Howard Women's Golf Wins First NEC Title
The Howard University Bison women's team claimed its first-ever Northeast Conference championship on April 21, 2026, while the men's team won its third straight title.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Golf
The Howard University women's golf team won its first-ever Northeast Conference championship on April 21, 2026, led by Marley Franklin. The men's team followed with its third consecutive NEC title on April 27, 2026.
Why it matters
The titles mark a milestone for programs created through a six-year funding commitment from Stephen Curry, which launched Howard's Division I golf teams. The results show the program's growth since the teams began competing in the 2020-2021 season.
The women's team's win was its first-ever NEC title, while the men's team's victory extended its streak to three consecutive championships. Howard University won ten conference championships across sports during the 2025-2026 academic year.
The players
Stephen Curry
NBA star and Golden State Warriors guard who funded Howard University's Division I golf teams for six years and brought in corporate partners to support the program.
Sam Puryear
Howard University golf coach who earned the 2025-2026 HBCU Coach of the Year award.
The details
Curry committed in August 2019 to fund both men's and women's Division I golf teams for six years after Howard senior Otis Ferguson IV approached him about creating an official team. Curry's corporate partners, Under Armour and Callaway, provided uniforms, equipment, and technical support, and the teams began competing in the 2020-2021 season.
Timeline
Early 2019: Curry visited the Howard campus and Ferguson approached him about golf.
August 2019: Curry committed six years of funding for Howard's golf teams.
2020-2021 season: Howard's golf teams began competing.
April 21, 2026: The women's team won its first-ever NEC championship.
April 27, 2026: The men's team won its third consecutive NEC championship.
Season Trajectory
The women's first NEC title and the men's third straight championship are the first competitive results from the program Stephen Curry launched with his 2019 six-year funding commitment. Both teams represented the Northeast Conference at the 2026 NCAA Regional Tournaments.
The men's third straight NEC title extends the program's conference dominance, and both teams advanced to the 2026 NCAA Regional Tournaments. Fantasy and betting readers have no direct stat impact from these collegiate results.
The takeaway
Stephen Curry's six-year funding commitment helped build a Howard golf program that now claims conference titles, showing how targeted sponsorship can open competitive opportunities for underrepresented athletes in college golf.
Further reading
Explore more Golf coverage for the latest on college and pro tournaments.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Times of India.
