Diddy Pledges $1M Donations to Howard, Jackson State at BET Awards

“Because we should play for us!”

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders has made it his mission to raise up the profile of historically Black colleges and universities. He’s already guided his program to great success and made major waves on the recruiting front, and now it appears he’ll be getting a little help from one of the music industry’s most influential figures.

Upon receiving a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards on Sunday night, Sean “Diddy” Combs announced he will be donating $1 million to Howard University, where he was a business major, as well as $1 million to Sanders and Jackson State.

I lied @BET Diddy took the best moment of the awards. Dropping a million to @HowardU & a million to @JacksonStateU & @DeionSanders "we should play for us". Whewww no greater words!!! HBCUs winning! #blackcollegeexperience #hbcu #diddy #hbcumade pic.twitter.com/pcJLdjRqo6

— Black College Exp Journalist (@BlackCollegeExp) June 27, 2022

“Before I leave, I want to donate $1 million to Howard University, and also I’m gonna drop another $1 million on Deion Sanders and Jackson State,” Combs said. “Because we should play for us!”

Combs attended Howard but left before completing his degree. He later returned to give the commencement speech in 2014, and received an honorary degree.

Last year, in his first full season, Sanders led the Tigers to a school-record 11 wins and their first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 2007. He earned FCS Coach of the Year honors, and was later able to flip five-star recruit Travis Hunter, from Suwanee, Ga., who had originally committed to play cornerback at Sanders’s alma mater, Florida State.