Tennessee State will be involved in yet another Southern Heritage Classic this Saturday when the Tigers play Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Memphis.
But Tennessee State coach Eddie George is longing to revive its longtime non-conference HBCU rivalry with Jackson State in the future.
The schools have not played each other since Jackson State announced it would no longer participate in the Southern Heritage Classic football game beyond the 2022 season.
The schools had met 28 times since 1990, with Tennessee State leading the all-time series 17-12. Jackson State won the last meeting, 16-3 over TSU.
“We used to play Jackson State; that’s the natural rival for this matchup,” George said on Tuesday during the Big South-OVC coach’s press conference. “Hopefully, somewhere down the line, we will look at reigniting that rivalry game against Jackson State, whether it’s in the Southern Heritage Classic or some other type of classic. That’s a game we need to play.”
George, however, said he was grateful that UAPB replaced Jackson State, though a matchup for next year’s Southern Heritage Classic has not been announced.
“We will be in Memphis and anticipating an awesome crowd and a competitive game,” said George. “We are happy that we are able to save the game.”
Tennessee State beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 24-14 last season.
