It has been an interesting year-long standoff between Alabama A&M University and the Alabama Sports Council, but it has finally ended.
AAMU signed a four-year agreement with the ASC late Monday to keep the Magic City Classic going at least through the 2026 season, as Roy Johnson of Alabama.com reported.
The agreement AAMU signed is equal to that of the one their rival and MCC opponent Alabama State signed earlier this year – $1,000,000 in guarantees for the years AAMU will be the host school and $300,000 for their years as visitors. Adding onto the $500,000 annually each school receives from the city of Birmingham, the Magic City Classic becomes the richest guaranteed paying classic in HBCU football.
“The guarantee is higher than some FBS bowl game payouts,” MCC Executive Director Perren King says. “We applaud the presidents for being extremely thoughtful in achieving the best outcome for their constituencies.”
The agreement ends a year-long struggle that, as recently as two weeks ago, saw AAMU send a cease and desist order to the ASC that forbids the council from using Alabama A&M trademarks and the Bulldog logo/mascot.
This past June, Alabama A&M athletic director Dr. Paul Bryant explained to Fox 54’s Mo Carter why the university wanted changes made to any agreements regarding the Magic City Classic, saying that the objective was to “make sure we get exactly what we deserve and what’s rightfully ours.”
