By Brandon King
Birmingham’s contract with Morehouse College and Tuskegee University expired after the historically Black schools faced off on the gridiron Saturday night.
Now it’s unclear if the annual football game, known as the “Grand Daddy” of HBCU classics, will remain in Birmingham or move to another city next year.
Mayor Randall Woodfin, who is a Morehouse Alum, told AL.com that he would love for the game to remain in Birmingham.
“I think having Historically Black Colleges and Universities play games here, continue to hold classics here, is important, and we’ll continue to talk with HBCU leaders and presidents about opportunities,” he said.
But Cornell Wesley, the director of economic impact for Birmingham, confirmed that other cities have expressed interest in hosting the game. Though, he would not say specifically who was involved in those conversations.
“Under the mayor’s direction we will reconvene and reassess the impact and the commitment and the investment versus impact to determine if the city will continue to pursue,” said Wesley, who is also a graduate of Morehouse. “The verdict is still out on what will happen after this game.”
The Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic is the oldest HBCU classic game in the country and is referred to as the “Grand Daddy” of HBCU classics. The game started as an entertainment event for the African-American civilian community and U.S. Army soldiers in the Columbus, Georgia, metro area, which includes Phenix City in Alabama. According to the NCAA, the two schools have battled it out on the gridiron 112 times, with this year being the 87th edition of the classic. The game historically was held in Columbus, Georgia, before the Birmingham City Council voted to bring the game to the Magic City in 2021. Saturday night’s game ended with Tuskegee winning 40-28. and with them leading the series 74-30-7.
Harold Ellis, athletic director at Morehouse in Atlanta, said he’s heard the rumor about the games alternating between the two school’s campuses. But he said that’s not an official plan.
“There haven’t been formal conversations held about the game taking place on Morehouse or Tuskegee’s campus,” Ellis said.
Deborah Rodgers, the deputy chief athletic Director for Tuskegee University said she’s heard the same rumor.
“Not sure if we’ll be back in Birmingham next year, but you may see us on Tuskegee’s campus next year or Morehouse’s campus next year,” Rodgers said. “Our goal is to make the student athletic experience as best as we can and drive a lot of revenue.”
In Birmingham, the Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic averaged 11,500 attendants in 2021 and 2022, according to the Department of Economic Impact at City Hall. However, it’s not clear how many tickets have been sold, as the city gave away many tickets as an incentive to bolster support for the games
Throughout the years of the game, Tuskegee students, alumni, and fans showed up in droves, but Morehouse didn’t have as much representation at the games. “Tuskegee is well represented, but we’re looking to deepen our impact and participation with the Morehouse community,” Wesley said.
Since adding Protective Stadium to Birmingham, Woodfin has campaigned to make Birmingham an HBCU go-to destination spot. He aimed to have more HBCU football games at Legion Field, adding to the existing “classic culture” that’s culminated around the annual Magic City Classic.
In early 2022, the City of Birmingham completed a deal with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to bring another classic to the city – Southern University vs. Jackson State University, better known as the Boombox Classic. Those games were originally scheduled to happen in 2023 and 2024, however, those games have not come into fruition, due to ongoing litigation.
