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Why some HBCUs and female athletes fear being left behind in new era of college sports

This year, HBCUs are weighing whether to opt into a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that more than 300 schools agreed to, adding financial pressure amid athlete pay changes.
Allowing colleges to pay athletes directly prompted many schools to join because they feared opting out would hurt recruiting, while HBCUs lack the $200 million operating budgets of Power Four schools.
Opting in only for revenue sports, University of Maryland Eastern Shore plans to rely on guarantee games while smaller schools like Stephen F. Austin University and Prairie View A&M recently cut programs.
A Title IX lawsuit by six female athletes temporarily blocked some cuts, as female athletes warn the settlement favors football and men’s basketball over non-revenue sports.
With limited budgets, historically Black colleges and universities face systemic funding gaps as Morgan State University reported about $21.7 million in athletics revenue, far below Power Four schools' hundreds of millions, while no HBCU has a $200 million operating budget.

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