Juggling money and Title IX requirements often puts baseball, men’s track, golf and bowling in jeopardy.

The Undefeated reports.

Minor sports getting squeezed out at HBCUs

Even though we had just made history — having etched Howard University’s name in the history books as the first historically black college to capture a Division I NCAA championship — the feeling I had swirling around my head was the journey taken that led to the accomplishment. Even as our players celebrated in the locker room — dancing, crying and hugging — all I could think about was the process and the end result. That’s the coach in me, I suppose. It was about the collective growth.

We knew, in our hearts, that we had won the 1971 championship — over this same St. Louis team — fair and square; we knew that we had been here before. We had to come back three short years later and claim what was rightfully ours. We had persevered. My emotions then, and even today — 42 years later — were of relief and of course, redemption.