceled in 1944.
The feasibility research will embrace infrastructure, funding/sources, pupil curiosity and alumni/native partnerships.
“This isn’t nearly soccer,” Newkirk explains. “It’s about reclaiming a legacy, energizing our campus, and displaying the world that Wilberforce is able to lead once more—on and off the sphere.”
Wilberforce hopes to renew play for the 2027 season.
