The NBA HBCU Fellowship is a paid, 10-week summer internship for undergraduate and graduate students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Fellows gain hands-on experience with NBA and WNBA teams, the NBA League office, and the National Basketball Players Association.
Fellowship at a glance
- Paid, full-time summer internship
- Dates: June 7-August 13, 2027
- Orientation: June 2-4, 2027
- Travel and housing: Provided
- All majors: Encouraged to apply
Explore different areas of the basketball business
Fellows apply to job functions, and the selection team considers their experience and qualifications when matching them with opportunities. Applicants can express interest in multiple areas.
- Business operations and strategy: Finance, project management, legal operations, and event or facility operations
- Community impact and social responsibility: Community programs, youth development, and nonprofit partnerships
- Content, video, and broadcast production: Video, photography, live production, audio, and storytelling
- Corporate partnerships, sales, and fan engagement: Sponsorships, ticket sales, business development, and fan experiences
- Marketing, communications, and creative: Campaigns, social media, design, public relations, and promotions
- People, culture, and human resources: Recruiting, employee engagement, training, and workplace culture
- Technology, data, and analytics: Data analysis, software, digital platforms, and business intelligence
Where past fellows have gone
The fellowship has 328 alumni from 44 HBCUs, with experience across 30 teams and 23 departments, according to Management Leadership for Tomorrow.
- Aaron Pittman studied kinesiology at North Carolina A&T and joined the Atlanta Hawks as a fellow. He now works in community engagement with the Memphis Grizzlies, focusing on education, civic service, and HBCU outreach.
- Channing Williamson joined the fellowship while pursuing a law degree at Southern University Law Center. She returned to the NBA after law school and now works as senior manager of programming and content analysis. www.nba.com
Their paths show that students can bring different academic backgrounds into the business of basketball.
Who can apply?
Applicants must:
- Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program
- Be at least 18 by June 2, 2027
- Be eligible to work in the United States, including F-1 students eligible for OPT or CPT
- Be available for the full-time summer schedule and orientation
- Submit an unofficial transcript from an HBCU undergraduate or graduate program
Priority is given to sophomores, juniors, seniors, graduating seniors, and graduate students who are currently enrolled in or have graduated from an HBCU.
Key dates
- Application deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST
- Central time deadline: Tuesday, December 1, at 1:59 a.m.
- Orientation: June 2-4, 2027
- Fellowship: June 7-August 13, 2027
Apply for the NBA HBCU Fellowship
Application reminder: MLT says official fellowship communications come from an mlt.org or nba.com address. It warns applicants not to engage with Gmail accounts claiming to represent NBA employees or offering application feedback. mlt.org
(Information updated November 9, 2026. Openings and application details may change.)
