Toyota Chris Paul HBCU Classic: Nine Programs Set for Washington D.C. Tip Off

The Toyota Chris Paul HBCU Classic is coming to Washington, D.C., at CareFirst Arena on Dec. 4-5, featuring nine HBCU basketball teams. The Chris Paul Family Foundation and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame shared that Events DC, the city's convention and sports authority, will host the two-day event.

"Bringing the Classic to CareFirst Arena, a Monumental Sports & Entertainment building, is especially meaningful given Sheila Johnson's role on our Board of Directors, and we look forward to bringing the teams, their fans, and the vibrant culture of HBCU basketball together under one roof in Washington, D.C., this December," John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, said.

With the move, the Classic will be held at a Monumental Sports & Entertainment complex in Southeast Washington, just a short drive from Howard's Burr Gymnasium. This year's event features two teams that made it to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Howard University is the current MEAC regular season and tournament champion after finishing 24-11 in its seventh season under coach Kenny Blakeney. In March, the Bison won their first NCAA Tournament game in program history.

Former No. 1 overall pick John Wall became Howard's president of basketball operations in April, bringing his nine years with the Washington Wizards to the program's front office.

Tennessee State finished 23-10 and won its first Ohio Valley Conference tournament title in over 30 years during Nolan Smith's first year as coach, ending an NCAA Tournament drought since 1994. Smith signed a contract extension through 2031 in April.

The Field

Division I: FAMU, Grambling State, Hampton, Howard, Tennessee State

Non-Division I: Clark Atlanta, Virginia State, West Virginia State, Winston-Salem State

Schedule Released

Day	Session	Matchups
Friday, Dec. 4	Session 1	Winston-Salem State vs. Clark Atlanta; Virginia State vs. West Virginia State
Friday, Dec. 4	Session 2	Hampton vs. FAMU; Grambling vs. Tennessee State
Saturday, Dec. 5	Session 1	3rd Place Game (Non-Division I); Championship Game (Division I)
Saturday, Dec. 5	Session 2	FAMU vs. Tennessee State; Hampton vs. Howard

.@chrispaulfamfdn and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announce field of teams for 2026 Toyota @CP3 HBCU Classic December 4-5.#HOFHBCU | #HoophallU pic.twitter.com/vtQCJHkx0m
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) August 6, 2026

DI & DII Format

The schedule shows a Division I championship game in Saturday's first session, but the two Division I games in Saturday's second session will happen as planned, no matter what happens on Friday. FAMU and Tennessee State play each other Saturday after both have games on Friday. Hampton faces Howard in the Bison's only scheduled game, and Grambling plays once, on Friday.

The four non-Division I teams will play in a standard bracket, with two games on Friday and a third-place game on Saturday. However, there is no non-Division I championship game listed on the schedule. The Hall of Fame said that game times, broadcast details, ticketing, and credentialing will be announced later.

Division I Storylines

Both NCAA Tournament teams have new looks this year. Howard guard Bryce Harris, the 2026 MEAC Player of the Year, signed a Summer League deal with Oklahoma City in June.

Tennessee State's Aaron Nkrumah, the 2025-26 OVC Player of the Year, signed an Exhibit-10 contract with Denver after averaging 17.7 points. Coach Smith brought in Aaron Bradshaw, Arterio Morris, and Ty-Laur Johnson through the transfer portal.

Charlie Ward is starting his second season at FAMU after going 15-16 overall and 11-7 in the SWAC, plus winning the ESPN HBCU Hoops Invitational in his first year. The Rattlers earned a double bye into the SWAC tournament quarterfinals as the No. 2 seed.

"Being part of the Chris Paul HBCU Classic is a great opportunity for our program and for FAMU. This is exactly the kind of stage our guys deserve, and I'm excited for Rattler Nation to see us compete on it," Ward said.

Patrick Crarey II is back for his second season as Grambling's coach, and this trip is a homecoming for the Washington, D.C., native. Crarey coached FAMU in 2024-25 before moving to Grambling, leaving behind the roster that Ward now leads.

Last December, the Tigers went undefeated in College Park, beating Norfolk State 80-68 and Hampton 81-72 on ESPNU at the 2025 Classic. Grambling finished the season 14-19 and earned the No. 9 seed in the SWAC tournament.

Ivan Thomas is starting his third season as Hampton's coach after a 13-19 season and a 7-11 record in the CAA. The Saturday game against Howard is the most anticipated local matchup on the schedule.

"We are especially looking forward to competing against Hampton University. It is one of the great rivalries in HBCU basketball with tremendous history, tradition and pride," Blakeney said.

Smith described the trip in personal terms.

"Our Program is very excited to travel to Washington, D.C. to play in my brother Chris Paul's Event. The basketball scene in D.C. will be electric, and we hope to add to the electricity," Smith said.

Non-Division I Bracket Overview

Virginia State comes into December with the strongest non-Division I record. The Trojans finished 20-10, won the CIAA Northern Division regular season title, and reached the CIAA tournament semifinals before losing to Bluefield State 71-66. Coach Lonnie Blow Jr.'s team entered the tournament as the defending champion.

Clark Atlanta is making its third Classic appearance under Alfred Jordan, a Panthers alumnus and the 2024 SIAC Coach of the Year. The Panthers will face Winston-Salem State, Paul's alma mater, in Friday's first session.

West Virginia State is returning to an event it helped start. Coach Bryan Poore connected the trip to the program's history in professional basketball.

"I would be remiss to not mention the first African-American to play in the NBA and graduate of WVSU, Earl Lloyd; his legacy has opened many doors for our program, and we look forward to representing him and WVSU in Washington, D.C. in December," Poore said.

Chris Paul's Impact on HBCUs

Paul graduated from Winston-Salem State in December 2022. He co-chairs When We All Vote and previously served on President Biden's Advisory Council for HBCUs. His production company is Ohh Dip!!! Entertainment, executive produced the Why Not Us series on ESPN+, which featured North Carolina Central basketball, FAMU football, Southern dance, and Grambling dance.

Paul also carries an accredited case study course at NC A&T and Southern titled the Business of Entertainment Media and Sports, built through a partnership with Harvard Business School professor Anita Elberse. Morehouse College welcomed him as its Class of 2026 commencement speaker for the 142nd exercises on May 17 and awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

"HBCU basketball has become an important pillar of college sports. As support continues to grow, I'm excited to bring this year's games to the DMV area and provide the teams an opportunity to showcase their talent on a national platform," Paul said.

About the Event's History

The Hall of Fame calls this the third annual Toyota Chris Paul HBCU Classic, based on the Toyota-branded format that brings together Division I and non-Division I teams. The Chris Paul Family Foundation held earlier HBCU events under the Tip-Off Classic and HBCU Challenge names at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, and Poore mentioned taking part in a 2021 edition. The 2025 Classic was held at the Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia.

Looking Ahead

Howard will start MEAC play in January. The Classic gives Blakeney's team a chance to test themselves in December at a familiar venue, while the Hall of Fame will see if the Washington market can support the event beyond this year. Ticket and broadcast details will show how far the event's reach can go.

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