Morehouse AD has Division I vision: ‘We’re coming for the big dogs’

As Morehouse College celebrates one of the most successful stretches in its athletic history, athletic director Harold Ellis is making it clear the program’s ambitions extend far beyond the SIAC.

Fresh off leading the Maroon Tigers to conference dominance and earning a major all-sports honor, Ellis has begun to openly frame Morehouse’s future in terms typically reserved for Division I programs.

“Move us out of this division,” Ellis said on Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab. “Put us with the big dogs because I want them.”

Ellis’ comments come amid a surge in athletic success at the Division II institution, including back-to-back SIAC Commissioner’s Cup titles and increased visibility through aggressive scheduling. Morehouse is set to open its football season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, an FCS program, and has continued to pursue high-profile matchups, including contests against Howard.

Harold Ellis wants MEAC, SWAC smoke

For Ellis, those games are more than marquee opportunities — they are measuring sticks.

“The SWAC, the MEAC — we’re coming,” he said. “I want those guys. I want to be on a level where we’re talking about greatness.”

That vision reflects a broader shift in how Ellis is positioning Morehouse athletics. While the institution has long been recognized for its academic prestige, Ellis said the goal has been to elevate athletics to match that national reputation.

“In athletics, I had to catch our academic brand,” Ellis said. “A lot of places build academics around athletics. Here, it’s the opposite.”

Central to that push is a recruiting philosophy rooted in long-term outcomes rather than short-term gains — a message Ellis personally delivers to prospects.

“If you give us four years at Morehouse, we’ll give you 40 years back,” he said. “We’ve got proof. We’ve got history.”

Morehouse has ambition, learned to ‘elevate’

Despite operating with limited resources compared to larger Division I programs, Ellis believes Morehouse holds a unique competitive advantage: its institutional brand and mission.

“We don’t have the numbers or the resources,” he said. “But I’ll put our students up against anybody in the country. We’ve got the best brand in the business.”

Internally, Ellis credits a unified approach — from university leadership to coaching staffs and support personnel — for the program’s rapid ascent. He also emphasized strategic hires, including football coach Willie Hill and longtime basketball coach Larry Dixon, as key pieces in building a sustainable foundation.

Still, Ellis acknowledges that Morehouse’s rise has not come without resistance.

“In the beginning, we were fighting in the mud,” he said. “Now we’ve learned to elevate.”

That elevation, he explained, is about expanding beyond conference success and establishing a national presence — a necessary step if Morehouse is to seriously consider a future at the Division I level.

“Our program has never been this successful,” Ellis said. “And we’re not done.”

While no formal reclassification plans have been announced, Ellis’ message signals clear intent: Morehouse is preparing to compete on a bigger stage.

“My president is aggressive. He wants to win. We see eye to eye,” Ellis said. “Just pay attention to the work we’re about to do.”

If Ellis has his way, that work could eventually position Morehouse among the upper tier of HBCU athletics — and potentially reshape its place in the collegiate sports landscape.

“Morehouse is coming,” he said.