St. Augustine’s will be the first HBCU with a cycling program, begins competing in fall
Last year, Dr. Mark Janas, a business professor at Saint Augustine’s University, approached Umar Muhammad with an idea.
Janas wanted to bring something new to SAU, an initiative outside of athletics that would be overseen by the Sports Management Department. It would be foreign not only to SAU, but HBCUs across the country. Janas was confident that if he made his pitch properly, Muhammad would be on board.
He spoke with Muhammad, a sports management professor, about bringing a cycling program to the school. The team wouldn’t be under NCAA or CIAA jurisdiction, but would be run as a club program, similar to cycling teams at nearby Duke and N.C. State.
The goal of SAU’s cycling team isn’t to put student-athletes on scholarship — at least, not yet. Still, Muhammad had his doubts. That’s when Janas told him the story of Major Taylor.
Born in 1878 in Indianapolis, Taylor, an African American, became a professional cyclist in 1896 and had a record-setting career until his retirement in 1910. Taylor is widely considered as the first great black celebrity athlete.
After hearing the story, Muhammad was sold. They registered with USA Cycling last summer, and starting this fall the SAU cycling team will get rolling. It will be the first of its kind at any HBCU and will compete in the collegiate club Atlantic division against 12 other schools from the Southeast, including Duke, N.C. State, Wake Forest, William & Mary and Liberty.
“This is an awesome opportunity,” Muhammad told the N&O. “The university has been very supportive of us moving forward.”
The team will feature 10 student-athletes, male and female, who had to pass an online process application to gauge their knowledge of the sport. While the students are at home due to COVID-19 and will soon be getting out for summer break, Muhammad and Janas are in the process of sending virtual cycling equipment (software and sensors) to their homes to those students who already have bikes. If everything returns to normal by the fall, the season will start in October.
Since making the official announcement last week, Muhammad has heard from alums and cycling clubs all over the country that have reached out to inquire how they can help. Muhammad has also heard from several Major Taylor cycling clubs.
Students on campus are also excited to be part of the historic inaugural team, Muhammad said. He recalled receiving an email from a student saying “this is a game-changer.”
“This is going to change the culture and dynamics, not just our department and sports, but our campus and reaching into the community,” Muhammad said. “We’ve gotten nothing but high praise and salutes from our students.”
Muhammad hopes the program at SAU will be the first of many at HBCUs.
“We hope this is a challenge to other HBCUs,” Muhammad said. “To be innovative in their programming for their students and find creative ways that don’t interfere with the CIAA regulations and eligibility.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 11:15 AM.
