Earlier this month, news of Shannon Sharpe, Savannah State’s most decorated athletic alum, and his return to campus spread rapidly. On Monday, Oct. 23, Sharpe joined Stephen A. Smith and host Molly Qerim on First Take, a popular sports debate show on ESPN, to discuss his homecoming to Savannah State University.

Smith and Sharpe will each return to their alma maters where they will record a full show of First Take through a special series called First Take’s HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Homecoming. On Monday, Nov. 6, the two will live broadcast their show in Savannah State University’s Tiger Arena where students, faculty and staff will be able to watch.

The next day, on Nov. 7, they will take the show to Smith’s alma mater, Winston-Salem State University.

“This is the latest example of First Take’s continued showcasing and celebration of HBCUs, led by Stephen A. with his deep commitment to his alma mater and HBCUs overall,” said David Roberts, ESPN’s head of event & studio production, through a press release on Monday afternoon. “First Take is at its absolute best with a live audience, add in two celebrated alums returning to their respective campuses, and both shows are sure to be extraordinary.”

The “roadshow” at SSU marks the first on-site trip for the current version of First Take. Sharpe and Smith are coming to Savannah along with a full support crew for the November 6 broadcast in Tiger Arena. All students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend, according to ESPN’s latest press release.

.@stephenasmith and @ShannonSharpe talk about what it means to return to their alma maters for HBCU Homecoming 🏈@savannahstate | @WSSURAMS pic.twitter.com/U0P0gF9aQC

— First Take (@FirstTake) October 23, 2023

A full lineup of special guests will include Sterling Sharpe, the former NFL wide receiver, current analyst and brother of Shannon. The show will also feature giveaways for fans in attendance and much more. First Take airs every weekday morning on ESPN from 10 – noon and is re-aired on ESPN2 beginning at noon each day.

“If somebody would have told me, when I stepped on to that Savannah State Campus, that I would one day return to my alma mater in this capacity, I would have laughed,” Sharpe said on Monday. “This is incredible, and to be able to come back this way means so much to me and I am so very excited.”

A Glenville native who starred for the Tigers in the early 1990’s before putting together a Hall-of-Fame career for the Ravens and Broncos in the NFL, Sharpe is still regarded by many as the best athlete to ever come through Savannah State. Most consider him to be one of the best tight ends ever to play the game, period.

“I’ve been a part of a whole bunch of exciting things throughout my years on First Take. But this may take the cake,” said Smith on Monday’s show. “To have back-to-back days at HBCUs – on campus, live – providing Black Colleges with national television exposure is sensational within itself … I just can’t express how excited I am. Shannon can’t wait. Neither can I. This is going to be some of the greatest moments of my career and I know Shannon feels the same. Buckle up! Here we come!”

After stints at FOX and working for a few other media outlets in his early post-playing days, Sharpe joined First Take this past August to play the role of rival to a polarizing sports media superstar in Smith. Together, the HBCU graduates make up one of sports media’s most formidable TV tandems. The fiery debates and timely, witty jabs both men are known for will be on full display in front of a live Savannah audience.

“I have to thank Stephen A. for making this happen, and ESPN and Disney for making this possible,” Sharpe said. “We get to be a part of showing the world how great HBCU’s are, and that is very special. We’re coming home!”

This article appears in Connect Savannah | October, 2023.