When Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank announced a $50 million gift to support Atlanta’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), one detail stood out: a $400,000 commitment to Morehouse College’s golf program, made in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore, which Blank owns through his family of businesses that also includes Atlanta United FC.
The Arthur M. Blank Foundation’s broader initiative will provide “gap scholarships” and academic support for students at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, and Morris Brown College, but the golf-specific funding represents a meaningful statement about inclusion in sports.
Golf programs at HBCUs have long operated with limited budgets and visibility. The new funding helps bring overdue attention to a sport that rarely gets the spotlight on Black college campuses and beyond.
The announcement arrives amid renewed momentum for HBCU golf nationwide. In 2019, Stephen Curry helped revive Howard University’s Division I golf program with a seven-figure pledge, reigniting attention to Black college golf. Events like the Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup, created by the PGA TOUR and Southern Company, have since given HBCU golfers national stages to compete and be seen. These intentional efforts are exactly what is needed to continue to grow the sport.
Arthur Blank’s $50 million commitment spans a decade and is expected to assist nearly 10,000 students across Atlanta’s four HBCUs beginning in 2026. It stands among the largest multi-institutional gifts in the city’s history and continues the Foundation’s focus on education, equity, and community investment.
Clark Atlanta University has already confirmed it will receive $16.5 million in scholarship support as part of the initiative, with additional allocations to other institutions forthcoming.
“Our goal is to remove barriers for talented students to graduate and thrive,” the Foundation said in its announcement. “These institutions are vital to Atlanta’s history and to our future.”
Blank has long used sports as a platform for social good. As the Foundation’s initiative takes shape, the $400,000 directed to golf stands out as a reminder that equity in sports extends far beyond the football field.