HBCU Prep Atlanta will provide boys and girls athletes with an HBCU-focused pathway through middle school, high school varsity, post-grad, and professional-level sports opportunities.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA — May 1, 2026 — HBCU Prep Academy has officially announced the addition of its second program location in Atlanta, Georgia, marking a major expansion for one of the most unique HBCU-focused sports academy models in the United States.
After a successful launch in Houston, Texas, HBCU Prep Academy is now bringing its development, exposure, and opportunity-based model to Atlanta. The new Atlanta location will serve boys and girls athletes who are interested in competing at a high level while pursuing opportunities connected to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
HBCU Prep Academy was built to create a complete pathway for student-athletes from middle school through professional basketball. The program focuses on athletic development, college exposure, HBCU awareness, game film, highlight production, NIL opportunities, campus visits, elite training, and professional sports access.
The addition of Atlanta gives HBCU Prep Academy a second major market and positions the program for national growth.
A Championship Foundation Built in Houston
The expansion to Atlanta comes after major success from HBCU Prep Academy’s Houston-based structure.
The academy’s professional basketball program, HBCU Movement, launched with immediate success in 2024, going undefeated and winning the 2024 NBL-United States Championship. The program continued its dominance by completing a second undefeated season and winning the 2026 NBL-United States Championship.
The success of HBCU Movement helped establish HBCU Prep Academy as more than just a development program. It proved that an HBCU-focused athletic model could compete, win, and create real opportunities for players.
The Houston varsity program also made a major impact. HBCU Prep Academy’s varsity team won the 2024 Alodia Championship while going undefeated and later captured the Summer Series Championship.
Several players from that Houston varsity program used the platform to advance their careers. After one season with the program, Jacorey Harrell and Landon Allen moved on to play college basketball. Kyron Williams, at just 18 years old, signed a contract to play professionally in Africa.
Those results helped create the foundation for HBCU Prep Atlanta.
HBCU Prep Atlanta Created Because of Houston’s Success
With the success of HBCU Prep Academy in Houston, leadership saw an opportunity to bring the same model to Atlanta, one of the most important cities in America for HBCU culture, basketball talent, Black excellence, education, music, media, business, and community impact.
Atlanta has a deep connection to the HBCU community and is surrounded by some of the most historic and influential HBCUs in the country. That made Atlanta a natural second home for HBCU Prep Academy.
The goal of HBCU Prep Atlanta is to create a program where student-athletes can develop athletically, grow academically, learn the value of HBCU culture, compete locally and nationally, and receive support toward college and professional opportunities.
HBCU Prep Atlanta will serve boys and girls athletes who have a serious interest in attending an HBCU and using sports as a pathway to education, exposure, and opportunity.
About HBCU Prep Atlanta
HBCU Prep Atlanta will feature a complete athletic development structure with four levels of basketball programming:
Middle School Program: HBCU Pride
HBCU Pride will serve middle school boys and girls athletes and will focus on foundational development. This level will prepare young athletes for the next stage of competition through skill training, basketball IQ, discipline, conditioning, teamwork, leadership, and early exposure to HBCU culture.
The middle school level is designed to help athletes build confidence, learn how to compete, and understand what it means to represent a program with purpose.
High School Varsity Program: HBCU Experience
HBCU Experience will serve high school varsity-level boys and girls athletes who are looking for development, exposure, and a competitive platform.
This level will be built for athletes who want to play college sports, especially those interested in HBCUs. The program will focus on elite training, game competition, recruiting support, video content, highlight film, and college opportunity preparation.
HBCU Experience will also be a valuable platform for homeschooled athletes, players who need more exposure, athletes who did not make their school varsity team, and student-athletes who are serious about improving their opportunity to play at the next level.
Post-Grad Program: HBCU Legends
HBCU Legends will serve post-grad athletes who need additional development, exposure, film, and structure after high school.
This level is designed for unsigned seniors, late bloomers, athletes who need another year of preparation, and players who still want to pursue college basketball opportunities.
The post-grad program will help players continue developing while giving them a platform to compete, train, build film, and market themselves to college programs.
Professional Program: HBCU Culture
HBCU Culture will serve the professional-level division of HBCU Prep Atlanta.
This level will be built for adult athletes, HBCU students, HBCU alumni, and elite-level players looking for professional basketball opportunities. The professional program will connect athletes to a higher level of competition and create a platform for players who still want to continue their careers beyond college.
HBCU Culture represents the top level of the Atlanta pathway and reflects the academy’s mission of connecting HBCU culture with athletic excellence and professional opportunity.
“HBCU Prep Atlanta is being created because we have seen what this model can do when student-athletes are given structure, exposure, training, film, opportunity, and a real pathway,” said Dorian Lewis, Program Director of HBCU Prep Atlanta. “The success we had in Houston showed us that there are athletes and families looking for something different. They are looking for a program that is not just about games, but about development, education, culture, college opportunities, and professional access.”
Lewis said the Atlanta expansion is about more than basketball.
“Atlanta is one of the strongest HBCU markets in the country. The culture is here. The talent is here. The families are here. The opportunity is here,” Lewis added. “We want HBCU Prep Atlanta to become a place where boys and girls athletes can grow, compete, learn about Historically Black Colleges and Universities, visit campuses, build their brand, and prepare for the next level. This program gives athletes a real pathway from middle school to high school, from high school to post-grad, and from post-grad to professional opportunities.”
Lewis also emphasized the importance of giving overlooked athletes a serious platform.
“There are a lot of talented athletes who just need the right environment,” Lewis said. “Some players are homeschooled. Some did not make their school team. Some are unsigned seniors. Some are post-grad players who still believe they can play college basketball. Some are HBCU alumni who still want to play professionally. HBCU Prep Atlanta is being built for those athletes. We want to give them development, exposure, accountability, and opportunity.”
Boys and Girls Athletics
HBCU Prep Atlanta will serve both boys and girls athletes.
The academy is committed to creating equal opportunities for young men and young women who want to compete, develop, and pursue college athletic opportunities.
The program will focus on preparing athletes for HBCU opportunities while also giving them the tools needed to compete at local, regional, national, and eventually international levels.
HBCU Prep Academy believes girls athletics must be developed, promoted, filmed, marketed, and supported with the same level of commitment as boys athletics. HBCU Prep Atlanta will be built with that standard from the beginning.
Sports Rollout Timeline
HBCU Prep Atlanta will launch with a phased sports expansion plan.
2026 Launch Sports
The program will begin in 2026 with:
Boys Basketball
Girls Basketball
Cheerleading
Basketball will serve as the foundation of the program, while cheerleading will help build school spirit, game-day culture, student involvement, and community engagement.
2027 Expansion
In 2027, HBCU Prep Atlanta plans to add:
Volleyball
The addition of volleyball will help expand opportunities for girls athletes and continue building HBCU Prep Academy into a complete multi-sport program.
2028 Expansion
In 2028, HBCU Prep Atlanta plans to add:
Baseball
Track
The addition of baseball and track will allow the academy to reach more athletes, serve more families, and create a broader HBCU-focused sports development platform.
A Program Built for HBCU Pathways
The purpose of HBCU Prep Academy is to help student-athletes understand, value, and pursue opportunities connected to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
HBCU Prep Atlanta will work to introduce athletes to HBCU culture, HBCU athletics, HBCU campuses, and HBCU opportunities.
The program will focus on building relationships, creating exposure, organizing campus visits, producing athlete film, and helping athletes understand the steps needed to pursue college sports opportunities.
For many athletes, HBCU Prep Atlanta will provide more than a team. It will provide direction.
The academy is designed to help student-athletes and families answer important questions:
Where can I develop?
Where can I get film?
Where can I be seen?
How do I learn about HBCUs?
How do I prepare for college sports?
How do I build a highlight video?
How do I market myself to coaches?
How do I continue playing if I am unsigned?
How do I pursue professional opportunities after college?
HBCU Prep Atlanta was created to help answer those questions through a structured program.
Development, Film, Exposure, and Opportunity
HBCU Prep Atlanta will provide athletes with a development model that includes elite-level training, competitive games, video footage, highlight support, and athlete promotion.
The academy understands that modern student-athletes need more than practices and games. They need content, film, branding, recruiting support, and exposure.
HBCU Prep Atlanta will focus on:
Player development.
Skill training.
Strength and conditioning.
Basketball IQ.
Leadership.
Team discipline.
Game film.
Highlight videos.
Player marketing.
College exposure.
Campus visits.
NIL education and opportunities.
Community engagement.
HBCU awareness.
Professional pathway development.
The program is designed to give athletes the tools needed to prepare for the next level.
NIL Opportunities
HBCU Prep Academy also provides opportunities connected to Name, Image, and Likeness, commonly known as NIL.
NIL allows athletes to understand the value of their personal brand. HBCU Prep Atlanta will help athletes learn how to represent themselves professionally, build a positive image, engage with the community, and create potential opportunities connected to their name, image, and likeness.
The academy wants athletes to understand that NIL is not just about earning opportunities. It is about responsibility, professionalism, branding, character, and representation.
HBCU Prep Atlanta will work to help athletes build their profiles the right way.
Why Atlanta Matters
Atlanta is one of the most important cities in the country for HBCU culture and athletic talent.
The city has a strong basketball community, a deep connection to Black excellence, and access to one of the most powerful HBCU regions in the United States.
Launching HBCU Prep Atlanta allows the academy to connect with student-athletes, families, coaches, schools, community leaders, and HBCU supporters in a market that understands the value of culture and opportunity.
Atlanta gives HBCU Prep Academy a powerful platform to grow the mission nationally.
A New Standard for Prep Athletics
HBCU Prep Atlanta is part of a larger vision to create a new standard in prep athletics.
The academy is not simply building teams. It is building a complete sports pathway that connects youth development, high school varsity competition, post-grad opportunity, HBCU exposure, NIL education, and professional sports access.
The Houston program proved the model can produce championships and opportunities.
The Atlanta program is the next step in expanding that vision.
HBCU Prep Academy wants to become a national leader in HBCU-focused sports development by creating programs that help student-athletes compete, develop, travel, gain exposure, and pursue meaningful educational and professional opportunities.
About HBCU Prep Academy
HBCU Prep Academy is an HBCU-focused sports academy with locations in Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia.
The academy serves boys and girls athletes through middle school, high school varsity, post-grad, and professional-level sports programming.
HBCU Prep Academy was created to provide student-athletes with athletic development, game film, highlight videos, marketing support, campus visits, NIL opportunities, HBCU exposure, and pathways to college and professional sports opportunities.
The program is built around the mission of helping athletes develop on and off the court while connecting them to the history, culture, and opportunities of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
HBCU Prep Academy’s professional basketball programs connect athletes to higher-level competition and professional opportunities, making the academy one of the most unique sports development programs in the country.
About HBCU Prep Atlanta
HBCU Prep Atlanta is the second location of HBCU Prep Academy and will serve boys and girls athletes in Atlanta, Georgia.
The program will feature:
HBCU Pride — Middle School Program
HBCU Experience — High School Varsity Program
HBCU Legends — Post-Grad Program
HBCU Culture — Professional Program
HBCU Prep Atlanta will begin with boys basketball, girls basketball, and cheerleading in 2026. Volleyball will be added in 2027, followed by baseball and track in 2028.
The program is designed for athletes who are serious about development, interested in HBCUs, and looking for a structured pathway to college and professional opportunities.
Media Contact
HBCU Prep Academy
Website: hbcuprep.org