Howard Protest Scrutinized After December Game Against Army as Bison Push Toward NCAA Tournament
Howard University student athletes will no longer be permitted to kneel during the national anthem under new pregame protocols issued by the university’s athletic department.
According to the campus newspaper The Hilltop, the updated policy requires athletes to either stand during the anthem or remain in the locker room while it is played.
The change ends a six year ritual for Howard’s women’s basketball team, which had knelt during the anthem since 2020 as part of a protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
The shift comes as the Bison women’s team continues a strong push toward another NCAA Tournament appearance.
Army Game Sparked Debate Over Anthem Protest
The policy change traces back to a December game between Howard and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The Bison lost the contest 64 to 56, but the kneeling protest during the anthem sparked concern and conversation surrounding the pregame demonstration.
Howard Vice President of Athletics Kery Davis said the new policy came after discussions among athletic department leaders, coaches and student athletes.
“There have been thoughtful internal conversations between athletics leadership, coaches and student athletes regarding pregame protocols,” Davis said in a statement. “The current approach is about supporting our students’ freedom of expression while upholding mutual respect for all communities.”
Team Says Protest Was Never Intended as Disrespect
Howard women’s basketball players and coaches emphasized that the protest was never meant as a slight toward members of the military.
Associate head coach Brian Davis said several members of the program have family members who served in the armed forces.
“Our program has been kneeling since COVID, especially when all the social justice things were happening,” Davis said. “All the young men and women of color who were passing away from the hands of police brutality, we decided to take a stand against social injustice.”
He added that the team apologized if their actions were interpreted as disrespectful toward Army.
“We didn’t want to disrespect anybody. That wasn’t our intent,” Davis said.
Players Will Remain in Locker Room During Anthem
Rather than abandon the protest entirely, the Howard women’s team has decided to remain in the locker room while the national anthem is played before games.
The approach mirrors a practice adopted by the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team under coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks have remained in the locker room during the anthem since the 2020 to 2021 season.
“The majority of our players sat during the playing of the national anthem every game this season,” Staley told Andscape in 2021. “If opposing teams choose to play the anthem during the time we’re in the locker room, then we choose to stay in the locker room.”
Debate Over Anthem Protests Continues Years After Kaepernick
Kneeling during the national anthem became widely recognized after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began the protest in 2016 to draw attention to police brutality and racial injustice.
Nearly a decade later, the demonstration continues to spark debate across sports and college campuses.
At Howard, the women’s basketball program says it plans to keep its focus on competition while maintaining its stance on social justice.
“We don’t want to bring any bad light to Howard University,” Davis said. “So we just decided to stay in the locker room now for every game, home and away.”
Some Howard Athletes Question the Decision
Not all student athletes on campus support the new policy. Members of Howard’s men’s soccer program expressed concern that the rule limits their ability to protest.
“If they can take away our right to protest, what else can they take away?” said Ireal Wyze Daly, a junior goalkeeper from Trinidad. “I would never believe that coming to Howard, the biggest HBCU in the world, The Mecca, would basically be forced to bow down to the white oppressive system.”
The change arrives as Howard’s women’s basketball team continues its postseason push, with the Bison hoping to return to the NCAA Tournament while navigating a renewed conversation around protest, expression and tradition in college sports.
