The Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic is a college football kickoff game that has been played annually since 2019 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. The game features a matchup of two historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). It is played on the Sunday before Labor Day. The Classic originated in 2019, with a matchup between the Alabama A&M Bulldogs and the Morehouse Maroon Tigers, and coincided with the Black College Football Hall of Fame's move to Canton from its previous location in Atlanta.
| Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic | |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium |
| Location | Canton, Ohio |
| Operated | 2019–present |
| 2021 matchup | |
| Grambling State 16, Tennessee State 10 | |
| 2022 matchup | |
| Central State 41, Winston-Salem State 21 | |
The 2020 edition of the Classic, scheduled between Howard and Central State,[1][2] was announced to have been cancelled on July 3, 2020, over concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
Since its inception the game has been carried nationally by NFL Network
Game results
edit| Season | Date | Winners | Runners-up | Television | Attendance | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | September 1 | Alabama A&M Bulldogs | 35 | Morehouse Maroon Tigers | 30 | NFL Network | 9,776 | [4][5] |
| 2020 | September 6 | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. Originally Howard v Central State.[3] | ||||||
| 2021 | September 5 | Grambling State Tigers | 16 | Tennessee State Tigers | 10 | NFL Network | 14,682 | [6] |
| 2022 | September 4 | Central State Marauders | 41 | Winston-Salem State Rams | 21 | 13,989 | [7] | |
| 2023 | September 3 | Virginia Union Panthers | 45 | Morehouse Maroon Tigers | 13 | 9,333 | ||
References
edit- ^ "Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic - National Events - Events | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ Kelley, Kevin (September 16, 2019). "Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic matchups set for 2020, 2021". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ a b Kelley, Kevin (July 3, 2020). "2020 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic canceled". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
- ^ Bona, Marc (September 2, 2019). "Alabama A&M edges Morehouse College, 35-30, in 1st Classic". cleveland. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ Bona, Marc (August 31, 2019). "Why is the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic important?". cleveland. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ Organ, Mike (September 5, 2021). "Eddie George makes coaching debut in Tennessee State football loss to Grambling". Tennessean. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ Walsh, Erin (September 4, 2022). "Central State Routs Winston-Salem State in 2022 Black CFB Hall of Fame Classic". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 7, 2022.