Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference
June 18–21, 2026
Spring Hill Suites Memphis Downtown
85 West Court Avenue
Memphis, Tennessee 38103
Early registration is now open for SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference, which will be held on June 18-21, 2026, at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee. All baseball fans are welcome to attend. Full and single-day registration is available for a discounted rate before May 25, 2026.
- Register: Click here to register online for the 2026 Malloy Conference. Full registration is $195 before May 25, $210 afterward. Students: $75 before May 25, $85 afterward. Single-day registration is also available for $80 for Friday or Saturday before May 25; $90 afterward. Extra tickets can be purchased for Thursday’s Education Forum at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown, Thursday’s “meet and greet” reception at the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery (333 Beale Street), Friday’s Memphis Redbirds baseball game at AutoZone Park, or Saturday’s awards banquet at the SpringHill Suites. All of these sessions are included in the full registration package.
- Hotel: A special group rate at the SpringHill Suites Memphis Downtown of $159/night (plus tax) is available to registered convention attendees. To book your room, click here or call 901-522-2100. The SpringHill Suites hotel is located at 85 W. Court Ave., Memphis, TN 38103.
- Yoseloff Scholarship: Students, learn more or apply for a Yoseloff Scholarship to attend the 2026 Malloy Conference. Deadline: April 17, 2026.
- Contact: For questions, email Leslie Heaphy.
About the Conference
The Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference promotes activities to enhance scholarly, educational, and literary objectives. Since 1998, the event has been the only symposium dedicated exclusively to the examination and promotion of Black baseball history. The conference is open to baseball and history fans of all ages.
Each year, monies are targeted to donate books to schools or libraries; raise funds for the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project; and award scholarships to high school seniors in a nationwide essay contest and an annual art contest. The Negro Leagues Committee is one of SABR’s original committees, formed in 1971. It has continued to preserve and highlight the contributions of African-American players in baseball history.
The committee published the landmark The Negro Leagues Book in 1994, which featured a complete register of more than 3,000 players, team rosters and in-depth histories from leagues of the late nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth.
Yoseloff Scholarship
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to 4 scholarships to high school or college students to attend the 2026 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference. Click here to learn more or to apply.
This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250. Students must be currently enrolled in a high school, college undergraduate or graduate program, and be between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of the conference. Deadline to apply: April 17, 2026
Essay Contest
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee is pleased to award $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors in its 18th annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2026. Click here to learn more or to apply.
The contest is open to high school seniors and carrying a minimum GPA of 2.5 at the end of their junior year. Students have to write a 1,200-word essay answering a question related to one of the Negro League figures who are the namesakes of the scholarships. Deadline to apply: April 15, 2026.
Art Contest
The 17th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference Art Contest is open to all artists in 2026. Art from the winners will be on display at an upcoming Jerry Malloy Conference. The theme is “Black Baseball and the Delta Blues.”
- Professional/Amateur Application: Click here to download an application (PDF). $30 entry fee for up to three (3) entries in professional or amateur contests
- Youth Art Contest Application: Click here to download an application (PDF). $10 entry fee for up to three (3) entries in youth contest.
The winning entry in the professional and amateur categories will receive a $150 prize and a certificate from the conference. The youth winner will receive a set of art supplies. Photos of the art will also be included in an upcoming issue of Black Ball: A Negro Leagues Journal, published by McFarland & Co. Deadlines to apply: August 18, 2026 (professional/amateur) or September 15, 2026 (youth)
Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will award two $500 Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants for 2026. Click here to download a PDF application.
School and community libraries from across the country are invited to submit grant proposals centering on educating students and the community about black baseball and American history. Deadline to apply: September 15, 2026
