The most anticipated HBCU football season opener in recent years will be on display for a nationally televised audience.
ESPN announced Thursday that the Orange Blossom Classic featuring Jackson State and Florida A&M will be shown on ESPN2 at 2 p.m. CST on Sept. 5.
Originally a postseason game held between 1933 and 1978 featuring FAMU and other HBCUs in an unofficial championship commonly referred to as the “Black National Championship” game, will return after a 43-year absence.
JSU coach Deion Sanders had been adamant since his hire last September that Black college football games should be made available prominently on TV similarly to FBS contests.
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FAMU head coach Willie Simmons, during a press conference earlier this month to promote the match-up, echoed the sentiment.
“We deserve to be on prime time television, not ESPN3, but prime-time television like everyone else,” Simmons said.
While the game will not exactly be played under the lights, it promises to give HBCU athletes the rare opportunity to be seen — something that had been a recent topic of discussion after no college players represented an HBCU was selected during the 2021 NFL Draft.
“You’re going to see some draftable athletes, I promise you that,” Sanders said. “This is not just a game. It’s a celebration. It’s an opportunity for us to put our players on stage.”
