Edward Waters University to rethink Division I football scheduling

Edward Waters University President A. Zachary Faison Jr. has announced that the Division II HBCU will no longer schedule Division I opponents unless the financial terms materially benefit the program. This decision follows a 66-14 loss to Jackson State University during the Hope Labor Day Classic.

Faison issued a public apology to the players and coaches, stating that the university had placed them in a competitively uneven game. He noted that while Jackson State provided a $65,000 guarantee, travel and related expenses cost approximately $30,000 to $35,000, leaving the university with a net profit of only about $30,000. Faison argued that the economics of such “buy games” do not justify the competitive toll taken on the players and the program.