The vision of screaming college students packed into a stadium draped in their school colors with face paint, signs and pompoms is an image often seen on ESPN, but rarely seen in Howard University’s Burr gymnasium or Greene Stadium.
“At other schools, whether they win or lose, their stadium is packed,” said Avery Green, a senior advertising major, “but here, we leave after half time when the band is done playing. There is no school pride when it comes to sports.”
Junior legal communications major Andrew Jones said, when thinking of Howard sports, the first word that comes to mind is “mediocre.” The women’s basketball team has a record of 9-22; the men’s soccer record of 1-16 and the Bison football team has a record of 1-10. Because Howard is highly regarded for its academics, athletics is often overshadowed and overlooked. The lack of success by the majority of Howard teams also plays a role in the students’ disregard for the athletic department.
Jones, president of the John H. Johnson School of Communications, said the lack of student interest in sports is primarily “because the most visible teams lose and people don’t know enough about the teams that do win.”
This may explain the scarcity of students at sporting events and the administration’s lackluster effort to promote the games.
“Before I came to Howard, I assumed that because it is a Division I-AA program, there would be a lot of pageantry, support and pride in Howard athletics,” said Alonzo Jones, a freshman linebacker for the Howard Bison. “However, when I arrived, I was kind of shocked because the students and community don’t support.”
Junior philosophy major Wendi Hathorn shares Jones’s sentiments.
“It’s kind of sad actually,” Hathorn said. “People get more hype about Resfest games than actual sports games. And these aren’t even the real athletes.”
Sophomore psychology major Justine Carter said she lost interest in the athletic games after her freshman year.
“I went to games my freshman year,” Carter said. “But after the first game, in which we lost, the environment at the games was dry; no one came anymore. So eventually I stopped going too.”
Students said they believe that because the teams aren’t winning that there is no reason to show any support by attending games. But, with no encouragement from the students or the staff, the athletes often lose motivation.
“It has an effect on you, emotionally,” Jones said. “[The fans] are supposed to be there during the good and the bad times. But if all you hear is negative things from the people you associate with and see every day, what are you supposed to do? You can motivate yourself but at the end of the day, the support of your school plays a major role.”
The lack of support is nothing new to Howard students.
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