When Howard University meets North Carolina A&T inside Duke University’s renowned Cameron Indoor Stadium Dec. 9, the matchup will be more than a nonconference showdown between two premier HBCUs — it will be a symbolic return to the birthplace of HBCU basketball history.

In 1972, Cameron Indoor hosted the first-ever Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s Basketball Tournament, a milestone moment for a new conference determined to create opportunity, visibility, and competitive excellence for its member HBCUs. The championship game featured Howard University and North Carolina A&T — two of the league’s founding seven institutions — helping establish a foundation for a conference that remains strong more than half a century later.

Now, the Bison and the Aggies will step back onto the same legendary hardwood — not as conference foes, but as respected programs whose shared history continues to bind them.

Cameron Indoor Stadium is one of college basketball’s most storied arenas, a place where championship banners, historic rivalries, and generational talent have shaped the landscape of the sport. But for Howard and North Carolina A&T, the building represents something deeper: the opening chapter of the MEAC story.

The 1972 MEAC Tournament elevated HBCU basketball, offering national exposure and a pathway to NCAA postseason play. It was a celebration of talent, determination, and institutional pride — values that remain central to both programs. In fact, the first two MEAC championships were contested between Howard and North Carolina A&T at Cameron, with the Aggies winning both.

Bringing together Howard and North Carolina A&T to play in an arena that has seen some of the best players and teams in all of college basketball means a great deal to me, and we know it will be memorable for players on both teams.

Tuesday’s game will be the 104th meeting on the court between the two schools with North Carolina A&T holding a 59-44 advantage. The teams last played each other in December 2021, a 79-57 Howard victory in the Invesco QQQ Classic at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Under Head Coach Kenny Blakeney, a Washington, D.C., native and member of Duke’s early 1990s championship teams, bringing Howard (4-5) to compete on the very court where he once found success carries special meaning.

“I’m a true student of the game. I know how special basketball is in North Carolina and Durham specifically,” Blakeney said. “Bringing together Howard and North Carolina A&T to play in an arena that has seen some of the best players and teams in all of college basketball means a great deal to me, and we know it will be memorable for players on both teams.”

This game is much more than a nonconference matchup; it’s an opportunity for us to revisit history, a pivotal time for HBCUs and Black student-athletes.

Just as HBCUs transformed academic opportunity, their athletic conferences created pathways for Black student-athletes across all sports. Howard was one of the five institutions — along with Virginia Union University, Lincoln University (Pennsylvania), Hampton Institute, and Shaw University — that founded the first athletic conference for Black students, the CIAA, in 1912. In 1970, Howard, along with Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore, North Carolina Central, South Carolina State, and North Carolina A&T, elected to break away from the CIAA to form the MEAC. Today, Howard, Delaware State, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, North Carolina Central, and South Carolina State remain part of what is now an eight-member conference. Since 2022, North Carolina A&T has competed in the Coastal Athletic Association, although its bowling program remains an associate member of the MEAC.

“Having the opportunity to play one of our most storied rivals on the same court where both schools competed for the first MEAC title is something we are extremely proud of and excited for,” said Kery Davis, vice president of athletics for Howard University. “This game is much more than a nonconference matchup; it’s an opportunity for us to revisit history, a pivotal time for HBCUs and Black student-athletes.

“This meeting at Cameron is not just nostalgic; it is a reminder of the longstanding excellence, rivalry, and cultural significance these schools bring to the sport,” Davis added. “Howard, along with North Carolina A&T, helped launch the MEAC, and now, five decades later, we continue to be an anchor for this conference.”

Tickets for the Howard vs. North Carolina A&T matchup are now available. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.