The Arthur Blank Family Foundation is donating $6.5 million to help improve football facilities at four HBCUs. Albany State University, Clark Atlanta University, Savannah State University in Georgia and Miles College in Alabama will benefit from these funds. All four institutions are competitors in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which is made up of Division II programs in the region.
The donation is part of the HBCU Invitational Field Refurbishment Program, which is dedicated to improving field quality, safety and accessibility.
“The positive impact of athletics is a driving force throughout our portfolio of businesses,” AMB Sports and Entertainment CEO and AMBFF Associate Board Member Rich McKay said, WSB-TV reported.
McKay continued, “Arthur Blank and his Family Foundation recognize and prioritize community impact through sport, and supporting these historical institutions is a natural extension of our values. We are honored to partner with LISC, the NFL Foundation and these universities to enhance the playing surfaces, with the shared goal of creating more opportunities for the students and surrounding communities alike.”
Albany State and Miles College will use the funds to convert their grass field to turf to allow for better training conditions, while Clark Atlanta and Savannah State will be replacing existing turf, according to HBCU Gameday.
It isn’t the first time the foundation has donated to HBCUs. In 2023, it committed $3 million to Morris Brown College’s hospitality certificate program. It was the school’s largest donation ever made at the time, as the institution recently had reacquired its accreditation status, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
