In 1973, global soccer icon Pelé visited Howard University and met a Bison team fighting through one of the most difficult chapters in college sports history. The photograph captured more than a celebrity visit—it connected the world's greatest player with an HBCU program determined to reclaim its place at the top.
Long before soccer became a major part of American sports culture, Howard University was already building one of the most powerful and culturally significant college soccer programs in the country.
Then, in 1973, the Bison received a visit from the most famous soccer player in the world: Pelé.
A surviving photograph shows the Brazilian legend alongside Howard players Ian Bain, Trevor Mitchell, Desmond Alfred Williams and Asoku Cole, as well as assistant coach Michael Jones. But the importance of that moment goes far beyond the photograph.
Pelé arrived at Howard during a season defined by disappointment, controversy and resilience.
Howard's Historic 1971 Championship
Under Trinidadian head coach Lincoln "Tiger" Phillips, Howard developed an attacking and relentless style of soccer. Its roster united talented Black players from the United States, Africa and the Caribbean, including athletes from Nigeria, Ghana, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
In 1971, Howard defeated Saint Louis University 3–2 in the national championship game. The victory made the Bison the first HBCU team to win an NCAA Division I national title in any sport.
However, the celebration did not last.
Following an investigation into player eligibility, the NCAA vacated Howard's 1971 championship, erased its third-place finish from 1970 and eventually barred the program from postseason competition in 1973. Howard officials and players believed the rules had been unfairly or selectively applied to their internationally diverse team. The 1971 championship remains officially vacant.
Pelé Comes to The Mecca
Pelé visited Howard in 1973, the same year the Bison were prevented from competing in the postseason.
By that point, Pelé had already won three FIFA World Cups with Brazil—an achievement no other player has matched. He was more than a soccer superstar. He had become a worldwide symbol of Black excellence and proof that extraordinary talent could cross borders, languages and cultures.
Seeing Pelé standing beside Howard's players created a powerful image. Here was the most recognizable Black athlete in global soccer meeting a team of African, Caribbean and African American players who were challenging the traditional structure of American college sports.
Howard head coach Lincoln Phillips also shared a personal connection with the Brazilian icon: Phillips had competed against Pelé during his professional playing career.
For a program facing public scrutiny and postseason exclusion, the visit represented recognition from someone whose influence extended far beyond the sport.
A Team Connected by the African Diaspora
Howard's success was built through an international brotherhood.
Coach Phillips described the program as bringing together three points of the African diaspora: Africa, the Caribbean and Black America. Howard University stood at the center, providing a place where the players' different backgrounds could become a shared identity.
Their presence also challenged common perceptions about soccer in the United States. Black American athletes were more commonly associated with football, basketball and track, but Howard demonstrated that an HBCU could also compete at the highest level of college soccer.
The Bison were not simply representing a university. They were representing communities whose contributions to American soccer had often been overlooked.
The Road to Redemption
Howard could not compete for a national championship in 1973, but the program's story was far from finished.
The following season, the Bison returned with a purpose.
Howard went 19–0 in 1974, outscoring its opponents 63–6. The undefeated Bison reached the NCAA championship game and once again faced Saint Louis, the dominant power they had beaten three years earlier.
Played in freezing conditions at Busch Memorial Stadium, the championship required four overtime periods. Howard eventually won 2–1, completing one of the greatest redemption stories in college sports history.
This time, the championship could not be taken away.
The 1974 victory officially established Howard as the first HBCU to win an NCAA Division I national championship. The team's perfect season remains one of the defining achievements in HBCU athletics.
More Than a Photograph
Pelé's visit did not win the 1974 championship for Howard. The Bison earned that victory through their talent, discipline and determination.
But the photograph of Pelé with the Howard team remains meaningful because of what everyone in it represented.
Pelé had reached the highest level of the world's game. Howard's players were fighting to receive the recognition they had already earned. Together, they represented Black soccer excellence on an international and American stage.
The image also reminds us that HBCU sports history extends far beyond football homecomings and basketball tournaments. Howard University helped shape the development of American soccer while opening doors for future generations of Black players and coaches.
The Bison did more than recover from adversity.
They reclaimed their history.
