Where They Stand
A new era at Howard has a famous name on the headset. Ted White — "Sweet Flight," the record-setting Bison quarterback of the late '90s — returned to his alma mater in January 2026 as head coach, after stops coaching quarterbacks at UCLA and analyzing offense at Maryland. He inherits a program that won consecutive MEAC championships in 2023 and 2024 and beat Florida A&M in the 2025 Orange Blossom Classic, but went 5-7 last fall and needs its identity back.
The 2026 schedule wastes no time: a 31-24 win over Alabama A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on ABC opened the White era, followed by a gauntlet of Richmond, No. 5 Indiana and Rutgers. October brings the Truth & Service Classic against Hampton at Audi Field and homecoming against Morehouse on October 17, before MEAC play opens October 24 at Morgan State. Quarterback Ja'Shawn Scroggins, running backs Eden James and Travis Kerney, and receiver Antonio Hunter lead an offense learning a new system; defensive back Kendrick Green anchors the other side. The standard White keeps citing is the one he played to — and 2026 is about restoring it.
The Story of Howard Bison
Howard football dates to 1893, and the Bison were founding members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1970. The program's first golden age came early — Black college national championships in 1920, 1925 and 1926 — but the season every Howard fan measures everything against is 1993. Led by quarterback Jay "Sky" Walker, the Bison went 11-0, the first school in the MEAC's 11-game era to go undefeated, earning the school's first-ever automatic bid to the Division I-AA playoffs and a Black national championship. Walker threw for 3,324 yards and 24 touchdowns in one of the great individual seasons in HBCU history.
Howard has made a habit of the impossible upset. In 2017 the Bison walked into Sam Boyd Stadium as 45-point underdogs to UNLV and walked out with a 43-40 win — the biggest point-spread upset in college football history at the time, and still the program's only win over an FBS opponent. The Bison captured their sixth Black college national championship in 1996 with a Heritage Bowl win, and the 2023 team returned Howard to the Celebration Bowl stage.
At Howard, football is inseparable from the culture around it. Homecoming at "The Yard" is a national event, the Showtime Marching Band is a headline act, and Greene Stadium sits in the heart of Washington, D.C. Eight Bison were named to the MEAC's 50th-anniversary all-time team, from Antoine Bethea to Ted White himself. The program's charge under White is the one the 1993 team set: be the standard again.
Past Coaches
All-Time Team
Jay Walker
"Sky" Walker — 3,324 yards and 24 TDs in the undefeated 1993 season; 1993 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Ted White
"Sweet Flight" — set the program's passing records and won 1996 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year; now the head coach.
Greg McGhee
Two-time MEAC Offensive Player of the Year (2013, 2014); 2011 MEAC Rookie of the Year.
Tracy Singleton
Three-time All-MEAC first team; two-time MEAC Offensive Player of the Year (1981, 1982).
Gary Harrell
Two-time All-MEAC first team; later returned as the program's head coach.
Keith Pough
Three-time All-MEAC first team; 2012 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Antoine Bethea
The Bison's greatest pro: Super Bowl XLI champion, three-time Pro Bowler over a 14-year NFL career.
Names to Know
Ja'Shawn Scroggins
Passing leader entering 2026.
Eden James
Featured back — scored against Rutgers in 2024.
Travis Kerney
80 carries for 318 yards and 3 TDs in 2025.
Matthew White
No. 19; in the rotation at running back.
Antonio Hunter
Receiving leader — 26 catches, 290 yards, 2 TDs in 2025.
Kendrick Green
Tackles leader — 60 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2 INTs in 2025.
Past Seasons
Season Stats
| Season | Record | Conference | Finish | Head coach | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5–7 | 2–3 MEAC | Larry Scott | Orange Blossom Classic win over FAMU | |
| 2024 | 4–8 | MEAC | Larry Scott | ||
| 2023 | 6–6 | MEAC | 1st | Larry Scott | Celebration Bowl berth |
Schedule
Team News
Howard University names Ted White head football coach
The record-setting Bison QB of the late '90s comes home — 'a full-circle moment for the University.'
Read the story →Howard announces 2026 football schedule
MEAC/SWAC Challenge on ABC, trips to Indiana and Rutgers, and homecoming vs. Morehouse headline the slate.
Read the story →2026 first glance preview: Howard Bison
Hoosier Huddle's look at the Bison before the Indiana trip — returning leaders and the big questions.
Read the story →Preview & prediction: No. 5 Indiana vs. Howard
247Sports on the first-ever meeting — a 56.5-point line and a noon kickoff on BTN.
Read the story →