Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic
| Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic | |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium |
| Location | Canton, Ohio |
| Operated | 2019–present |
| 2024 matchup | |
| Virginia State 23, Benedict 7 | |
| 2025 matchup | |
| Virginia Union vs. Miles | |
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.
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 | 35 | Morehouse | 30 | NFL Network | 9,776 | [4][5] |
| 2020 | September 6 | Game cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. Originally Howard vs. Central State (OH).[3] | ||||||
| 2021 | September 5 | Grambling State | 16 | Tennessee State | 10 | NFL Network | 14,682 | [6] |
| 2022 | September 4 | Central State (OH) | 41 | Winston-Salem State | 21 | 13,989 | [7] | |
| 2023 | September 3 | Virginia Union | 45 | Morehouse | 13 | 9,333 | ||
| 2024 | September 1 | Virginia State | 23 | Benedict | 7 | 3,747 | [8] | |
| 2025 | August 31 | Virginia Union vs. Miles | [9] | |||||
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.
- ^ Murray, Jack (September 2, 2024). "Virginia State Defeats Benedict College in 2024 Black CFB Hall of Fame Classic". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ^ "VA Union vs. Miles: 2025 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic Showdown". Sports Illustrated. February 24, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.