Orange Blossom Classic

Orange Blossom Classic
StadiumHard Rock Stadium
LocationMiami Gardens, Florida
Previous stadiumsSeveral, including the Miami Orange Bowl and Tinker Field
Previous locationsMiami, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa
Operated1933–1978; 2021–present
Sponsors
Denny's (2021–2024)
Invesco QQQ (2025)
2025 matchup
Florida A&M vs. Howard
(Howard 10–9)
2026 matchup
Florida A&M vs. South Carolina State

The Orange Blossom Classic is an American annual college football game first held from 1933 to 1978 and again since 2021. Starting back up in 2021 the game has been played on Labor Day weekend.

History

In its first incarnation, the Classic featured two historically black colleges and universities (HBCU)—Florida A&M and another program. The game sometimes served as a de facto championship game,[1] depending on the record of the participating teams. The game was played late in the season, with Florida A&M inviting another top black team as its opponent.[1] The game could be seen as a mythical "black national championship" game.[2] For example, the December 5, 1942, Afro American newspaper refers to the 1942 game as a national title game, as does at least one source for the 1945 game.[3] From 1952 to 1962, 10 of the 11 teams that won the Classic were named national champions. However, there were also numerous seasons in which neither Florida A&M nor its Classic opponent were selected as national champions.

The Classic was discontinued after its 1978 playing. The name was sometimes applied to subsequent regular-season meetings between Florida A&M and the FIU Panthers.[1]

In its second incarnation, the Classic returned in 2021. That season, Florida A&M played Jackson State in a season opening game at Hard Rock Stadium in September.[4] The game has continued as an annual early-season contest between those two programs. The 2022 matchup had the second most viewed HBCU football game with close to 958,000 viewers, trailing only the Celebration Bowl. In 2024 Florida A&M will no longer play in the game and the will find another team to play Jackson State.[5] In 2024 the game had a weather delay for an hour and twenty minute delay because of lightning in the area.

Game results

1933–1978

[6]

Year Site Winner Loser Ref. Attendance
1933Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M9Howard6[7]6,000
1934Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M 13 Virginia State12[8]
1935Jacksonville, Florida Kentucky State‡ 19 Florida A&M9[9][10][11]5,000
1936Jacksonville, Florida Prairie View A&M6Florida A&M0[12]5,000
1937Orlando, Florida Florida A&M 25 Hampton20[13]3,000
1938Orlando, Florida Florida A&M‡ 9 Kentucky State7[14]
1939Orlando, Florida Florida A&M 42 Wiley0[15]
1940Orlando, Florida Wilberforce 0–0 Florida A&M[16]7,000
1941Orlando, Florida Florida A&M 15Tuskegee7[17]8,200
1942Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M‡ 12Texas College6[18]3,000
1943Jacksonville, Florida Hampton 39Florida A&M0[19]2,500
1944Tampa, Florida Virginia State 15Florida A&M7[20]6,000
1945Tampa, Florida Wiley‡ 32 Florida A&M6[21]8,000
1946Tampa, Florida #20 Lincoln (PA) 20#8 Florida A&M0[22][23]9,000
1947Miami, Florida #3 Florida A&M 7 #4 Hampton0[24]19,000
1948Miami, Florida #10 Virginia Union 10 #5 Florida A&M6[25]15,986
1949Miami, Florida #6 North Carolina A&T 20 #5 Florida A&M14[26]14,274
1950Miami, Florida #12 Wilberforce State 13#1 Florida A&M‡6[27]19,317
1951Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M 67 #7 North Carolina College6[28]23,446
1952Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 29 #2 Virginia State7[29]35,064
1953Miami, Florida #1 Prairie View A&M‡ 33 #2 Florida A&M‡27[30]41,313
1954Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M‡ 67 #6 Maryland State[a]19[31]41,179
1955Miami, Florida #1 Grambling‡ 28 #3 Florida A&M21[32]40,319
1956Miami, Florida #1 Tennessee A&I‡ 41 #2 Florida A&M39[33]41,808
1957Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 27#4 Maryland State[a]21[34]37,000
1958Miami, Florida #1 Prairie View A&M‡ 26 #3 Florida A&M8[35]39,426
1959Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 28#4 Prairie View A&M7[36]43,645
1960Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M 40 Langston26[37]42,080
1961Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 14 #2 Jackson State8[38]47,791
1962Miami, Florida #2 Jackson State‡ 22 #1 Florida A&M‡6[39]43,461
1963Miami, Florida #4 Florida A&M 30 #3 Morgan State7[40]31,769
1964Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M 42#3 Grambling15[41]28,127
1965Miami, Florida #2 Morgan State 36#3 Florida A&M7[42]35,638
1966Miami, Florida Florida A&M 43Alabama A&M26[43]28,815
1967Miami, Florida #2 Grambling‡ 28#4 Florida A&M25[44]37,681
1968Miami, Florida #3 Alcorn A&M‡ 36#7 Florida A&M9[45]37,390
1969Miami, Florida #3 Florida A&M 23#5 Grambling19[46]36,680
1970Miami, Florida Jacksonville State 21 Florida A&M7[47]31,184
1971Miami, Florida Florida A&M 27 Kentucky State9[48]26,161
1972Miami, Florida Florida A&M 41 Maryland Eastern Shore[a]21[49]23,840
1973Miami, Florida Florida A&M 23#11 South Carolina State12[50]18,996
1974Miami, Florida #20 Florida A&M 17#6 Howard13[51]20,167
1975Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M 40 #8 Kentucky State13[52]27,875
1976Miami, Florida #20 Florida A&M 26#16 Central State21[53]18,042
1977Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 37#8 Delaware State15[54]29,493
1978Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 31#2 Grambling State7[55]35,499

‡ Denotes a team selected as Black college football national champions for the season in question (in some seasons, different teams were named champions by different selectors).

Rankings from The Pittsburgh Courier (1946–1958, 1961–1969), Associated Negro Press (1959–1960), and Jet (1973–1978)

2021–present

Year Site Winner Loser Ref. Attendance
2021Miami Gardens, Florida Jackson State7Florida A&M6[56]31,000
2022 #15 Jackson State59Florida A&M3[57]39,907
2023 Florida A&M‡28Jackson State10[58]24,967
2024 North Carolina Central31Alabama State2410,256
2025 Howard10Florida A&M9[59]22,455
2026 Florida A&M vs. South Carolina State

Appearances by team

No. School Record
50Florida A&M27–21–1
6Grambling State3–3
5Jackson State3–2
4Kentucky State1–3
4Prairie View A&M3–1
3Central State1–1–1
3Hampton1–2
3Maryland Eastern Shore[a]0–3
3Virginia State1–2
2Howard1–2
2Morgan State1-1
2Wiley1–1
1Alabama A&M0–1
1Alcorn State1–0
1Delaware State0–1
1Jacksonville State1–0
1Langston0–1
1North Carolina A&T1–0
1North Carolina Central0–1
2South Carolina State0–1
1Tennessee State1–0
1Texas College0–1
1Tuskegee0–1
1Virginia Union1–0
1Alabama State0–1

Source:[60]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was known as Maryland State College until 1970.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Super Bowl Catches Up to Orange Blossom Classic, The New York Times, February 3, 2007, retrieved February 7, 2009.
  2. ↑ Tremene Triplett, Fans, coaches, athletes reminisce about the historic Orange Blossom Classic, South Florida Times, March 14, 2008, retrieved February 7, 2009.
  3. ↑ "UW Athletics Black History: football assistant coach Les Ritcherson". media-newswire.com. February 17, 2011.
  4. ↑ "HBCU Football: The Orange Blossom Classic returns after 43 years". Saturday Blitz. May 18, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Florida A&M leave Orange Blossom Classic". yahoo. September 4, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Bowl/all star game records" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Florida A. & M. Upsets Howard, 9-6, In Thriller". Pittsburgh Courier. December 9, 1933. pp. 2–5. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Rattlers Nose Out Trojans, 13 To 12". Pittsburgh Courier. December 15, 1934. pp. 2–5. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Ky. State Gets Call for Orange Blossom Classic". Journal and Guide. Norfolk, Virginia. December 7, 1935. p. 15. Retrieved April 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  10. ↑ "Rattlers Hold Ky. In Hectic 2nd Half". Pittsburgh Courier. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. December 14, 1935. p. 4, section 2. Retrieved April 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  11. ↑ "Ky. State Wins 19-9 In Orange Blossom Tiff". Journal and Guide. Norfolk, Virginia. December 14, 1935. pp. 14, 20. Retrieved April 20, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  12. ↑ "5,000 See Prairie View Beat Florida, 6-0, In Orange Blossom Game". St. Louis Argus. December 11, 1936. p. 6. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Hampton Loses To A.&M. 25-20". The Sunday Sentinel-Star. December 5, 1937. p. 7 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Florida Rattlers Beat Kentucky, 9-7, For National Title". The Tallahassee Daily Democrat. December 4, 1938. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Moorne, Halody (December 16, 1939). "Florida's Orange Blossom Classic Is Joke Of Season". The Black Dispatch. Oklahoma City. p. 8. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Jones, Melancholy (December 14, 1940). "Terrific Defenses Feature 0-0 Tie At Orlando; 7,000 See 8th Classic". The Phoenix Index. p. 6. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Tuskegee Loses To Florida A. And M., Orange Blossom Tilt". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. AP. December 7, 1941. p. Sports 8. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Florida Takes Over Negro College Title". Star-News. Wilmington, North Carolina. AP. December 13, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Rattlers walloped by Hampton, 39–0". Tampa Morning Tribune. December 5, 1943. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Virginia wins over Aggies by 15–7 score". Tampa Morning Tribune. December 9, 1944. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Wiley Downs Aggies To Win Negro Crown". Tampa Sunday Tribune. December 9, 1945. p. 1B.
  22. ↑ "Lincoln beat Rattlers in Orange Classic". The Tampa Tribune. December 8, 1946. p. 21. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "Rattlers drop 20–14 contest to Lincoln U". the Sunday News-Democrat. December 8, 1946. p. 15. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Florida defeats Hampton in thriller". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 13, 1947. p. 15. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "Virginia Union crushes Florida Rattlers in bowl, 39–18". The Miami Herald. December 5, 1948. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "14,274 see North Carolina whip Florida A&M, 20–14". The Miami Herald. December 11, 1949. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Florida A-M upset, 13–7". Miami Sunday News. December 3, 1950. p. 5D. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "Florida A&M blasts N.C. College, 67 to 6". Miami Daily News. December 2, 1951. p. 4D. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "Rattlers win, 29–7, to gain Negro title". Miami Daily News. December 7, 1952. p. 31. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ "Prairie View nips Rattlers, 33–27". The Miami News. December 6, 1953. pp. 1B, 4B. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ "A&M romps over Hawks". Miami Daily News. December 5, 1954. p. 1D. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ "Grambling's Eddie Murray Rattles Florida A&M 28–21". The Miami Daily News. December 4, 1955. pp. 1D, 2D. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Fumbling A&M bows, 41–39 in Orange Blossom Classic". Tallahassee Democrat. December 2, 1956. p. 34. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "Rattlers pound out 27–21 Classic win". Tallahassee Democrat. December 15, 1957. p. 33. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "Fast-striking Prairie view attack trips Rattlers 26–8". The Miami News. December 14, 1958. pp. 1C, 5C. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "A&M Rips Panthers, 28-7". Tallahassee Democrat. December 6, 1959. p. 35. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "Rattlers hold on, win 40–26". The Miami News. December 11, 1960. pp. 1C, 5C. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ↑ "A&M sneaks by Jackson State, 14–8". Tallahassee Democrat. December 10, 1961. p. 33. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ "Jackson ends FAMU victory streak 22–6". Tallahassee Democrat. December 9, 1962. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ "Rattlers 4th period rally clips Morgan". The Florida Times-Union. December 15, 1963. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ↑ "Rattlers chill Grambling". The Miami Herald. December 6, 1964. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ↑ "Morgan St. Rattles A&M, 36–7". The Miami News. December 5, 1965. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ↑ "Rattlers strike down Alabama A&M, 43–26". The Miami Herald. December 4, 1966. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ↑ "Grambling edges A&M 28–25". Tallahassee Democrat. December 3, 1967. p. B1. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ "Weeks too strong for FAMU, 36–9". The Orlando Sentinel. December 8, 1968. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ↑ "Rattlers' rally edges Grambling". The Miami Herald. December 7, 1969. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ↑ "Callahan aids Jax State in curbing Rattlers, 21–7". The Miami Herald. December 14, 1970. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ↑ "26,161 watch Rattlers top Kentucky State". The Miami Herald. December 12, 1971. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ↑ "Rattlers strike back for Classic victory". The Miami Herald. December 3, 1972. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ↑ "FAMU subdues S.C. State, 23–12". The Miami Herald. December 9, 1973. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ↑ "Rattlers subdur Howard, 17–13". The Miami Herald. December 8, 1974. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ↑ "Rattlers thrash Kentucky State before 27,875 in Orange Bowl". The Miami Herald. December 7, 1975. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ↑ Rand, Jonathan (December 5, 1976). "Rattlers Rally Nips Central, 26-21". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1C. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  54. ↑ "FAMU Routs Delaware State". The Miami Herald. December 11, 1977. Retrieved April 4, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  55. ↑ Tierney, Mike (December 3, 1978). "Rattlers ramble past Grambling 31–7". St. Petersburg Times. p. 7C. Retrieved March 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  56. ↑ Jackson, Wilton (September 6, 2021). "Deion Sanders's Defense Seals Victory for Jackson State in Orange Blossom Classic vs. Florida A&M". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  57. ↑ Becton, Stan (September 4, 2022). "How Jackson State dominated Florida A&M 59-3 to win 2022 Orange Blossom Classic". NCAA.com. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  58. ↑ Kelley, Kevin (January 6, 2023). "Jackson State, Florida A&M to play in 2023 Orange Blossom Classic". fbschedules.com. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  59. ↑ https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401767350| "Starks, in first college start, leads Howard past Florida A&M 10-9 with two-minute drill heroics"
  60. ↑ Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Records Book, National Collegiate Athletic Association, p. 367–368.
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