Since its founding, Howard University has been praised for its academic excellence. Although HU is recognized as a Division I athletic institution, little acknowledgment is directed toward the athletic programs and the student-athletes that bring it to life. Despite being overshadowed by high academic accreditation, the HU athletics department has maintained a state of relevance on campus.
Howard is home to 19 varsity sports ranging from men's basketball to women's lacrosse. Some of which have gained recognition in recent months in Howard's Middle-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and other smaller tournament play.
Last Spring, women's basketball and tennis made it to their conference championship finals and the men's tennis team was named the MEAC Northern Division champion for the second consecutive year.
Second-year Athletic Director, Louis Perkins said he is extremely proud of the athletic department and the performance of its athletes thus far.
"I am encouraged by the progress made by our sports programs at Howard in the time that I have been here," said Perkins. "One of the most impressive improvements I have noticed is the increase in the competitive nature of all of our sports programs."
After three winless conference seasons, Bison Football won four Conference games this year. They also won the inaugural nations football classic against Morehouse, prevailed over North Carolina A&T Aggies in the homecoming game and beat Hampton; all of which have not happened in several years.
Perkins credited much of the athletic department's recent success to great recruiting efforts.
Although Howard sports have just begun to start advancing on the field again, HU student-athletes have never stopped excelling in the classroom.
Last spring, 108 student-athletes received 2011 Commissioners All-Academic Award, which made Howard the second most in the MEAC. Also, 40 percent of HU student-athletes boast at least a 3.0 grade point average and all of the women's sports programs have a 3.0 grade point average or higher.
On a level of academic stability, HU athletics appear to be sound, but areas such as funding continue to be questioned after many universities lost funding or sports programs all together. Howard's neighboring University of Maryland lost eight varsity sports programs in November 2011.
But Perkins said that Howard is not facing such threats.
"The economic downturn affected universities like every other business enterprise," said Perkins. "We have to do things differently and be strategic. To date, we have made significant investments but are committed to being good stewards."
In addition to institutions steadily losing funds for athletic programs, the National Collegiate Athletics Association has instituted a low tolerance stance for student-athlete contract violations, as many athletes have-- in recent months-- been penalized for the abuse of funding and the abuse of NCAA regulations.
Perkins said that he fully adheres to these regulations and all athletes at Howard who violates them are held accountable.
The HU department of athletics exemplifies promise through its recent achievements and Perkins said that support has increased for Howard sports and the advancement of its programs.
"Support lately has been tremendous, as demonstrated by last Monday's Women's Basketball game against Hampton. It was an enthusiastic crowd led by active participation from the student body," Perkins said. "I see the HU athletic programs challenging for Conference Championships across many programs coupled with continued academic success and reinforcing the Howard University brand."
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