The Turkey Day Classic is a college football game, traditionally held annually on Thanksgiving Day.[1] It is played between Alabama State University and Tuskegee University, two historically black colleges and universities.[2] The game is usually played in Montgomery, Alabama's Cramton Bowl, but it is scheduled to relocate to Alabama State's new Hornet Stadium in 2012.[3][4] ESPNU holds broadcast rights to the game. The game is one of two black college football classics to be associated with Thanksgiving weekend; the other is the younger, but more widely known, Bayou Classic, held two days later.
The game falls in a category of classics that feature two rival teams playing each year.[5] The activities surrounding the game take place over several weeks in the downtown of Montgomery, and include parades, parties, and such like.[6] Many classics feature activities and events like golfing, pageants, and tailgaiting.[5] Alabama State hosts a parade and combines its homecoming with the Turkey Day Classic.[7]
History [edit]
The 1924 game was the first in the series played in 1924, and it is considered the first black college football classic.[8] Tuskegee has refused tournament slots for the NCAA Division II National Football Championship because the Division II playoffs conflict with the Turkey Day Classic; the Golden Tigers program has done this even in successful seasons where it has qualified and earned high playoff seeding. [9] Similarly, Alabama State and other Southwestern Athletic Conference members opt out of contention for the NCAA Division I Football Championship; this accommodates the Turkey Day Classic, the SWAC Championship Game and the Bayou Classic in New Orleans.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Timmermann, Tom (2009-09-26), "Tuskegee Opens Long Road Trip at Gateway Classic", St. Louis Post-Dispatch, retrieved 2009-10-22
- ^ Cunningham, Jonathon (2006-11-16), "Big Classic: Orlando's About to Go off the Chain", Orlando Weekly, retrieved 2009-10-22
- ^ "There's Plenty in the Area to See and Do", Montgomery Advertiser, 2009-10-22, retrieved 2009-10-22
- ^ Willingham, Leo (2008-11-18), "Tuskegee Still No. 1, Big Classic Weekend", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, retrieved 2009-10-22
- ^ a b Moore, Eric, Black College Football Classic Games, retrieved 2009-11-24
- ^ Nettles, Adrienne (2009-11-23), "Turkey Day Classic Festivities March into Downtown", Montgomery Advertiser, retrieved 2009-11-24
- ^ Watkins, Gabrielle; Moore, Leslie; Stewart, Ashley (2009-11-22), "Thanksgiving Holiday Traditions", The Famuan, retrieved 2009-11-24
- ^ Barnidge, Noell (2006-10-11), "Classics an Integral Part of Black College Football", Savannah Morning News, retrieved 2009-10-22
- ^ Perrin, Mike (2008-11-01), "Pioneer Bowl Suspended for 2008; Nowhere for Tuskegee to Go", The Birmingham News, retrieved 2009-10-22
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