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There are less than 30 days left until the highly anticipated Las Vegas HBCU Classic. Grambling State University and Jackson State University are set to face off in the inaugural event. Spearheading this event is the President of the Las Vegas Raiders, Sandra Douglass Morgan. In an interview with VIBE, Douglass Morgan shared the story of how she brought the HBCU Classic to Sin City.
Douglass Morgan is a trailblazer on her own. She is the first Black and Asian woman to serve as an NFL team president. Thus, working with the Las Vegas Raiders only adds to the team’s overall commitment to breaking down barriers and creating new opportunities in the world of football.
Not known to many, the Raiders have a history connected to HBCUs. Tennessee State University’s Eldridge Dickey was drafted by then-owner Al Davis during the 1968 NFL Draft. Dickey made history as the first Black quarterback to be selected in the first round by an NFL team. Davis was also dedicated to diversity when it came to hiring staff for the Raiders. He was the first NFL team owner to hire a Black and Latino head coach in the 70s and 80s. He also hired Amy Trask as a chief executive in 1997. This rich history of diversity and inclusion was the foundation for initiatives like the HBCU Classic.
“I mentioned it to our team owner, Mark Davis, [and] said, ‘Hey, there’s a potential for the HBCU Classic. But it would be in the middle of a football season, so we would have to make sure we were at an away game or something.’ And he didn’t even let me finish and said, ‘Get it done. Absolutely.’ I didn’t even have a chance to run through numbers, tickets, or anything. He just said, ‘Get it done,’” Douglass Morgan told VIBE.
“I knew he had a history, and the team has had a history, and his father had a history with Eddie Robinson and Grambling. But for us it was just kind of a no-brainer to want to host this to kind of highlight not just Grambling, but HBCUs in general,” she added.
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Douglass Morgan is excited to bring the HBCU Classic to Allegiant Stadium and the city of Las Vegas. She also sees this game as an opportunity for something so much bigger than football.
“We truly hope that Las Vegas will take advantage of this opportunity and our city and our residents. And even those visiting from afar will take this opportunity to truly understand and learn more about HBCUs, celebrate their tradition and their legacy, and see their excellence first and foremost, right in front of their eyes,” remarked Douglass Morgan.
In addition to the game, there are other events for attendees to enjoy. The weekend will kick off with a pep rally and an alumni mixer the day before the game, followed by a tailgate the day of the game and a gospel brunch to conclude the weekend. Although she did not attend an HBCU, Douglass Morgan has her own connection. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., which was founded at Howard University.
The Las Vegas HBCU Classic will take place October 24-26.
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