The Florida classic brought more than half the fun of imagination. Florida Lottery Secretary John F. Davis presented a ceremonial check to Florida A&M University and Bethun-Cookman University for more than $76 million in education through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. Florida’s higher education landscape carries weight at a time with sweeping policy changes that address how schools discuss race and diversity.
Money negotiations in classic
The Florida Classic was always about more than football. This annual matchup between Famu and Bethune-Cookman draws a crowd that celebrates HBCU culture, tradition and achievement. This year’s halftime ceremony added another layer as Davis stepped onto the field to highlight the Lottery’s commitment to these institutions.
Davis expressed his honor in supporting schools like Famu and B-Cu, emphasizing the Lottery’s pride in contributing to education across Florida. His words resonated with a crowd that understood the vital role those dollars play in keeping college accessible to students who would otherwise struggle with the cost of living.
How bright futures work
The Bright Futures Scholarship Program operates as Florida’s merit-based award system for academic excellence. High school students who demonstrate strong grades, test scores and community service hours qualify for different award levels. The Florida academic scholars tier covers full tuition and fees, while Florida medallion scholars cover 75 percent of the top costs.
Since its inception years ago, the program has helped more than a million students pursue college degrees across state lines. For HBCUS like Famu and Bethune-Cookman, this scholarship fund becomes a direct opportunity for students who represent the next generation of black professionals, educators and leaders.
A secretary with two hats
Davis himself occupies an interesting position in Florida’s education story. Gov. Ron Desantis appointed him to lead the lottery in October 2020, but Davis also became FAMA’s athletic director. This dual role places them somewhere between state leadership and HBCU leadership at a time when these interests increasingly collide.
His impending move to FAMA has raised questions within the community where he has loyalties. Can someone who serves on the board of Dermantis effectively advocate for an institution when the public policy champion of HBCUS is most valuable? The response closely follows issues for students, alumni and faculty.
Stop arousal and influence
The backdrop for this funding spree involves real tension. In 2022, Desantis signed the Stop the Law Act, which restricts how schools and institutions deal with topics related to race, gender, and social privilege. Adherents are properly guarded against divisive ideology. Critics see it as an attempt to whitewash uncomfortable historical truths.
For HBCUS, institutions built specifically to address racial inequality and provide education to be rejected elsewhere, these limitations pose obvious problems. How does a school perform when laws restrict honest discussion about systemic racism? The question hangs over every classroom, every teaching, every campus conversation.
Famu leadership controversy
The cleanup took off in May 2025 when Marva Johnson took over as president of FAMA. Desantis’ ties to the administration and its diversity, equity and inclusion programs were immediately withdrawn from those concerned by the university’s leadership.
Critics say the leadership is aligned with a leadership hostile to DEI initiatives, undermining HBCus’ standing. These schools exist because mainstream institutions once refused to educate black students. Do not shy away from it, we have always faced inequality. Johnson’s appointment raised fears that he would be able to maintain that mission under FAMAM’s leadership.
The bigger picture
The Lottery’s $76 million contribution is a huge contribution to students who need financial support to complete their degrees. Scholarships remove barriers and create opportunities. No one questions the practical value of this funding to FAMA and BETHUNE-Coukman students working toward degrees that will change their lives and their families’ futures.
But money doesn’t just solve deeper conflicts. Florida’s HBCUS must figure out how to accept public funding while maintaining the independence to teach about race, history, and inequality in an honest way. They must protect their mission while operating under laws designed to limit that mission.
The half ceremony highlighted the financial support the students desperately need. It also worries whether this support beneath the applause is linked to the price and expectations that compromise institutional integrity. Florida’s HBCUS face complex choices about their future as they navigate political realities that did not exist a few years ago.
