While the latest edition of the Orange Blossom Classic featured two teams that figured to compete for a Black College National Championship, the turnout for the game was nearly a historic low.
According to the official box score, North Carolina Central’s 31-24 win over Alabama State drew 10,026 fans on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The total was the fewest for an Orange Blossom Classic since 9,000 attended a game between Florida A&M and Lincoln (PA) in 1946, though the game was played in Tampa. The lowest-ever documented attendance figure was listed at 3,000 when Florida A&M played Hampton in 1937.
The 2024 game marked the first time being played without Florida A&M, which had appeared in every Orange Blossom Classic since its inception in 1933. FAMU decided not to play in the OBC, citing a desire to have an extra home game instead.
Orange Blossom Classic 😎 pic.twitter.com/B5doxuWEWe
— Vito2100🏁 (@TWNR4LFE2100) September 1, 2024
News of the official attendance number created a strong reaction online from fans who either watched on ESPN or were at the game.
yikes! 😬 https://t.co/cdlLQmvHfd
— 𝘽𝙀𝙀𝙕𝙔 (@HOLLYWOODBEEZYY) September 2, 2024
Should’ve kept the main thing, the main thing. https://t.co/1MHzwSS8gF
— Perfectly Orchestrated🎼 (@ProdByPerfectly) September 2, 2024
I meannnnnn it would make sense. It just doesn’t make sense for them to host non Florida schools https://t.co/7mpOnDsLTh
— September 30th 🎈 (@SupportThaNawf) September 2, 2024
It was a great TV product minus the lightning delay but those numbers aren’t great. Hopefully the ratings numbers come Tuesday look good and the ESPN News bump doesn’t hurt us. https://t.co/RrrRruhfwb
— Randall Barnes (@AuthorRandallB) September 2, 2024
Some of the consensus was that the game should have either been hosted by one of the teams or the Orange Blossom Classic should have been put on hiatus until Florida A&M agreed to return. Whatever the perspective, the sparse turnout might have event organizers thinking about changes for 2025 to maximize interest.
