HBCU GO: James Hadnot on HBCU Football and Following Charlie Neal’s Legacy in Broadcasting

HOUSTON -- James Hadnot still has a photo from his first night with HBCU GO, showing his name on the play-by-play box at a basketball game in Norfolk, Virginia. For someone who began calling high school football games in San Angelo, Texas, it was a big milestone to join the digital network as a broadcaster.

“I was like, wow, this is a long way from San Angelo, Texas, doing high school football in a very small press box,” Hadnot told HBCU Legends as he prepared for the Southern-Prairie View A&M game.

HBCU GO President Curtis Symonds told HBCU Legends the crew had less than 24 hours to prepare for the broadcast.

Now as HBCU GO’s lead play-by-play announcer, Hadnot brings lessons from the late Charlie Neal into a job that ties his broadcasting career to his family’s HBCU background.

HBCU GO: James Hadnot - Play by Play | HBCU GO

Music, Family, and Community

Hadnot grew up in Arlington, Texas, and went to Timberview High School. His dad’s family comes from Houston, and his mom is from Chicago.

He spent his first Friday nights in the marching band. He was drum major for two years and said he was the first Black student to have that role at his high school.

“Which is something that I hold very dear to my heart,” Hadnot said.

As a freshman, he practiced conducting during breaks in the music. Some of his bandmates told him he would never get to lead the band.

“You may never be that, but I’m not gonna let you put what you think about yourself on me,” Hadnot said.

He said he never missed a Friday night football game in all four years of high school. The band practiced twice a day in the summer with the football team, which helped him appreciate all the work that goes into halftime shows.

“It’s a show, we love the show, but there’s so many practices,” Hadnot said.

Hadnot didn’t go to an HBCU himself, but these schools are part of his family’s story. His brother graduated from Morehouse College and played basketball for the Maroon Tigers. His mom went to Fisk University.

When he visited Morehouse, Hadnot saw SIAC banners in Forbes Arena for schools like Lane, Kentucky State, and Clark Atlanta. He said he hadn’t realized so many HBCUs had athletic programs.

“I was like, I want to be a part of getting these HBCUs out there,” Hadnot said.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and his master’s from West Texas A&M. He worked in San Angelo and Shreveport, Louisiana, as a sports anchor before joining HBCU GO.

HBCU GO Celebrates 'Charlie Neal Day' | HBCU GO

Following Charlie Neal

Hadnot known the history that comes with his spot in the broadcast booth.

Charlie Neal, the longtime voice of HBCU sports, spent 23 years at BET as its lead commentator for Black college sports and later called games for ESPNU and HBCU GO.

Hadnot credits his faith and his relationship with Neal for this chance. He remembered Neal calling before a basketball season—he thinks it was in 2023—to ask if he wanted to work games.

“God is good to have provided me with this opportunity,” Hadnot said. “Without the connection I made with Charlie prior to his passing, this wouldn’t be possible.”

Hadnot said his first syndicated football broadcast was two years ago, when Neal couldn’t make it for Bethune-Cookman against Clark Atlanta. He remembers Clark Atlanta’s comeback and how big it was for a Division II team to beat a Division I opponent.

Some of his other favorite assignments are last season’s Las Vegas classic with Grambling State and this season’s Southern Heritage Classic between Alcorn State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

“I’m just overjoyed with this opportunity,” Hadnot said.

He hopes to do the job well and honor a broadcaster he sees as irreplaceable.

James Hadnot Writing Notes for HBCU GO | HBCU GO

Preparing for Prairie View A&M vs. Southern

Both teams go into Saturday’s game hoping to bounce back from conference losses. Prairie View A&M lost 28-27 at Mississippi Valley State, and Southern lost 41-10 at home to Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Hadnot expects Southern to come in eager for a conference win.

Prairie View A&M won the 2025 SWAC championship in Tremaine Jackson’s first year, their first conference title since 2009. Hadnot remembered asking Jackson at SWAC media day about starting the season as the reigning champ. Jackson said every season is a new championship race.

“We’re trying to get back to a championship game, and also we’re trying to be the overall HBCU national champion and play at the Celebration Bowl,” Hadnot said, describing the program. The Panthers beat Texas Southern 52-14 in the Labor Day Classic. Hadnot said Jackson later called the Mississippi Valley State loss the best thing that could have happened to his team.

“We can’t just go out there and walk to W’s,” Hadnot said, describing Jackson’s message.

“Their margin for error has shrunk, but they still control their own destiny,” Hadnot said.

Southern is in its first season with Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as head coach. Hadnot said Faulk is handling everything from discipline and practice routines to finding consistency at quarterback. The Jaguars have used several quarterbacks this year.

Hadnot said Southern defensive coordinator Todd Lyght told the broadcast crew he likes how his defense can force turnovers, but admitted the transition hasn’t been smooth.

Hadnot said that, besides trying to win games, both coaches are committed to helping players prepare for life after football.

“They’re trying to build young men to be successful people after school and use football as a vehicle to do that,” Hadnot said.

Two players stand out to him as he prepares: Southern running back Trey Holly and Prairie View A&M quarterback Tevin Carter.

Hadnot covered Holly in Louisiana as the running back pursued the state’s high school career rushing record.

“The guy that you’re watching is actually one of the best backs to ever come out of the state,” Hadnot said. “And now he’s being coached by one of the best backs to have ever come out of the state.”

Carter spent last season as a backup to Cam Peters and decided to stay at Prairie View A&M instead of transferring. Hadnot pointed out Carter’s strong start this season, with eight touchdown passes and just one interception.

Learning From His Broadcast Partners

Hadnot has worked with analysts like Wyche, Greg Coleman, Antoine Bethea, and Bucky Brooks.

When asked what he learns from working with them, Hadnot said he starts by giving the analysts space to share their experience.

“Just letting them be the star of the show,” Hadnot said. “These are living legends.”

Hadnot said he never played organized football, so he relies on his partners’ expertise to help explain the game to viewers.

“I’m not gonna know more about what I’m talking about than them,” Hadnot said. “So I’m just here to listen.”

When an analyst talks about a defensive front or coverage, Hadnot asks questions to help viewers understand the formation and how it affects the play.

“When I’m doing a game, especially with people that are high level, I’m trying to educate as much as entertain,” Hadnot said. “If you can leave the game saying that was fun, that was a great call by James and Steve, and then also I learned why my team is struggling or why my team is successful, then you’re leaving with a lot more nuggets than you came in with.”

Telling HBCU Stories

For Hadnot, his work goes beyond just calling the game.

HBCU GO, the free streaming platform from Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, lets him introduce viewers to the schools, their histories, and the people who keep them going.

He mentioned Prairie View A&M’s 150th anniversary as an example of the history that comes with a Saturday broadcast.

“150 years of providing access, providing education and providing spaces for Black people to be able to thrive,” “It’s able to tell our stories by us to our people who may not have realized, may not have known,” he said.

The SWAC Storylines He Is Watching

Asked which programs have his attention, Hadnot named Alcorn State first.

He pointed out the Braves’ four-game winning streak to end 2025, including a win over Texas Southern on HBCU GO. He also mentioned quarterback Jaylon Tolbert’s five touchdown passes in a 56-7 season-opening win over Miles.

Alcorn State visits Prairie View A&M for the Panthers’ homecoming on Oct. 17.

In the SWAC East, Hadnot said Jackson State is still the team to beat, repeating coach T.C. Taylor’s message that the standard is the standard. He also sees Bethune-Cookman as a contender and thinks Alabama State’s chances depend on their quarterback’s health.

Grambling State’s win over Alcorn State also stood out to him. Before Grambling played Jackson State, Hadnot shared a line he heard from the Grambling side.

“I’ve never seen a blue tiger,” Hadnot said, making clear he was quoting Grambling State.

His sleeper is Alabama A&M.

Hadnot pointed to coach Sam Shade’s success at Miles and thinks there’s potential for a similar rise in Huntsville. Quarterback Cornelious “Quad” Brown IV came back after a season-ending injury in 2025, giving the Bulldogs an experienced leader.

Alabama A&M lost 31-24 to Howard in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. Hadnot also thinks the Bulldogs had a real chance to beat Jackson State in the Gulf Coast Challenge.

“What it shows is that they could beat anybody, they could play with anybody,” Hadnot said.

The Crew and What Comes Next

Hadnot praised HBCU GO sideline reporters Lawrencia Moten, Nia Symone, and Nicole Hutchison for the wide range of experience they bring to the broadcasts. noted Moten’s work in the WNBA, Symone’s coverage of boxing and martial arts, and Hutchison’s reporting for the Dallas Cowboys.

“These are multitalented, multifaceted young ladies who are continuing to grow not just in the industry but in their careers,” Hadnot said.

He hopes to call as many HBCU GO basketball games as he can this winter. Hadnot said the schedule includes two games each between Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, and between Grambling State and Southern, plus Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M and Prairie View A&M vs. Texas Southern.

He’s already started preparing. At SWAC basketball media day in Birmingham, Alabama, he learned that Arkansas-Pine Bluff guard India Bowen likes fishing. She and her teammates use their group chat to see who can catch the biggest fish.

That’s the kind of detail Hadnot wants to share during broadcasts, giving viewers another way to connect with the athletes.

He also has a personal goal beyond the booth: continuing his education at an HBCU. Hadnot said he has explored a divinity program at Howard.

“The next degree that I do get as a PhD will be from an HBCU,” Hadnot said.

Follow James Hadnot on Instagram and X at @JamesHadnot_. HBCU GO broadcasts stream free at .

HBCU LEGENDS PODCAST

Add us as a preferred source on Google