Recruiting Is Getting Harder for Student Athletes. NCRF Brings 30 HBCU Football Coaches to Long Beach, CA for Combine

Unsigned seniors, JUCO and transfer portal athletes get an opportunity of a Lifetime

WALNUT, CA, UNITED STATES, April 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With college recruiting becoming more competitive for high school and junior college student athletes, National College Resources Foundation (NCRF) is creating a direct pathway to athletic scholarship opportunities.

On Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, 2026, NCRF will host its 9th Annual HBCU Football Combine in Long Beach, California, bringing 30 HBCU Football coaches, several from Division I HBCU programs, on site to evaluate and recruit players. HBCUs represented include Alabama A&M University, FAMU, South Carolina State University, Texas Southern University, Alabama State University, Jackson State University, Southern University, Grambling State University, Howard University, Johnson C. Smith and even Livingstone College, the Birthplace of Black College Football. The first historically Black College football game was played in 1892 on the campus, where Livingstone Blue Bears played Biddle College, which is now Johnson C. Smith University.

The combine was a dream of Black College Expo™ Founder/CEO, Dr. Theresa Price, to help student athletes break through the crowded recruiting landscape by putting their talent directly in front of HBCU coaches.

“Our HBCU Football Combine offers an opportunity of a lifetime, now that the transfer portal is pushing everyone down and making it so hard to get recruited. So we are seeing history having Livingstone College and Johnson C. Smith University on the field together after 134 years later they will both be on the field together, but this time recruiting players to enhance their programs,” said Dr. Theresa Price, Founder and CEO.

This combine will take place at Long Beach Poly High School, 1600 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA. Unsigned seniors, junior college, and transfer portal athletes are encouraged to attend.

NCRF’s Director of NCRF’s HBCU Football Combine is a former Minnesota Vikings running back and Canadian Football League player, Bradley Randle. A standout at UNLV, Randle brings high-level playing experience and valuable perspective to student athletes working to reach the next level.

This year’s combine is sponsored by NCRF Ambassador, Actor/Comedian Kel Mitchell, and the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation as part of Kel Mitchell’s collaboration with the sporting goods brand on “Play It Forward: Game On,” a Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation-produced Nickelodeon series co-hosted by Kel Mitchell and Renee Montgomery, Vice President and part-owner of the Atlanta Dream, that supports under-resourced youth sports teams.

Through its Student Athlete Program (SAP), NCRF continues to connect student athletes with college access, exposure, and opportunities that support both their academic and athletic journey.

The registration fee is $30 per person.
For more information, contact:
Melanie Eke Washington
909-396-0151 or 310-908-0373
sap@ncrfoundation.org
NCRFoundation.org

Follow NCRF, SAP on Instagram: @ncrfoundation @SAP_NCRF
Subscribe to NCRF TV on YouTube: youtube.com/c/NCRFTVNetwork

Support NCRF’s mission to connect underserved students to college, careers, and beyond: https://ncrfoundation.charityproud.org

About National College Resources Foundation (NCRF)
Now in its 27th year, National College Resources Foundation (NCRF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational enhancement organization serving over 200,000 students annually through a variety of impactful programs and initiatives, including its Black College Expo™, Latino College Expo™, The Movement Enrichment Program, STEAM Program, Internship & Careers Program, Latino Community Engagement and Student Athletic Programs (SAP). Founded in 1999 by Dr. Theresa Price, NCRF’s mission is to curtail the high school dropout rate and increase degree and/or certificate enrollment among underserved, at-risk, low-resource, homeless and foster students. NCRF’s vision is to close the gap in educational achievement, workforce and economic disparities. NCRF has helped over 700,000 students gain access to higher education and facilitated more than $5 billion in scholarships and grants.

Melanie Eke Washington
National College Resources Foundation
+1 310-908-0373
melanie@ncrfoundation.org
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NCRF HBCU Football Combine

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