It's a new year, and many of us will resolve to do something differently. Why shouldn't black college sports? Here are a few that just beg for attention. Better football officiating. Black-college officials took a beating in '08, with the SWAC

suspending an unnamed pair of whistle-blowers for their actions during the Mississippi Valley State-Jackson State game on Oct. 25 and Philip Harden permanently suspended after blowing a go-ahead touchdown at the Turkey Day Classic between Tuskegee and Alabama State. Both calls had a bearing on rankings and milestones. Jackson State won its game 29-27 and went on to the SWAC

Eastern Division title. Alabama State topped Tuskegee 17-13, ending the Tigers' 26-game winning streak and their chances of repeating as black college national champs. Everybody complains about officiating, but let's have fewer mistakes that determine the outcome of games, OK? Better Division I basketball. There's nothing wrong with Dayton, Ohio in March, unless you play hoops in the MEAC or SWAC.
That's where you can usually find the champion of either of those leagues in what amounts to a play-in game for the NCAA tournament. Based on their RPI from past seasons, neither league is going to get much respect until they start beating non-conference opponents on the regular. Here's an ide
a: play more mid-major opponents. The money isn't as good as the guaranteed beat-downs from big-money competition, but at least there's a better chance at improving the RPI.

Develop platinum programs. The best programs bring good athletes to campus, coach them up and put resources behind the product. That takes commitment and money for the long haul, something too many administrators and fans fail to understand. S.C. State football is an example of how to do it right. The Bulldogs win consistently, including the 2008 MEAC title with a competitive effort in the first round of the

Division I playoffs. Grambling is on the same level if the Tigers could actually get into the playoffs, which the SWAC championship game prevents. Among non-revenue sports, St. Augustine's track is a national program that can hold its own on an international stage. Coach George Williams has produced a string of all-Americans and Olympians, proof that the program is top of the line. Some love for non-revenue sports.

Maryland Eastern Shore won the national championship in bowling, but no one noticed outside the immediate campus community. Football and basketball may rule the barber shop trash talk, but any success - especially a national title - should be celebrated. Better support. HBCU fans may love their team, but something's not right when half the crowd at a football team goes missing after the bands do their thing at halftime. Is the music really that much better than the game itself? If so, then perhaps the on-field product is in need of an overhaul. Basketball seems to be an afterthought on many campuses, where good seats can be found from tip-off to the final horn.