Howard University’s Department of Athletics has introduced new pregame rules that require student-athletes to either stand during the national anthem or remain in the locker room. This shift in policy arrives after a recent high-profile game and has sparked complex conversations across the historic HBCU campus.
The decision directly follows a December 29 women’s basketball game against the United States Military Academy. During the pregame events, the Howard women’s team chose to kneel for the anthem. According to associate head coach Brian Davis, the team has knelt at every game since 2020 as a protest against social injustice and police brutality.
Coach Davis explained that while the team understood the magnitude of playing against a military academy, their intention was never to be disrespectful, noting that several people within the program have family members who served in the military.
Following the game, Vice President of Athletics Kery Davis released a written statement indicating that the new pregame approach is designed to balance “freedom of expression while upholding mutual respect for all communities”.
To avoid further controversy, the women’s basketball team has decided to stay in the locker room during the national anthem for all home and away games for the remainder of the season. Coach Davis noted that they do not want to bring any negative light to the university. Currently, members of the women’s basketball team are not permitted to comment on the topic for their own protection.
The new mandate has wide-reaching implications, affecting over 500 student-athletes at Howard. Ireal Wyze-Daly, a junior goalkeeper on the men’s soccer team, shared that his team held a meeting to discuss whether they would stand in solidarity with the women’s basketball team or comply with the new department expectations.
While the soccer team voted to support the basketball players and expressed disagreement with losing their ability to protest, they ultimately decided they will continue standing for the anthem. Wyze-Daly mentioned that coaches communicated that individual protests could carry consequences for the entire athletics department, and he noted that he was not willing to jeopardize team funding.
Back in 2016, Howard’s cheerleading squad gained national media attention from outlets like ESPN and CNN for taking a knee in solidarity with the social movement started by Colin Kaepernick.
For some students, this new protocol feels like a clash with that historic legacy. Wyze-Daly expressed shock and disappointment over the decision, questioning what other rights might be taken away and expressing disbelief that students at the biggest HBCU in the world would be restricted in this way.
Despite the new limitations on the court, Coach Davis affirmed that the women’s basketball program will continue to fight against injustice and support advocacy within the institution’s guidelines.
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