WASHINGTON (August 13, 2025) - Nia James joins Howard University Department of Athletics as the Athletics Revenue Manager Fellow through the prestigious John McLendon Fellowship Partnership. In this role, she reports directly to the Assistant Athletic Director for Finance and supports the oversight of all revenue-generating activity across the department.
 
James arrives at Howard with a diverse background in sports business, media and corporate communications. Most recently, she served as a Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Intern with the Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, where she supported media relations and community engagement initiatives. She also completed a summer internship with Bank of America's Chief Administrative Office as an analyst in Global Corporate Communications, contributing to high-impact storytelling and strategic messaging efforts.
 
Originally from the D.C. area, James is excited to return home and leverage her breadth of experiences to drive innovation, maximize revenue and strengthen business operations for Howard University Athletics.
 
"Such a full-circle moment," shared the DMV native. "Grateful to join the Howard University Athletics team and represent as a proud HBCU grad & former student-athlete."
 
In 2022, James was selected for the Black Sports Business Academy cohort, gaining hands-on experience with the Carolina Panthers. She is also an alumna of the Position Sports DREAM Foundation where she worked with the NHL's Las Vegas Golden Knights and gained collegiate basketball experience as a Phoenix Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series intern.
 
As a participant in the 2023-24 NFL HBCU Experienceship, she placed second in a league-sponsored competition for her forward-thinking approach to addressing revenue, compliance and business challenges in the sports industry.
 
Most recently, she completed the 2025 Harvard Summer Venture Management Program, a highly selective on-campus pre-MBA experience at Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.) that sharpened her leadership, strategy and operational skills.
 
A proud HBCU graduate, James earned her Bachelor of Science in Sport Management and Communications from Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) in May 2025. While at WSSU, she was a student-athlete on the women's volleyball team and held multiple leadership roles across campus.
 
James is deeply committed to using her voice, HBCU foundation and lived experiences as a former HBCU student-athlete to make meaningful contributions to the Howard Athletics community.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.