A long-played HBCU football classic is facing another crisis as one of the mainstays has not added the game to their 2025 schedule.
Tennessee State, who has soldiered on with the Southern Heritage Classic after Jackson State moved away from it in 2022, has not placed a date for the SHC on their 2025 schedule, which was released this week.
According to Memphis television station FOX13, SHC founder Fred Jones said he saw Tennessee State’s schedule and was “in communication” with the school about it.
The Southern Heritage Classic, which had been played between TSU and JSU every year from 1994 to 2022, first began in 1990. Arkansas-Pine Bluff signed a two-year commitment to replace Jackson State after they declined further participation, and that two-year deal has expired.
UAPB has not finalized its 2025 football schedule yet. Tennessee State begins the 2025 season with a home game at Nissan Stadium against North Carolina A&T on Saturday, Aug. 30.
They also will host 2024 FCS champion North Dakota State (Sept. 6) and Howard University (Oct. 18). The remaining eight games on the Tigers’ schedule consist of their usual Big South-OVC Alliance opponents.
