GCU provides fit for HBCU All-Star Game growth

The first two years of the HBCU All-Star Game secured the talent for a high-level game and the television for a nationwide audience.

When the event comes to GCU Arena on the eve of the national championship game in Glendale, it will add some of the ambiance of a Lopes game-night experience just as a national college basketball scene descends on the Valley.

HBCU All-Star Game logo

"We're going to combine the electric atmosphere of the HBCU All-Star Game with 'The Biggest Party in College Basketball,' " GCU Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. "This GCU Arena will be the place to be on April 7, 2024."

Boggs was joined in the GCU Arena lobby on Thursday by HBCU All-Stars Founder and CEO Travis L. Williams, GCU President Brian Mueller and GCU Senior Advisor Jerry Colangelo, who were flanked by GCU Cheer and the GCU Thundering Heard Pep Band to show how the Lopes go big on events.

This event already starts big, with the third annual game selecting the best men's basketball players from 49 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to play in a game that CBS will broadcast on the day between national semifinal games and the championship at State Farm Stadium.

"The best is yet to come," Williams said. "We're excited for what Grand Canyon University can do for this game and really elevate us and take us to the next level.

"All eyes will be here on Grand Canyon University on this game. There should not be an empty seat in this arena. As a matter of fact, everybody should be trying to get in."

When Boggs brought the opportunity to host to Mueller, he immediately was on board because of the shared missions in higher education. Mueller intends for hosting the game to be the start of a partnership as GCU continues to assist social mobility through scholarships to area youth and other community service and contributions.

"We're very, very determined to not leave anyone behind," Mueller said. "So when this opportunity was brought to us, it fit so closely with what our mission is. What Historically Black Colleges and Universities have done over the decades has been outstanding work to put a real serious dent into those intergenerational trends. We have to double down on that."

The game is nostalgic for Colangelo, whose connection to HBCUs dates back to his decades as an NBA executive with the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. He once scouted Hall of Fame player Earl Monroe 13 times when he played at Winston-Salem State and watched many HBCU prodcuts, such as Hall of Fame player Bobby Dandridge at Norfolk State.

"To see the growth that has taken place with the Black universities, it's way overdue and it's really worthy," Colangelo said. "There are some great institutions and some terrific basketball players.

"It's a great marriage between our university and what we stand for, and what you're seeking in terms of recognition and a platform for the entire deal."

GCU is known for its basketball environment that a winning program and the Havocs students create, but the HBCU All-Star Game also will bring the traditional fanfare of HBCU bands and cheerleaders. Beyond that, the HBCU All-Star Game will have community impact, much like when AT&T provided 170 laptops to a Houston high school's graduating seniors before last year's event.

"This is about everybody," Williams said. "Everybody wins in this.

"Grand Canyon University is one of the best programs in the country. The game matters. What you're building here is truly exciting, and you do things first-class. We have an opportunity to celebrate that at the highest level."

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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