HBCU football after church.
In less than 60 days, a new, different kind of football season will begin for schools across the HBCU landscape.
Because several FCS conferences decided this past summer to postpone fall football due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, what was supposed to be the 2020 campaign is scheduled to start in February.
And the majority of the games — for the first time ever in many cases — will be played on Sunday, which is an intriguing opportunity for programs, said Tennessee State head coach Rod Reed.
With no NFL or major college football as competition, HBCU football will garner a huge chunk of the spotlight
“It will be a different experience,” said Reed on Nashville Sports Radio WSNR. “And like I said, hopefully, you know it’d be a great experience for our players. It will be pretty cool if we can get some TV contracts out of it.”
Related content: Cancellation of Ohio Valley Conference fall season means no Tennessee State football
Tennessee State, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, will play a seven-game schedule starting Feb. 21 versus Jacksonville State.
The regular season will conclude on April 11.
In August, the OVC board of presidents voted to postpone fall sports, joining 13 other FCS leagues, including the SWAC and MEAC to hold off football.
“Our kids are ready to play,” Reed said. “It’s going to be a challenge with some teams playing four games this fall, but we’re excited about our team and we’re excited about the guys coming in. We’re just excited about the opportunity to play.”
