Xavier University of Louisiana adds rowing—sport's first co-ed HBCU team
The sport, whose XULA club team has made waves since its establishment in 2023, continues to gain popularity at the Black Catholic university.
Sports
XULA women's basketball has historic undefeated streak
The Catholic HBCU is 18-0 on the season and ranked in the NAIA top 25 coaches poll for the first time in nearly a decade.
Greg Gumbel, first Black announcer of sports championship, dead at 78
Famed sportscaster Greg Gumbel, the first Black announcer to call a major U.S. sports championship, has died in Florida after a “courageous battle with cancer.” He was 78 years old. His wife and daughter released a statement through CBS Sports after his peaceful passing at home on Dec. 27.
Marcus Freeman first Black coach in FBS football national championship
The 39-year-old Black Catholic led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a semifinal win in the newly expanded College Football Playoff on Thursday.
Peter Westbrook, pioneering African-American fencer, dead at 72
The Afro-Japanese athlete was the first U.S. Black medalist in Olympic fencing and won 16 championships overall during his quarter-century career.
Xavier Paul in as third head coach in six months for XULA baseball
The hiring comes on the heels of allegations of racial harassment concerning former head coach Dave Yamane, who was fired after less than 90 days.
Al Attles, pioneering NBA coach and Warriors ambassador, dead at 87
The Black Catholic player and coach was the longest-tenured employee in league history, remaining with the Warriors for six decades across three cities.
Royce White, NBA pro turned GOP populist, wins Minnesota primary for Senate
The far-right Black Catholic, formerly of the Houston Rockets, is the nation's first upper-chamber candidate born in the 1990s.
Dominique Dawes, gymnast supreme, gets bronze statue in hometown
The 47-year-old former gymnast was the first African American to win an individual Olympic gold medal and the first to win gold at three Olympics.
Black Catholics shine in wild week at 2024 Paris Olympics
Athletes across several sports (and the diaspora) have set records, shattered expectations, and brought glory to their home countries—and to God.
Simone Biles wins all-around gold at 2024 Paris Olympics
At 27, she is the second-oldest champion in the event and has won more Olympic gymnastics medals than any American in history.
Simone Biles is back: U.S. women's gymnastics team takes gold at Paris Olympics
The 27-year-old Black Catholic, now the oldest Olympic gold medalist ever in the sport, anchored the squad with strong showings on Tuesday night.
Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant, father of Kobe and former NBA player, dead at 69
The former international basketball star, once estranged from his Hall of Famer son, last coached in a Japanese pro league in 2015.
Ahead of Paris Olympics, Simone Biles wins 2024 ESPY Award for Best Comeback Performance
It is her second comeback award since a return from a two-year hiatus, and comes just weeks after her triumph at the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials.
Orlando 'Baby Bull' Cepeda, Hall of Fame MLB slugger, dead at 86
The Catholic-raised Puerto Rican starred for the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals and overcame struggles to lead a productive front-office career.
Biles' trials: Simone leads Black Catholics headed to 2024 Paris Olympics
The U.S. Olympic qualifiers for gymnastics and track and field took place this month in Minneapolis and Eugene, Oregon, respectively.