ATLANTA, GA | The Morehouse College Department of Athletics has added another major chapter to one of the most successful eras in Maroon Tiger history.

On behalf of the SIAC Council of Presidents, Morehouse College was congratulated for its championship success during the 2025-26 academic year, a year defined by conference titles, improved finishes, individual excellence and department-wide momentum. The Maroon Tigers captured SIAC championships in men's cross country, men's basketball, men's indoor track and field, and men's outdoor track and field, helping Morehouse earn the SIAC Men's Commissioner's Cup for the second consecutive year.

The back-to-back honor places Morehouse among the standard-bearers of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and reflects the consistency of a department that performed at a championship level across multiple sports. Morehouse won the cup with 48 points earned throughout the year.

"The success of the Morehouse Athletic Department is to be commended, and I wish you much continued success," the SIAC Council of Presidents stated in its congratulatory message.

For Morehouse Director of Athletics Harold Ellis '92, the recognition represents more than a trophy. It reflects the department's culture, leadership, student-athlete commitment and continued rise across the SIAC.

"To receive the SIAC Men's Commissioner's Cup once is a tremendous honor, but to earn it in back-to-back years speaks to sustained excellence across our entire department," Ellis said. "This award belongs to our student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni and supporters who continue to believe in the standard of Morehouse Athletics. Winning four championships in one year, improving across our programs, and seeing our young men recognized at the conference, regional and national levels shows that we are building something that is both meaningful and lasting."

The Commissioner's Cup is awarded based on cumulative athletic performance across conference sports, recognizing the institution whose programs achieve the highest level of competitive success throughout the academic year. For Morehouse, the 2025-26 award was powered by championship performances, postseason runs, weekly awards and a growing list of regional and national recognition.

How It Happened

Morehouse set the tone in the fall as the men's cross country team continued its dynasty. The Maroon Tigers captured their fourth consecutive SIAC Men's Cross Country Championship, scoring 26 points and placing four runners in the top 10. Senior Brian Kemei won the individual title and was named SIAC Runner of the Year for the third consecutive season, while head coach Willie Hill earned SIAC Coach of the Year honors. The championship marked another dominant chapter for a program that has long served as one of the pillars of Morehouse Athletics.

The winter season brought two more championships and one of the most memorable basketball seasons in recent program history. Under first-year head coach Larry Dixon, the Maroon Tigers won the SIAC East Division regular season title, secured the No. 1 seed from the East, and defeated Tuskegee, 66-56, to win the SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament Championship. It was Morehouse's first SIAC Tournament title since 2003 and sent the Maroon Tigers back to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time since 2018.

The basketball program finished 22-10 overall and 19-5 in SIAC play, giving Dixon the most wins ever by a first-year head coach in Morehouse history. The season also produced major individual recognition. Josiah Lawson was named SIAC Tournament MVP, Brandon Peters and JerMontae Hill earned SIAC All-Tournament honors, Sincere Moore was named Second Team All-SIAC, Hill earned Third Team All-SIAC, and Jared White was selected to the SIAC All-Freshman Team. Nationally, Dixon was named HBCU All-Stars Clarence "Big House" Gaines Division II Co-National Coach of the Year, while Hill was selected as the HBCU All-Stars Cleo Hill Division II Co-National Player of the Year.

Morehouse indoor track and field added another championship to the department's historic year by winning its second consecutive SIAC Indoor Track and Field Championship. The Maroon Tigers scored 149 points and again displayed the program's depth across sprints, distance, jumps, throws and relays. Victor Chebii was named SIAC Men's Track Performer of the Year, and Hill added another SIAC Coach of the Year honor to his decorated career.

The spring season brought the exclamation point. Morehouse captured the SIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship with 176 points, completing the first SIAC "track triple crown" in conference history. By sweeping men's cross country, men's indoor track and field, and men's outdoor track and field in the same academic year, the Maroon Tigers delivered one of the most dominant all-around performances ever by an SIAC men's track and field program. The outdoor championship also marked Hill's 51st SIAC championship in track and cross country.

Beyond the championship programs, the Maroon Tigers showed significant growth throughout the department.

The baseball program produced one of the best seasons in school history, finishing 25-21, setting a modern program record for wins, advancing to the final day of the SIAC Tournament, and finishing No. 6 in the final Black College Nines HBCU Baseball Small School Top 10 Poll. The Maroon Tigers also finished third in the SIAC, their highest conference finish since 2006. Antonio Grissom was named SIAC Coach of the Year, Tripp Braswell was named SIAC Freshman of the Year, Elijah Pinckney earned the SIAC Elite 16 Award, and Robert Robinson Jr. earned regional recognition from both the D2CCA and NCBWA.

Football also took important steps forward. The Maroon Tigers earned their first Homecoming victory since 2019, recorded their first three-game winning streak since 2021, and showed improvement on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Miles Scott emerged as one of the top offensive players in the conference, earning weekly honors and national recognition during the season. Defensively, Maurice Veney earned First Team All-SIAC honors and was later named D2CCA Second Team All-Super Region 2.

Golf continued its rise as well, finishing third at the SIAC Championship and earning a berth to the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship, where Morehouse finished as the top HBCU program in the Division II bracket. The performance added another strong finish to the department's Commissioner's Cup profile and further demonstrated the depth of competitive success across Morehouse Athletics.

Conference Superlatives

The Maroon Tigers' success was also reflected in weekly recognition throughout the year. Morehouse student-athletes earned at least 14 SIAC weekly honors across cross country, football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. Kemei collected multiple SIAC Runner of the Week awards during the fall, including four honors in a five-week span. Football received weekly recognition from Miles Scott, Stephen Rowser and Zach Underwood. Basketball earned SIAC Player of the Week honors from Lawson and Hill. Track and field received weekly recognition from Chebii and Noah Willingham. Baseball swept weekly honors with Ian Makle and Robinson, and later added another SIAC Pitcher of the Week honor from Cam Simmons.

National Recognition

Morehouse also earned recognition beyond the conference. Scott was named BOXTOROW Division II HBCU Player of the Week. Hill earned three consecutive HBCU All-Stars NCAA Division II SIAC Player of the Week honors. Dixon and Hill earned national HBCU All-Stars postseason awards. Robinson earned all-region recognition in baseball. Veney earned football all-region honors. Kemei represented Morehouse at the NCAA Division II South Region Cross Country Championship, while the track and field program produced NCAA-level marks and national qualifiers throughout the season.

What's Next

Morehouse Athletics will receive their trophy during the SIAC football media day in Macon, GA on July 22. Collectively, the 2025-26 year showed a department moving with purpose. Morehouse did not simply win championships; it improved across nearly every competitive area. The Maroon Tigers defended titles, ended championship droughts, returned to the NCAA postseason, set program records, produced regional honorees and positioned multiple programs for continued success.

The back-to-back SIAC Men's Commissioner's Cup confirms what the year made clear: Morehouse Athletics has become one of the premier men's athletic departments in the conference under the leadership of Athletic Director Harold Ellis '92.

From cross country's continued dominance, to basketball's championship return, to track and field's historic triple crown, to baseball's breakthrough season, football's progress and golf's national-stage performance, Morehouse Athletics delivered a year worthy of recognition from the SIAC Council of Presidents.

Now, with four SIAC championships, a second straight Commissioner's Cup and a growing culture of excellence, the Maroon Tigers move forward with momentum and a championship standard that continues to rise as Morehouse. For up-to-date athletic information on the Maroon Tigers, follow them on social media or online at www.morehouseathletics.com