South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley has always been a champion of HBCU basketball, and the PowerHER Classic is the latest example of her advocacy. The Classic will feature South Carolina and HBCU programs Alabama A&M, Tennessee State, and North Carolina Central.

Today at SEC Basketball Media Days, I asked South Carolina Women's Coach Dawn Staley about the PowHER Classic. She explained how it will benefit & highlight the HBCU WBB programs at NC Central, Tennessee St & Alabama A&M (@aamuwbb)!#HBCU @theswac #MEAC #HBCUHoops @thehbcupulse pic.twitter.com/C5834vs4VM

— Mo Carter (@MoCarterFOX54) October 13, 2026

According to the website, the event will take place November 26 through 29 in Columbia, South Carolina, and is designed as the first women’s college basketball tournament built around a live NIL marketplace, with a focus on HBCU programs. The Classic will bring top programs together for two days of competition while giving athletes the chance to connect face to face with brand partners on site.

During SEC Media Day, Fox 54 Sports Director and prominent HBCU journalist Mo Carter asked Staley about the Classic and whether he has any relationship with Alabama A&M's Dawn Brown.

“One, we just wanna highlight HBCUs. Obviously, we have two in Columbia that we do exhibition games with. I think it’s one to highlight, right? It’s one to give HBCU student-athletes an opportunity to capitalize on name, image, and likeness. They don’t…not at the level that our players really benefit from. So we wanna make sure they feel that.”

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On if she had a relationship with Dawn Brown, Staley says that she doesn't, but looks to meet her.

“I don’t know Coach Dawn as much. I don’t think I’ve ever met her. I do see her on social media, so it feels like I know her. It’ll be a great opportunity for them to see Columbia, for RayRose Media to put on an event that is much more than the games. Obviously, the games are important, but the messaging behind what it represents is the larger message that we wanna get across.”