NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Fresh off the release of his latest album, Grammy Award–winning artist J. Cole visited Tennessee State University on Feb. 17 for a purposeful visit centered around basketball, spending time on campus with TSU men’s basketball head coach Nolan Smith.
Cole, a longtime friend of Smith, began his visit on campus where the two, along with friends, took to the court to run drills and play together. The session reflected Cole’s longstanding connection to basketball and his relationship with Smith.
Following his time with Smith, Cole agreed to engage with TSU students.
His visit continued at Kean Hall, where Cole joined students to pose for photos and sign physical copies of his latest album, The Fall Off, creating a memorable experience for those in attendance.
“I was honestly shocked,” said Faith Miniard, a graduate Human Performance and Sport Sciences student at TSU who received an autographed copy of the album. “To meet J. Cole on my HBCU campus was unreal. He was so kind, so present, and really took time with us. It showed how much he values students and our space.”
Miniard said the experience carried special meaning.
“For an artist of his stature to come to an HBCU and show love to students like that means everything,” she said. “It made me proud to be a TSU student. Moments like that remind you that our campuses matter and our culture matters.”
Miniard’s reflection underscored the importance of campus spaces and culture, a value also reflected in Cole’s ties to basketball beyond music.
Cole’s connection to the sport extends well beyond the court. He is a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets and has previously played professionally in international leagues, including the Basketball Africa League and the Canadian Elite Basketball League. His visit also carried a North Carolina basketball connection, as Smith is a former Duke University standout, while Cole is a longtime supporter of the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Cole’s stop at TSU comes amid his ongoing Trunk Sale run, a series of surprise campus visits in support of The Fall Off. Earlier this month, he also made unannounced appearances at several HBCUs, including North Carolina A&T, the campus where he once sold his first mixtape, The Come Up, out of his trunk during homecoming.
Even as a global superstar, Cole continues to bring that same community-focused spirit back to college campuses. The day before his TSU visit, he announced The Fall Off Tour, his first solo headline world tour in five years.
Despite record-breaking momentum and global attention, Cole chose to spend one of the biggest moments of his career connecting with Coach Smith and students at Tennessee State University.
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public land-grant university offering 41 bachelor’s degrees, 15 graduate certificates, 27 master’s degrees, and nine doctoral degrees. TSU’s campus spans 500 acres. The university is committed to academic excellence, providing students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders. Visit tnstate.edu for more details.
