Good times seem to roll for the Alabama State program. The Alabama State Hornets football team is still in a merrymaking mood after a 56-13 win over Alabama A&M. That’s when the universe blessed them with yet another positive news. Alabama State University just came under the radar of someone with a big heart. MacKenzie Scott donated $38 million to the university, making it a first-time in a decade thing. 

On October 27, Alabama State University announced the news. The statement read, “Today marks a defining moment in the history of Alabama State University. I am filled with immense gratitude and proud to announce that Alabama State University has received the largest single donation in its 158-year history. Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated an extraordinary $38 million gift to our great university.”

It looks like Alabama State is not the only HBCU school lucky enough to get Scott’s love. Before Alabama, two other HBCU programs got lucky. Scott gifted $63 million to Morgan State University, announced on October 15, and $38 million to the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, announced on October 24. This was in addition to the $60 million Scott gave to the other HBCU schools five years ago. Morgan State got $40 million back then, and UMES received $20 million.

Upon receiving the gift, UMES President Heidi M. Anderson posted a note of gratitude on Instagram: “Dear Hawk Family, I’m sure many of you have seen the extraordinary news of philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s historic $38 million gift to UMES—the largest single donation in our university’s history. This incredible act of generosity is not just a milestone: it’s a powerful investment in our future and an invitation to Soar Above and Beyond.”

Before becoming one of the world’s most influential philanthropists, Scott spent 25 years married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Since their 2019 split, she’s built her legacy, with a Forbes-estimated fortune of nearly $34 billion and two novels showcasing her literary side. In 2020, she surprised the HBCU community by donating $560 million to 23 public and private HBCUs. Cut to 2025, this donation must be a huge moral boost for the HBCU program, Alabama State Hornets. 

After Alabama State’s 56-13 demolition of Alabama A&M on October 25 in the 84th Amazon Magic City Classic presented by Coca-Cola, there was little doubt about who ruled HBCU football in Week 9. In the NCAA Week 10 HBCU football power rankings, the Hornets rank at No.2 after Jackson State. Does Scott have a history of donations to Jackson State?

Donations that strengthened the backbone of HBCU Athletics

Going by the 2020 table of HBCU schools that received help from Scott, Jackson State was not there. Sean “Diddy” Combs previously donated $1 million to Jackson State University’s athletics department. Talking about philanthropic efforts? The former HBCU school head coach, Deion Sanders, had left an enormous mark. 

When he took the job in 2020, Coach Prime donated half his coaching salary to renovate the Jackson State stadium. He was on a $300,000-a-year salary, lower than some NFL starting salaries. And this move paid off. The 2021 Jackson State–Alcorn State showdown was more than a football game; it was a citywide celebration. A sold-out crowd of 62,512 fans packed the stadium, driving over $1 million into the Jackson economy and turning the weekend into a $5 million windfall for local businesses.

It was not just the head coaches, but also the players who did not forget to help their alma mater after leaving the college football programs. In 2021, Michael Strahan, arguably Texas Southern’s most visible alumnus, paid back his HBCU school. Strahan played his college ball at the Houston-based HBCU in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The All-American donated new helmets to the TSU football program.

Last year, HBCU Pro Football Hall of Fame John Stallworth donated $1.2 million to his alma mater, Alabama A&M. “Playing football was never the end goal,” Stallworth said. “My goal was to own my own business. Football was the vehicle I chose to get there. I left A&M with a bachelor’s degree in business and returned in the off season to receive my MBA all in preparation for realizing my dream of having my own business.”

These contributions could help HBCU programs grow their infrastructure, recruit top talent, and elevate their national presence.