UNCASVILLE, Conn. (July 28, 2021) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today a newly developed collegiate event in partnership with NBA veteran Chris Paul. The Chris Paul HBCU Tip-Off will take place Nov. 22 and 23 at Mohegan Sun Arena with four Historically Black Colleges and Universities participating. The two-day doubleheader will feature West Virginia State University, Morehouse College, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.

"First, I want to thank Chris Paul for his continued support and promotion of HBCUs," said Head Men's Basketball Coach Bryan Poore in his statement to the press. "It is truly an honor to be invited to the first Chris Paul HBCU Tip-Off hosted by the Basketball Hall of Fame!

"We owe this privilege to the great players from WVSU who came before us and in particular the trailblazing NBA pioneer, Mr. Earl Lloyd.  Participating in this event will be something our players will remember for the rest of their lives!"

The Hall of Fame and the Paul Family share several unique ties to the participating institutions. Virginia Union is the alma mater of Class of 2021 enshrinee Ben Wallace and West Virginia State produced Class of 2003 Hall of Famer Earl Lloyd. Class of 1982 Hall of Fame coach Clarence Gaines coached at Winston-Salem State for 47 years, an HBCU Chris Paul and several of his family members have attended. Morehouse College has a very strong Journalism and Sports Program, which has documented the historical impact of HBCU's on the game of basketball. 
 
"Chris Paul has shown unwavering support for HBCUs and brought an awareness to creating opportunities for the student-athletes at these institutions," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "The Hall of Fame is proud to share in Chris's vision and bring this event to life at beautiful Mohegan Sun Arena."
 
"I appreciate the collaboration of the Basketball Hall of Fame and Mohegan Sun in hosting this inaugural event," said Chris Paul, 11-time NBA All-Star and Phoenix Suns point guard. "With several family members and friends who have attended HBCUs, I know first-hand how important they are to our community and I'm excited to offer an elevated experience to the players and fans this November."

The Chris Paul HBCU Tip-Off is one event in the Hall of Fame's series of collegiate events, which continues to grow in an effort to celebrate the game outside the museum walls. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to continue its relationship with Learfield IMG College for sponsorship representation of its portfolio of collegiate events and Position Sports in an event operations and media relations capacity.

Ticket information, game times and television broadcast details and will be released at a later date. As the health and safety of the athletes, fans and staff is of the utmost importance, the Basketball Hall of Fame will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely in the coming months and provide updates as needed. For more information, please visit www.hoophall.com.
 
Quotes from Participating Head Coaches

"We are very honored and grateful to be playing in this historic inaugural event. We would like to thank Chris Paul, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Mohegan Sun, and all of the other sponsors for giving us this amazing opportunity. The CP3 HBCU Tip-Off hosted by the Basketball Hall of Fame gives our scholar-athletes the opportunity to experience something they will never forget. The Maroon Tiger Nation is looking forward to competing against high-caliber NCAA HBCU basketball programs." - Douglas Whittler, Morehouse

"This is a great honor to be invited to the Chris Paul HBCU Tip-Off with some of the best HBCUs in the country. It will also be a great opportunity for our young men to tour the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. right after my teammate and Virginia Union's very own Ben Wallace goes into the Hall of Fame in September. I would like to thank Chris Paul for continuing to give HBCUs the opportunity to showcase our prestigious schools on the biggest stage." - Jay Butler, Virginia Union

"Winston-Salem State University's men's basketball program is humbled and honored to accept the invitation to this HBCU event. I view this creation as a historic opportunity for all involved. We give extreme gratitude to CJ Paul, Chris Paul, the Foundation, Mohegan Sun, ESPN, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. We are privileged to be included, and we understand this is an honor not to take for granted." – Cleo Hill Jr., Winston-Salem State

 
About Mohegan Sun Arena:
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Now and is also consistently ranked top 15 in the "World for All Size Venues." The award–winning venue was named "#1 Social Media Venue in the World" in 2016 and is a seven–time Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) national award–winner for "Arena of the Year," with the most recent recognition coming in 2019.  For more information and updates on Mohegan Sun Arena, call 1.888.226.7711 or visit Mohegan Sun.
 
About Chris Paul:
Wake Forest All-American, two-time Olympic gold medalist and 11-time NBA All-Star, Chris Paul, has excelled at every level of the game. In 2005, Paul established the CP3 Foundation, which has evolved into the Chris Paul Family Foundation. Alongside his family members, Paul strives to positively impact individuals and families by leveling the playing field in education, sports and life. The Chris Paul Family Foundation focuses on enriching the communities of Winston-Salem, New Orleans and Los Angeles through initiatives including literacy, holiday giving, emergency preparedness, prom dress giveaways, youth basketball clinics and court refurbishments. Additional initiatives include partnerships with the Salvation Army, Feed the Children and Make-A-Wish Foundation among other nonprofit organizations. Paul and his wife have also committed to funding SOS Children's Villages in Africa and gifting two annual scholarships to Wake Forest University in honor of his late grandfather. Paul has served as the President of the National Basketball Players Association since 2013 and won the NBA's Community Assist Award four times, an annual award given to an NBA player that consistently shows passion for philanthropy and community service.
 
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.
 
Hall of Fame Media Contact: Nicole Taylor, Position Sports mediarelations@positionsports.com