Howard University’s 1974 champions celebrated
Fifty years later, the 1974 Howard University soccer team remains the only NCAA team to go undefeated. That unblemished campaign culminated with an NCAA championship.
Last weekend, members of the team and its head coach were honored on campus during a series of events, including induction into the school’s athletics hall of fame and a special dinner.
“To win a championship was one thing, but to do it without losing a game is something pretty amazing,” said head coach Lincoln Phillips (1970 to 1980). “It’s an accomplishment that has never been equaled and, for that, I am both humble and immensely proud.”
But Phillips’ 1971 Bison squad might have been even better as it swept through its regular season, outscored opponents 63-6 in NCAA tournament play and defeated St. Louis 3-2 in the national title game. That title, however, was later stripped for using inevitable players.
Phillips later led the university’s legal challenge against the NCAA and won a partial ruling that the NCAA’s stance regarding foreign students’ eligibility was discriminatory. But Howard’s 1971 title was not restored.
“I look back on that time, and I felt then what I feel now,” admitted Phillips. “We were the rightful champions and we fought to reclaim what has rightfully ours.”
A 2016 documentary “Redemption Song” told the story of Howard’s 1971 championship team.
Two years later, the Bison again won the NCAA national championship, and 50 years later, still remains the first and only HBCU school to win an NCAA national championship. Furthermore, no school whether a HBCU or PWI have matched Howard’s 19-0 season in 1974.
That squad “was a true testament to claiming our rightful place in history,” said Phillips proudly. He added that his Howard teams also brought a new awareness of soccer in the District of Columbia communities as he and his players often held clinics for young people in the area to become more familiar with the sport of soccer.
Special thanks to Howard Senior Director of Athletics Communications Monica Lewis for this article.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.