The national spotlight on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will shine brightly again this winter.
Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group and HBCU GO, the nation’s premier digital media provider for the 107 HBCUs across the country, officially released its 2027 men’s and women’s basketball broadcasting schedule on Oct. 7.
The extensive 20-game television slate focuses exclusively on the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Beginning right after the new year on Jan. 2, 2027, the schedule carries viewers through the end of the regular season on March 4, delivering a series of legendary, multi-generational rivalries to a global audience.
“HBCU basketball is bigger than what happens on the court. These games bring together students, alumni and communities whose pride in their schools is multi-generational,” Allen said. “HBCU GO is proud to give these schools a global platform while bringing fans closer to the competition, traditions and culture that make HBCU sports an event.”
The broadcast calendar opens with immediate intrigue on Jan. 2, 2027 as the Bethune-Cookman University men’s and women’s programs travel to face Florida A&M University (FAMU). Both the men and the women split their two regular-season meetings last year, with the home team securing the victory in each contest. Last season, the men’s matchups were decided by razor-thin four-point margins, while the women’s two games were separated by a combined total of just seven points.
Following the early January clash, FAMU will travel to Daytona Beach for a highly anticipated season finale on March 4, 2027, which will be simulcast on HBCU GO, television and The Grio.
Other notable matchups on the calendar include intense doubleheaders across the conference. Grambling State University will meet Southern University twice after the latter swept both the men’s and women’s series last season.
In Texas, a Jan. 30, 2027 doubleheader presents contrasting momentum as the Prairie View A&M University men’s basketball squad looks to replicate their dominance over Texas Southern University, while the Texas Southern women aim to repeat last year’s series sweep.
A Feb. 27, 2027 doubleheader between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University also carries significant weight. Last season, the men’s teams traded single-possession victories, with Alabama A&M winning by four points before Alabama State answered with a massive one-point victory.
On the women’s side, Alabama A&M enters the 2027 series looking to replicate its previous season sweep.
The national reach provided by HBCU GO elevates the visibility of these historic athletic programs, allowing fans, alumni and prospective student-athletes to engage directly with the culture and tradition of SWAC basketball.
“The Southwestern Athletic Conference is extremely pleased with our historic partnership with HBCU GO and Allen Media Group,” SWAC Commissioner Charles McClelland said. “The exposure and brand awareness this relationship has generated for our conference and its twelve member institutions have been unprecedented. HBCU GO’s national reach has provided an invaluable platform to showcase our student-athletes, member institutions, and the SWAC brand to audiences across the country.”
Fans can catch HBCU GO basketball broadcasts across multiple digital and television platforms, including major broadcast syndication in markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas and Atlanta. Games will also be available for free streaming on the HBCU GO FAST Channel via Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, The Roku Channel, Local Now, the HBCU GO mobile app and HBCUGO.tv.
Contact multimedia & senior sports reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more, visit indianapolisrecorder.com.
Noral Parham is the multimedia and senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Before joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate at the MLK Center in Indianapolis and as a senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver. He is also a business owner.
 will shine brightly again this winter.){kind=link}