South Carolina State University is set to become the first HBCU to have its official flag raised over the State House in Columbia. The university flag will be raised next to the usual American and state flags to celebrate its HBCU National Football Championship victory. The flag will be raised on Jan. 19, which marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
A celebration of South Carolina State University’s national football championship victory
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster approved a request to raise the HBCU’s flag on top of the State Capitol, it was announced on Tuesday. The request was made by State Rep. Hamilton Grant, Rep. Jerry Govan and Sen. Deon Tedder to celebrate South Carolina State’s football victory.
“The coaching staff and football team deserve to be celebrated!” Sen. Tedder wrote in a statement shared with News 2. “For the thousands of South Carolina State alumni across our state, this is a historical moment to witness. I’m grateful to Governor McMaster for honoring this request and helping make history by recognizing the excellence, legacy, and impact of South Carolina State University.”
Sen. Tedder, who is a university alum, said seeing the flag will be a “powerful symbol of pride and progress.”
On Dec. 13, South Carolina State defeated Prairie View A&M 40 -38 to become the 2025 HBCU National Football Champions. Last summer, state officials raised the University of South Carolina flag after the women’s basketball team won a national title.
It marks the first time an HBCU flag will be raised over the South Carolina State House
Although other universities have been celebrated in a similar way, it marks the first time that the South Carolina State House will raise an HBCU flag.
The date will also be significant, as the flag will be raised on Jan. 19, which is MLK Day. The football team will then be presented with the flag during the program’s championship victory parade in Orangeburg, according to HBCU Gameday.
Grant celebrated the news after the Gov. accepted the request: “We are pleased to announce that Governor McMaster has honored our request!” he wrote on social media, according to Greenville News. “For the first time in our state’s history, an HBCU Flag will fly high above our Capitol.”