As I write this, North Carolina A&T is celebrating its 100th homecoming celebration, affectionately known as GHOE, or the greatest homecoming on earth. The homecoming festivities are famed in HBCU culture because of the sheer size of North Carolina A&T's student and alumna population, as well as the confluence of events for students and alumni that week. Instead of marveling at North Carolina A&T's resilience and the spectacle that will surely be its 100th homecoming celebration, the discourse shifted in a very odd way.

On Thursday, Pro Football Hall of Famer and media personality Shannon Sharpe announced that his popular Nightcap live podcast won't broadcast from North Carolina A&T's campus during the homecoming festivities. Sharpe followed the announcement with charged comments, taking umbrage at the podcast's booking situation.

“You gotta pay a fee if you get this person, that person, this person to come on. I say, ‘You know what, guys? At some point in time, it’s just not worth it.’ And so unfortunately, it’s not gonna happen. So again, ask A&T why they chose to go this route when they knew 10 weeks in advance that we were coming and what we had requested.”

He then said the university, not Nightcap, canceled the event and named the official he said was in charge.

“There’s a young lady that’s in charge that just basically gave us her butt to kiss, Dr. Kecia Williams Smith. I don’t really like to call people names. But you put us in a very tough spot, because people are looking at us like, ‘Well, Nightcap, y’all canceled last minute.’ Nah, ain’t no Nightcap cancel last minute. Dr. Kecia Williams Smith, she canceled us last minute.”

Unbeknownst to Sharpe, he sparked one of America's most fervent rivalries today: HBCU supporters versus celebrity fans. For the past few years, HBCU supporters have had to defend our institutions from accusations by well-known celebrities and their fans, who immediately run to talk about how “incompetent” HBCU business dealings are in their estimation. Often, HBCU supporters' voices aren't heard in these moments, as the celebrity megaphone and the sheer number of their supporters outweigh the counterargument in favor of HBCUs.

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I saw that single-handedly, and I'm not even a North Carolina A&T alumnus. Sure, I have an interesting connection with North Carolina A&T given my professional history. I have worked and befriended many people from North Carolina A&T over my 10 years in HBCU media, and several members of my current HBCU Pulse team are North Carolina A&T alumni. So A&T holds a special place in my heart.

But I was thrust into the front lines of the dispute after I made a video speaking about the situation and providing my thoughts. Across platforms, the video drew swift criticism from people who saw my support for HBCUs as mindless and believed it made North Carolina A&T wrong. The dissent was louder than the defense of my point and perfectly captured the fervor of this rivalry.

So let's make this point clear and plain: no, North Carolina A&T did not need Shannon Sharpe to benefit them. While Shannon Sharpe bringing Nightcap to North Carolina A&T would have been a benefit and likely a very fun experience for students, alumni, and community supporters, North Carolina A&T does not need Shannon Sharpe to be great.

Put North Carolina A&T's cultural dominance into perspective

It is unfortunate that Nightcap can't broadcast from North Carolina A&T during the centennial homecoming. I wish things had gone differently, as I believe Sharpe, alongside Chad Ochocinco and Joe Johnson, would've had a lot of fun. And I do believe that there is a benefit that Nightcap being broadcast at North Carolin A&T brings the institution.

Nightcap attracts a different follower base of sports fans, including people who may have gone to PWIs and people who may not have gone to HBCUs or college at all. You might have younger fans who like Shannon Sharpe from Undisputed or First Take, juniors and seniors in high school or even middle schoolers, watching Nightcap. Now they’re interfacing with sports through the lens of Shannon Sharpe, Chad Ochocinco, and Joe Johnson. So when they see A&T or Prairie View A&M turn up on Nightcap, they might decide they want to go to A&T. Shannon Sharpe, Nightcap, and Shay Shay Media can give North Carolina A&T earned media.

But let's not get it twisted: North Carolina A&T is one of America's fastest-rising institutions. It's the largest HBCU in the nation, with over 15,000 students. Vice President Kamala Harris visited the institution within the past year, among celebrities and dignitaries. Let's not forget to mention that the institution boasts celebrities and dignitaries as alumni, such as Tarik Cohen, Terrence J, and the late Rev. Jesse Jackson. They aren't helpless; they don't need clout. They generate their own.

Yes, people were arguing that North Carolina A&T needed Shannon Sharpe, Nightcap

We also need to make this clear: no, Shannon Sharpe did not allege that North Carolina A&T needed him for publicity or to make GHOE fun. That was never uttered by Shannon. Sharpe never said that; he took umbrage at putting resources into an appearance that wasn't going to materialize. But many people defending Shannon Sharpe in the incident started playing the usual game many play with HBCUs.

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They started alleging they didn't know North Carolina A&T existed until Shannon Sharpe said something. They said North Carolina A&T “dropped the bag” because Sharpe didn't appear on campus. They used the hundreds of millions of dollars North Carolina A&T is owed as an 1890 land-grant institution as a weapon against the institution, instead of using it to make A&T whole and increase its capacity. You might not have seen it on your timeline, but it happened. I certainly saw it on my posts about the incident. And that talking point is fundamentally false.

There are 100+ HBCUs in America, ranging in size and location. The HBCUs generally seen as nationally renowned are Morehouse, Spelman, Howard, North Carolina A&T, and Florida A&M. Other institutions you could argue also fit the bill, such as Clark Atlanta, Hampton, Jackson State, Southern, and Grambling. But the five aforementioned HBCUs generate so much publicity and are known quantities nationwide. That's just an undisputed fact.

Broadcasting Nightcap from any of these institutions adds to the attention they already generate through academics, athletics, cultural excellence, and alumni success. To allege that Sharpe's mere appearance on this substantial platform would give North Carolina A&T a material benefit they lost is false, and it's okay to say that. It's not an affront to Sharpe's work. It's just living in reality.

A sad situation that became bigger than it needed to be

My argument doesn't mean the situation isn't unfortunate. Nor am I commenting on the business dealings between Shea Media and North Carolina A&T, as that is information that I'm not privy to. The point is that, while the business arrangement fell apart and the broadcast unfortunately didn't happen, we need to be careful when talking about North Carolina A&T right now.

Both parties will continue to grow and thrive, and a collaboration could happen in the future, but we can't let this incident stain North Carolina A&T, especially during their centennial homecoming celebration.