As the Delaware State football team prepares for the beginning of the DeSean Jackson era this Thursday at in-state rival Delaware, there’s a buzz on campus about a brighter future for Hornet athletics.
A recent article by Katie Tabeling of the Delaware Business Times reports a 125-million-dollar athletic investment which includes a field house, upgrades to 68-year-old Alumni Stadium and a convocation center/arena project that would replace the old, cramped and out of date Memorial Hall gymnasium.
“We’re not looking to be just great within the MEAC. We’re looking to be great nationally, and we have big aspirations,” Delaware State athletic director Tony Tucker told Tabeling. “We’ve got the right pieces in place, and now we have to go out and execute it.”
Part One of that plan is underway as the state legislature granted DSU 20 million dollars towards the field house, which would house athletic offices, an indoor practice facility for the football team and widespread usability for campus athletes.
Considering that the University of Delaware is starting their NCAA Football Bowl Series journey this year, this funding campaign could not be more vital for the Hornets.
The gap between UD and DSU has been wider longer than most can remember, including this particular Hornet alum who was on campus in the early to mid 2000s.
The resources have been minute compared to what the state of Delaware has given UD and now that Delaware State president Dr. Tony Allen and Tucker have made a compelling case for DSU’s athletic growth, the state finally seems to be on board.
What that means for Hornet athletics in the long term remains to be seen. Having DeSean Jackson as a football coach has been great for publicity, but Jackson himself knows that he’s got his hands full in attempting to turn around a program going on 13 seasons without a winning record.
Success sells itself, as DSU men’s hoops coach Stan Waterman told me many times during my time covering him over the years, so if Delaware State wants to justify the spending, the results have to come. Everybody knows that and there seems to be a universal commitment to achieving those results.
It would be wonderful to see an upgraded Alumni Stadium with comfortable seating, accessible concession stands and a great gameday experience while the Hornet football team racks up another win on the way to the MEAC title.
Anything to replace the Memorial Hall gym would be great, as I still remember the struggle to get to and from the bathroom back to my spot on press row when I covered the basketball teams as a student reporter.
There’s also one final piece to this puzzle; never forget the official and original mission of HBCUs, which was/is to educate our young people and give them the tools needed to be successful professionally and fulfilled personally.
Sports are nice; the name of this outlet is HBCU Sports, so I am well aware of what we cover. But I also don’t want my alma mater or any other HBCU neglecting the mission to compete in a game we were never meant to compete in.
If Delaware State can raise money for this transformation without dipping into the academic side of things, that is excellent. That will be the challenge however as DSU and other HBCUs face an uphill battle against PWI state schools and legislators who aren’t moved for equality’s sake.
Time will tell how this project goes, but I can assure you that I and many other Delaware State alums will be watching, and hopefully contributing, as this new era of DSU athletics begins.
