Since 2002, Black student athletes at Division I schools have increased their graduation rate from 56% to 82%. This improvement is supported by higher education reforms, including mandating stronger academic performance to be eligible to participate in college sports and requiring athletes meet benchmarks for degree completion to continue playing.
These efforts are not the result of exceptionalism, but of intention. The NCAA and universities have built systems of academic coaching, mentoring, and accountability around their athletes — who bring significant revenue to schools and are seen as commodities worthy of investment.
So when we see Black student athletes succeed within these structures, the question is no longer whether support works, but why it is not universally expanded to all Black students who need it, particularly Black men, who have the lowest graduation rates of any demographic on campus.
Because universities significantly profit from their athletic programs, they have a vested financial interest in ensuring their athletes stay academically eligible to play. Student athletes receive not only tutoring, but also help with planning and strategies for success, mentoring, leadership development and more.
A typical week for a student athlete might include a meeting with an adviser to guide them through their financial aid package, planning with a mentor to map out time management tactics, studying for an exam with a tutor, and evaluating summer internship options with a career counselor — all provided by the university and/or the NCAA. These student athletes move through systems designed to keep them engaged and accountable, with supports treated as necessities, not bonuses.
Meanwhile, Black, male non-athletes — who enter college with a number of barriers that place inherent roadblocks on their path to and through college — have to navigate these same challenges with limited support. They often enter college with financial constraints; experience culture shock and isolation at predominantly white institutions; and are often subjected to racial stereotypes.
Conversely, the experience of male students at HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) reinforce how systems of support aid students’ success.
Black students at HBCUs are 33% more likely to graduate than their peers at similar non-HBCUs. HBCUs validate students’ Black identity, boosting their self-confidence; provide active support for students from both professors and alumni; have curricula and programming tailored to their needs and interests; and help students map out pathways to careers and/or advanced degrees.
Now it is time for all universities and policymakers to adopt an intentional investment model for the success of all Black male students, not just the ones who represent athletic revenue for their schools.
While college sports build entire ecosystems around young talent, too many Black boys grow up without access to consistent mentorship, academic guidance, or long-term development. Identity affirmation, cultivating a sense of belonging and high expectations should not only be reserved for athletes.
All students should have access to advising and wraparound support at the same level given to student athletes. There should also be intentionality in identifying and cultivating students’ talents early — similar to what happens to prodigious athletes. The Center for Black Educator Development works in middle and high schools to identify students’ interests in education early and provides mentoring, college readiness, and career exposure. Increasing access to non-athletic funding and scholarship opportunities is also valuable.
By extending proven methods of support to all students, particularly young Black men, more young people will have an equal chance to succeed.
Societies that fail to nurture talent absorb the cost of lost potential, while those that invest early and consistently tend to reap long-term economic and civic returns. The challenge now is whether we are willing to apply the same discipline, imagination, and commitment to all Black male students that we do for college athletes. Doing so requires an intentional shift in how we value youth, talent, and responsibility, and an acknowledgment that allowing Black boys to fall through the cracks is not inevitable. It is a choice.
Malcolm Jenkins is founder of The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, and a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles. Sharif El-Mekki is founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development.
