The Chris Paul HBCU Classic Washington DC era officially begins this December. The Toyota Chris Paul HBCU Classic is relocating to CareFirst Arena for a two-day event on Dec. 4-5, and nine HBCU basketball programs will take part. The Chris Paul Family Foundation and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame confirmed that Events DC, the city’s convention and sports authority, will host the tournament.
Why the Chris Paul HBCU Classic Washington DC Move Matters
“Bringing the Classic to CareFirst Arena, a Monumental Sports & Entertainment building, is especially meaningful given Sheila Johnson’s role on our Board of Directors,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He added that organizers look forward to bringing HBCU basketball culture together under one roof in the nation’s capital.
The new venue sits inside a Monumental Sports & Entertainment complex in Southeast Washington, just a short drive from Howard’s Burr Gymnasium. Consequently, the location gives the event built-in local energy, especially with two programs from this year’s field having made the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Howard enters as the reigning MEAC regular season and tournament champion. The Bison finished 24-11 in coach Kenny Blakeney’s seventh season, and they won their first NCAA Tournament game in program history back in March. Meanwhile, former No. 1 overall pick John Wall became Howard’s president of basketball operations in April, bringing nine years of NBA experience with the Washington Wizards to the front office.
Tennessee State also arrives with momentum. The Tigers finished 23-10 and captured their first Ohio Valley Conference tournament title in over 30 years during Nolan Smith’s debut season as coach, snapping an NCAA Tournament drought dating back to 1994. Smith signed a contract extension through 2031 in April.
The Field and Schedule
Five Division I programs will compete: FAMU, Grambling State, Hampton, Howard, and Tennessee State. Four non-Division I teams round out the bracket, including Clark Atlanta, Virginia State, West Virginia State, and Winston-Salem State.
Friday’s opening session pairs Winston-Salem State against Clark Atlanta and Virginia State against West Virginia State. The second Friday session features Hampton versus FAMU and Grambling versus Tennessee State. Saturday brings the non-Division I third-place game and the Division I championship, followed by FAMU against Tennessee State and Hampton against Howard. Notably, those two Saturday matchups will happen regardless of Friday’s results, since Howard and Grambling each play only once before Saturday.
Storylines Worth Watching
Both NCAA Tournament programs enter with new-look rosters. Howard’s Bryce Harris, the 2026 MEAC Player of the Year, signed a Summer League deal with Oklahoma City in June. Similarly, Tennessee State’s Aaron Nkrumah, last season’s OVC Player of the Year, signed an Exhibit-10 contract with Denver after averaging 17.7 points per game. To fill that gap, Smith brought in transfer additions Aaron Bradshaw, Arterio Morris, and Ty-Laur Johnson.
FAMU’s Charlie Ward opens his second season after going 15-16 overall and winning the ESPN HBCU Hoops Invitational in year one. “Being part of the Chris Paul HBCU Classic is a great opportunity for our program and for FAMU,” Ward said, calling it exactly the kind of stage his players deserve.
Grambling’s Patrick Crarey II, a Washington, D.C. native, treats the trip as something of a homecoming. He coached FAMU in 2024-25 before taking over at Grambling, and last December’s Tigers went undefeated at the 2025 Classic in College Park.
Hampton’s Ivan Thomas, entering his third season, called the Saturday matchup against Howard one of HBCU basketball’s great rivalries. “It is one of the great rivalries in HBCU basketball with tremendous history, tradition and pride,” Blakeney echoed from Howard’s side.
Paul’s Continued HBCU Investment
The event continues to build on Chris Paul’s long relationship with HBCU basketball culture. Paul, a Winston-Salem State graduate, has used his platform to elevate HBCU programs for years, and this marks the third annual Toyota-branded edition of the Classic after stops in Uncasville, Connecticut, and College Park, Georgia.
“HBCU basketball has become an important pillar of college sports,” Paul said. “As support continues to grow, I’m excited to bring this year’s games to the DMV area and provide the teams an opportunity to showcase their talent on a national platform.” The move follows Paul’s HBCU commencement address at Morehouse earlier this year, further cementing his role as one of the sport’s most visible HBCU advocates.
Ticket, broadcast, and credentialing details are expected in the coming months as organizers finalize plans for the Toyota Chris Paul HBCU Classic in its new Washington home.
