Here's the must-see HBCU football game for each week of 2022 regular season
The excitement of HBCU football is just a few months away. There are plenty of annual classics and on-campus rivalry games set to entertain and inspire.
As the countdown continues, The Clarion Ledger picked one must-watch HBCU game per week of the regular season. This list only includes Division I HBCU football games.
Here's a look at some of the biggest matchups this season.
Howard vs. Alabama State
When: Aug. 27 (Week 1)
Where: Atlanta, Ga. (MEAC/SWAC Challenge)
Reason: The HBCU football season kicks off in Atlanta, where it will also end in December with the Celebration Bowl. It is the second meeting between Howard and Alabama State. The first game between the two schools drew over 45,000 fans in Detroit in 2004.
Jackson State vs. Florida A&M
When: Sept. 4 (Week 2)
Where: Miami Gardens, Fla. (Orange Blossom Classic)
Reason: SWAC champion Jackson State takes on Florida A&M, which represented the SWAC in the FCS playoff last year.
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Jackson State vs. Tennessee State
When: Sept. 10 (Week 3)
Where: Memphis, Tenn. (Southern Heritage Classic)
Reason: This could be the final edition of the Southern Heritage Classic that features these two teams. It's a big rivalry game, located halfway between TSU and JSU in Memphis. NFL legends Deion Sanders and Eddie George square off as coaches.
Hampton at Norfolk State
When: Sept. 17 (Week 4)
Where: Norfolk, Va.
Reason: Hampton, the first HBCU to join the Colonial Athletic conference and one of three Division I HBCUs in a conference other than the MEAC or SWAC takes on in-state rival Norfolk State. Last year, the teams combined for 91 points in a game that NSU won in overtime.
South Carolina State at North Carolina A&T
When: Sept. 24 (Week 5)
Where: Greensboro, N.C.
Reason: The winner of the Celebration Bowl, the de facto HBCU national championship game, has been one of these two schools every year except for when Grambling won in 2016. North Carolina A&T has since moved to the Big South Conference, and is set to host the Bulldogs in a non-conference matchup.
Prairie View vs. Grambling
When: Oct. 1 (Week 6)
Where: Dallas, Texas
Reason: SWAC runner-up Prairie View battles Hue Jackson's Grambling Tigers at the Cotton Bowl in the State Fair Classic. The game traces its roots back to 1925, when other Texas HBCUs participated. The matchup has been exclusively Prairie View vs. Grambling since 1985.
Florida A&M at South Carolina State
When: Oct. 8 (Week 7)
Where: Orangeburg, S.C.
Reason: Both Florida A&M and South Carolina State will likely contend for postseason spots this year. This midseason matchup in South Carolina could end up being a Celebration Bowl preview, depending on how the Orange Blossom Classic matchup with Jackson State goes.
Alcorn at Southern
When: Oct. 15 (Week 8)
Where: Grambling, La.
Reason: Alcorn has won three of the last six SWAC championships, and travels to Southern for a key midseason matchup. Last year's game featured plenty of offense, as Southern won 38-35.
North Carolina Central at South Carolina State
When: Oct. 22 (Week 9)
Where: Orangeburg S.C.
Reason: N.C Central and S.C. State were the MEAC's top two teams last year. The Bulldogs took the Celebration Bowl bid because they were able to steal a 27-24 road victory over the Eagles last year.
Alabama A&M vs. Alabama State
When: Oct. 29 (Week 10)
Where: Birmingham, Ala. (Magic City Classic)
Reason: The Magic City Classic is consistently one of the top classic games in HBCU football. Alabama A&M, which is a year removed from winning the SWAC title in the spring, has plenty of FBS transfers that will give the team a new look. Alabama State will look different after making a coaching change during last season.
Southern at Florida A&M
When: Nov. 5 (Week 11)
Where: Tallahassee, Fla.
Reason: Southern hired Eric Dooley, who led Prairie View to the SWAC title game last year. Florida A&M had massive success in its debut season in the SWAC under Willie Simmons last year, hosts the Jaguars in a late-season matchup.
Jackson State vs. Alabama A&M
When: Nov. 12 (Week 12)
Where: Mobile, Ala. (Gulf Coast Challenge)
Reason: It's a neutral-site rematch between SWAC's two most recent champions. Alabama A&M will certainly be hungry for revenge after Jackson State crushed them 61-15 and left a pink scooter at midfield for coach Connell Maynor after the game last fall.
Jackson State at Alcorn State
When: Nov. 19 (Week 13)
Where: Lorman, Miss.
Reason: Jackson State closes out the regular season against it's biggest in-state rival. Last year's game drew an attendance of 58,582. Top-prospect Travis Hunter took a visit to JSU during that game and ended up flipping from Florida State to JSU the next month. This year he'll be playing in the game.
Southern vs. Grambling
When: Nov. 26 (Week 14)
Where: New Orleans, La. (Bayou Classic)
Reason: This rivalry game at Ceasar's Superdome during Thanksgiving weekend is the biggest regular-season stage in HBCU football. Both teams are led by new coaches, but that won't change the tradition, the rivalry, or the fierceness on the field. The all-time series is tied at 24-24.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Here's the must-see HBCU football game for each week of 2022 regular season
