Courage Opened Doors. Investment Opens More.
Tip-off · 6:00 PM ET
A New Name for a New Era
The most anticipated event of Men's Final Four week, outside the games themselves.
The Secret Summit has been reimagined and renamed as part of our 2030 Vision. The tip-off comes in Detroit in 2027, and it is also our thank you to the people and partners who make the work of the McLendon Foundation possible.
Honoring champions of access, stewards of the game and architects of opportunity who epitomize the spirit of Coach John McLendon.
The Premier Honor · Generational Impact
The most prestigious honor conferred by the McLendon Foundation, recognizing individuals who have been a generational force for inclusion by changing the face of basketball and making a lasting impact that ripples through society.
The inaugural honoree will be announced soon.
Collegiate Coaching
Honoring a changemaker at the collegiate coaching level.
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL
Honoring a young adult leading the way to the future of change.
Local Hero
Honoring a local hero who has used their influence as a player to create a lasting impact in the host community.
Interactive reception for all guests
VIP reception
Sit-down dinner
Awards presentation
A conversation with the Coach John McLendon Award honoree
The Venue
Detroit's first JW Marriott rises 25 stories above the river at Water Square, on the site once held by Joe Louis Arena. It opens in February 2027, weeks before the McLendon Honors tip-off, and brings mindful luxury to the city's international waterfront.
Visit the hotel siteIn 1944, Coach John McLendon helped organize the historic Secret Game between his team at North Carolina College for Negroes, now North Carolina Central University, and a team of Duke University medical students. Played behind closed doors during segregation, it was a courageous step toward integration in basketball, and it is where the Secret Summit took its name.
Honoring his legacy during the NCAA Men's Final Four brings his impact to the national stage that he and his teams were once denied the chance to compete on.
1944
Durham, NC
The Secret Game
2027
Detroit, MI
McLendon Honors
Legacy of Impact Award recipients, honored at the Secret Summit.
Head Basketball Coach, University of Arkansas
Selected for his commitment to creating opportunities for aspiring leaders in sports. Instrumental in the early vision of the McLendon Leadership Initiative, supporting through advocacy, personal investment, and community engagement.
Secret Summit · April 2, 2026 · Indianapolis
Trailblazing Coach and Pioneer
The first Black men's basketball coach in the SEC and at the University of Tennessee, and the first Black basketball scholarship recipient at the University of Louisville. A true pioneer whose legacy ignites dreams for future leaders.
Secret Summit · April 3, 2025 · San Antonio
Ways to Partner
Three ways to stand with us in Detroit. Each one puts your organization in the room where the evening happens, and every gift funds the leadership programming, scholarships and fellowships behind it.
Your organization is named with the evening itself.
What you get
Host your people inside the night, from reception to dinner.
What you get
Bring your team, and open doors for the people we serve.
What you get
Connect with leaders across collegiate and professional athletics, business and philanthropy.
Stand with the changemakers opening doors for the next generation of leaders.
Support the scholarships, fellowships and leadership programs that turn potential into opportunity.
Student and Fellow tables are sponsored by partners and free to attendees.
McLendon Honors is an exclusive invitation. Reach out to learn about tables and tickets.
Partnership and philanthropy make McLendon Honors, and everything that follows it, possible. Every gift helps ignite a dream. #IgnitingDreams
