A rivalry that combines history and camaraderie
It’s about to go down on Saturday, Nov 8, when two HBCUs, Johnson C. Smith University and Livingstone College, compete in the Commemorative Classic. This game honors the first HBCU game in history, played 133 years ago.
“This game is not just where HBCU football began. It is where our story as a conference, a culture, and a community took root,” CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker said in a Livingstone College press release. “Generations of students, athletes, bands, alumni, and families helped build this legacy, and every time Johnson C. Smith and Livingstone take the field, they carry decades of history with them. The first game built the foundation. This game protects it. That is why this rivalry lives on as the Commemorative Classic; a yearly reminder of where Black college football began and who continues to carry it forward.”
The game begins at 1 p.m. at George W Gray Field, located inside the Irwin Belk Complex at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fans can also catch the game via livestream on YouTube.
RELATED CONTENT: Essence HBCU Classic Debuts at Harvard Stadium
Source: Black Enterprise
