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List of black college football classics

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This is a list of recent black college football classics that have taken place between historically black colleges and universities that compete in college football in the United States. Unlike bowl games, classics take place during college football's regular season; they differ from standard regular season games in that they are often accompanied by entertaining battle of the bands, parades, social events, concerts, and are often played at neutral sites. Football classics annually attract large crowds of alumni, fans, and spectators, along with high media interest and corporate sponsorships.

The earliest documented use of the term "classic" to describe a college football game dates to the 1927 Louisiana State Fair Classic,[1] although the term may have been in use even earlier than that. Football classics can pair the same two rivals year after year or can feature a single host school with rotating opponents—most famously done during Florida A&M's association with the now-defunct Orange Blossom Classic. Other classics, particularly those based in the northern U.S., simply invite two different HBCUs every season.

Classics that do double as annual rivalry games sometimes consider the first game played under a classic-format as separate from the actual first game of the series. For example, Grambling State and Southern first clashed in 1932 but today rarely acknowledge games played prior to the formal creation of the Bayou Classic in 1974. Indeed, the series even seems to have intensified since it has become more of a media spectacle—Southern initially won a solid 60% of the games in the series through 1973, but after it was reconfigured as a classic the following year, the series has been largely locked dead even (currently tied at 21–21–0, through the 2015 season).

All HBCUs compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level or below in college football, but because of the commitments of some universities (especially Southwestern Athletic Conference schools) to these games, they may forgo the opportunity to play in the national playoff system. The famed Bayou and Turkey Day classics, for example, are closely associated with Thanksgiving weekend—which directly conflicts with the national playoffs' opening round.

Classic Name Location Year Established Notes
Aggie–Eagle Classic Raleigh, NC 1994 Annual game between the two largest HBCUs in North Carolina, North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central. The series, which began in 1924, was moved to Raleigh and played in a classic-style format between 1994–2005. It has since moved back to on-campus venues and is still known as the Aggie–Eagle Classic. In 2016 the game will be aired on ESPN.
Atlanta Football Classic Atlanta, GA 1989 Formerly an annual game between two Division I HBCU football teams. The event was cancelled after the 2014 season to make way for the Celebration Bowl.
Battle of the Bay Hampton Roads, VA 1962 Annual game between two schools in different portions of the Hampton Roads area—Hampton on the "Peninsula" and Norfolk State on the "Southside". Unlike many HBCU classics, this game alternates between the two schools' home fields.
Battle of the Firsts Philadelphia, PA 2009 Game between Cheyney and Lincoln–Pennsylvania, held the first week of the season. The "first" also refers to the schools being among the first HBCUs; Cheyney was the first four-year institution established for African Americans and Lincoln was the third.
Bayou Classic New Orleans, LA 1974 Annual game between Grambling State and Southern, held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The series, which began in 1932, is televised on NBCSN.
Biker's Classic Nashville, TN 2006 Annual game featuring Tennessee State.
Boombox Classic Baton Rouge, LA & Jackson, MS 1958 Annual game between Jackson State and Southern. The classic derives its name from a combination of the names of the marching bands of the two schools—JSU's Sonic Boom of the South and SU's Human Jukebox.
Capital City Classic Jackson, MS & Lorman, MS 1945 Annual game between Alcorn State and Jackson State held annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It traditionally rotated back and forth between Jackson and Lorman until 1993. From 1993–2011 it was held each year at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson but starting in 2012 the game began to rotate between there and Jack Spinks Stadium on the Alcorn State campus in Lorman. In a document published on the Alcorn website President M. Christopher Brown II and interim athletic director Dwayne White informally dubbed the game "the Soul Bowl."[2]
Capital City Football Classic Sacramento, CA 2008 Annual game held in September.
Chicago Football Classic Chicago, IL 1997 Annual game held in September at Soldier Field.
Circle City Classic Indianapolis, IN 1983 Annual game held on the first weekend in October.
Cleveland Classic Cleveland, OH 2011 Annual game held in September at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Commemorative Classic Charlotte, NC 2009[3] Annual game between Johnson C. Smith and Livingstone College. The series, which began in 1892, featured the first black college football game.
Community Youth Bowl Richmond, VA 2002 Annual game featuring Virginia Union.
CSRA Football Classic Augusta, GA 1992
Dallas Lone Star Classic Dallas, TX 2008 Annual game between Arkansas–Pine Bluff and Texas Southern played at the Cotton Bowl stadium in Dallas. The classic was cancelled after the 2009 season.
Dayton Classic Dayton, OH 2005 Annual game featuring Central State.
Delta Classic Little Rock, AR 2006 Annual game featuring Arkansas–Pine Bluff. Discontinued in 2012.[4]
Down East Classic Rocky Mount, NC 1998 Annual game featuring Elizabeth City State.
Druid City Classic Tuscaloosa, AL 2002 Annual game featuring Stillman College.
Fish Bowl Norfolk, VA 1948 Annual game featuring Norfolk State.
Florida Classic Orlando, FL 1979 Annual game between Bethune–Cookman and Florida A&M. Televised on ESPNU.
Ford Detroit Football Classic Detroit, MI 2002 Annual game between Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and SWAC teams. The classic was cancelled after the 2007 season.
Fountain City Classic Columbus, GA 1989 Annual game between Albany State and Fort Valley State.
Gateway Classic Jacksonville, FL 1953 Annual game featuring Bethune–Cookman.
Gateway Classic St. Louis, MO 1993
Gold Bowl Classic Richmond, VA 1981 Annual game based on the Gold Bowl, which featured schools from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and MEAC[5] from 1977–1980.[6] Subsequent games featured Virginia Union and Bowie State or Virginia State.[5]
HBCU Classic Greenville, SC 2005
Joe Turner Classic Savannah, GA 1993 Annual game featuring Savannah State.
John A. Merritt Classic Nashville, TN 1999 Annual game featuring Tennessee State, held in early September and played at Nissan Stadium.
Labor Day Classic (Texas) Houston, TX & Prairie View, TX 1985 Annual game between Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern. The series, which began in 1946, is played on Labor Day weekend.
MEAC/SWAC Challenge Orlando, FL 2005 Televised nationally on ESPN2.
Magic City Classic Birmingham, AL 1940 Annual game between Alabama State and Alabama A&M. It is the highest-attended HBCU football classic in the nation.[7][8]
Morehouse–Tuskegee Classic Columbus, GA 1935 Annual game between Morehouse College and Tuskegee
Murk City Classic Baton Rouge, LA & Houston, TX. 1955 Annual game between Southern and Texas Southern.
Nation's Football Classic Washington, DC 2011 Annual game, formerly between Hampton and Morehouse College, and now between Hampton and Howard.
New York Urban League Football Classic East Rutherford, NJ 1971[9] Annual game, formerly known as the "Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Football Classic," held at MetLife Stadium.
Palmetto Capital City Classic Columbia, SC 2001 Annual game featuring Benedict College.
Port City Classic Shreveport, LA 2001 Annual game that, since 2010, featured Grambling State, and was held on Labor Day weekend. It originally featured Southern and was part of the revived Louisiana State Fair Classic, before moving to early September the following year.[10]
Prince George's Classic Bowie, MD 2004 The first PG Classic was played by Alcorn State and Howard. The second was played by Morgan State and North Carolina A&T. Subsequent games (2006, 2007, and 2008) featured Bowie State as the home team.
Red River State Fair Classic Shreveport, LA 1922 Annual game that, since 2015, has featured Grambling State, and held during the State Fair of Louisiana.
Rivalry Classic Charlotte, NC Annual game between North Carolina A&T and South Carolina State.
Southern Heritage Classic Memphis, TN 1990 Annual game between Jackson State and Tennessee State held at the beginning of football season at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
State Fair Classic Dallas, TX 1925 Annual game that, since 1993, has been between Grambling State and Prairie View A&M, and held during the State Fair of Texas.
Steel City Classic Birmingham, AL 2000 Annual game between Miles College and Stillman College.
Texas State Fair Football Showdown Dallas, TX 2017 Annual game to be held between Southern and Texas Southern on the third weekends of the 2017 and 2018 Texas state fairs.[11]
Turkey Day Classic Montgomery, AL 1924 Annual game featuring Alabama State and held on Thanksgiving Day.
Wade Wilson Classic Cheyney, PA ca. 1970's Annual game, formerly played in Philadelphia,[12] featuring Cheyney.
Willie E. Gary Classic Jacksonville, FL 2001 Annual game between Edward Waters College and Shaw.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Twenty-seven Tigers Leave Tonight to Play Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday: Two Universities Meet for 22nd Time at Pelican State Fair—Donahue Shifts Line Because of Injuries—'Nubs' Freeman to Back Up Line in Game This Week-End". Baton Rouge State-Times (p. 16). October 27, 1927.
  2. ^ Jackson, Miss. to Lose Capital City Classic in 2012
  3. ^ "Commemorative Classic—JCSU vs. Livingston". thecharlottepost.com. 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  4. ^ Murrell, I.C. "Little Rock Lions: Alcorn State extended weekend includes fundraiser." Pine Bluff Commercial, July 1, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Overview". goldbowlclassic.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2004. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  6. ^ "Gold Bowl Games". cfbdatawarehouse.com. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  7. ^ http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/12/magic_city_classic_ranks_tops.html
  8. ^ http://hbculifestyle.com/top-5-hbcu-classics-2014/
  9. ^ "Whitney M. Young/New York Urban League Classic". ehbcsports.com. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  10. ^ "Southern Yearly Results". cfbdatawarehouse.com. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  11. ^ Luke Johnson (October 8, 2016). "'This is a major deal:' Southern to play Texas Southern in 2018–19 Texas State Fair Football Showdown". theadvocate.com. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  12. ^ Chris Morkides (September 18, 1998). "Cheyney Bringing The Wilson Classic To Its Home Field". articles.philly.com. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
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