The public is invited to attend a Victoria College Lyceum event featuring a free screening of “The PVIL Story” on Tuesday, April 7, at 6 p.m. at VC’s Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts.
For nearly 50 years, Texas maintained two separate high school football leagues—one for white schools and one for Black schools. Established in 1920 after Black schools were excluded from the University Interscholastic League, the Prairie View Interscholastic League (PVIL) expanded to include nearly 500 schools across the state.
Despite limited resources, PVIL programs produced extraordinary talent and helped shape generations of athletes. Six PVIL alumni were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and many others broke barriers in the sport, including Eldridge Dickey, the first Black quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in 1967.
The documentary features interviews with football legends such as Warren Moon, Joe Greene, and Jimmy Johnson, alongside compelling firsthand accounts from those who experienced the league. Directed by Mark Burns and produced by Rob Lynch, “The PVIL Story” documents a significant chapter in Texas sports history.
Author Michael Hurd, who appears in the film and wrote “Thursday Night Lights: The Story of Black High School Football in Texas,” will also be in attendance to sell and sign copies of his book.
A free reception with light refreshments will begin at 5 p.m., ahead of the 6 p.m. screening. Following the film, attendees are invited to stay for a Q&A session featuring Burns, Lynch, Hurd, film narrator and PVIL alum Fred McClure, and renowned sports writer John McClain.
Admission is free and open to the public. Learn more at Visit.VictoriaCollege.edu.
