Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- Nightcap faced late fee and participation demands after about ten weeks of planning, so the production deemed the appearance not worth pursuing.
- Shannon Sharpe says North Carolina A&T official Dr. Kecia Williams Smith canceled the appearance, rejecting claims Nightcap pulled out.
- North Carolina A&T's band initially expressed enthusiasm, then was told it would be unavailable, creating conflicting communication.
- Fees were reportedly required for participating Greek organizations, preventing their involvement in the broadcast.
- Shannon Sharpe said, "I am very, very disappointed," noting nonrefundable travel and hotel costs and that North Carolina A&T hasn't responded.
Shannon Sharpe says a highly anticipated Nightcap broadcast from North Carolina A&T’s homecoming has been called off after what he described as weeks of miscommunication and last-minute demands from the university.
On the latest episode of the Nightcap podcast, Sharpe addressed why he and co-host Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson will no longer be broadcasting live from North Carolina A&T on Thursday afternoon.
The announcement comes just days after Nightcap promoted its planned homecoming broadcast from A&T, scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Thursday.
According to Sharpe, however, the appearance unraveled after roughly 10 weeks of planning.
Sharpe says requirements changed late
Sharpe said the production team had been working on the A&T appearance for weeks when additional requests involving fees and participation began surfacing.
“You gotta pay a fee if you get this person, that person, this person to come on,” Sharpe said.
At that point, Sharpe said, the production decided the event was no longer worth pursuing under the new circumstances.
“You know what, guys? At some point in time, it’s just not worth it,” he said.
Sharpe questioned why the issue emerged so late in the planning process.
“So again, ask A&T why they chose to go this route when they knew 10 weeks in advance that we were coming and what we had requested,” he said.
Sharpe says A&T, not Nightcap, canceled
Sharpe also pushed back against the perception that Nightcap had simply pulled out of the appearance at the last minute.
He specifically placed the blame on an A&T official he identified as Dr. Kecia Williams Smith.
“There’s a young lady that’s in charge that just basically gave us her butt to kiss, Dr. Kecia Williams Smith,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe said the distinction was important because he did not want viewers to believe the Nightcap crew had abandoned the university after promoting the event.
“People are looking at us like, ‘Well, Nightcap, y’all canceled last minute.’ Nah, ain’t no Nightcap cancel last minute,” Sharpe said. “Dr. Kecia Williams Smith, she canceled us last minute.”
Band and Greek organizations reportedly involved
Sharpe also expressed frustration over what he described as conflicting communication involving A&T’s band.
According to Sharpe, the band had reached out expressing excitement about participating in the broadcast, only for the Nightcap team to subsequently be told the band would not be available.
“When she started making all these requests, the band sent an email, ‘We’re looking forward to seeing you guys. We can’t wait to participate,’” Sharpe said.
He said the situation became even more complicated when fees were reportedly requested for Greek organizations that were expected to participate.
“Oh yeah, by the way, any Greeks or sorors, that was gonna be a fee for each one that participated,” Sharpe said. “Unfortunately, it’s not gonna happen.”
Sharpe questions what A&T is losing
For Sharpe, the biggest frustration appears to be what he believes the university is missing by not hosting the broadcast.
He argued that Nightcap was coming to A&T specifically to showcase the school’s homecoming and give viewers a look at the pageantry surrounding an HBCU celebration.
“You have to ask yourself, you have to ask A&T, when we’re coming to highlight your university, to show what homecoming at an HBCU is all about, the pageantry…” Sharpe said.
That point carries particular weight for Sharpe, who attended an HBCU himself.
‘I am very, very disappointed’
Sharpe said the cancellation also came with a significant financial cost for the Nightcap production.
He explained that the crew had already committed people, travel and hotel accommodations for the trip and could not simply undo all of those expenses.
“We had a lot of people, a lot of things, and we weren’t able to cancel those rooms,” Sharpe said.
As a result, he said the production had already spent considerable money preparing for the broadcast.
“I am very, very disappointed,” Sharpe said. “I’m very disappointed an HBCU would behave in this manner.”
Sharpe said his disappointment was amplified by his own connection to HBCUs and his belief that institutions such as A&T deserve opportunities to be showcased on major platforms.
“I went to an HBCU, and I understand that sometimes they’re not highlighted in a positive light,” he said.
North Carolina A&T has not publicly responded to Sharpe’s allegations.
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