Orange Blossom Classic

The Orange Blossom Classic is an American annual college football game first held between 1933 and 1978 and again since 2021.

For the LPGA Tour golf tournament known by this name during the 1970s, see St. Petersburg Women's Open.
Orange Blossom Classic
StadiumHard Rock Stadium
LocationMiami Gardens, Florida
Previous stadiumsSeveral, including the Miami Orange Bowl and Tinker Field
Previous locationsMiami, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa
Operated1933–1978; 2021–present
Sponsors
Denny's[1] (2021–present)
2023 matchup
Jackson State vs. Florida A&M
(Florida A&M 28–10)
2024 matchup
North Carolina Central vs. Alabama State

History

In its first incarnation, the Classic featured two historically black colleges and universities (HBCU)—Florida A&M and another program. The game sometimes served as a de facto championship game,[2] depending on the record of the participating teams. The game was played late in the season, with Florida A&M inviting another top black team as its opponent.[2] The game could be seen as a mythical "Black National Championship" game.[3] For example, the December 5, 1942, Afro American newspaper refers to the 1942 game as a national title game, as does at least one source for the 1945 game.[4] From 1952 to 1962, 10 of the 11 teams that won the Classic were named national champions. However, there were also numerous seasons in which neither Florida A&M nor its Classic opponent were selected as national champions.

Main article: Black college football national championship

The Classic was discontinued after its 1978 playing. The name was sometimes applied to subsequent regular-season meetings between Florida A&M and the FIU Panthers.[2]

In its second incarnation, the Classic returned in 2021. That season, Florida A&M played Jackson State in a season opening game at Hard Rock Stadium in September.[5] The game has continued as an annual early-season contest between those two programs. The 2022 matchup had the most viewed HBCU football game with close to 958,000 viewers, trailing only the Celebration Bowl. In 2024 Florida A&M will no longer play in the game and the will find another team to play Jackson State.[6]

Game results

1933–1978

[7]

Year Site Winner Loser Ref. Attendance
1933Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M9Howard6[8]
1934Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M 13 Virginia State12[9]
1935Jacksonville, Florida Kentucky State‡ 19 Florida A&M9[10][11]
1936Jacksonville, Florida Prairie View A&M6Florida A&M0[12]
1937Orlando, Florida Florida A&M 25 Hampton20[13]3,000
1938Orlando, Florida Florida A&M‡ 9 Kentucky State7[14]
1939Orlando, Florida Florida A&M 42 Wiley0[15]
1940Orlando, Florida Wilberforce 0–0 Florida A&M[16]
1941Orlando, Florida Florida A&M 15Tuskegee7[17]8,200
1942Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M‡ 12Texas College6[18]
1943Jacksonville, Florida Hampton 39Florida A&M0
1944Jacksonville, Florida Virginia State 19Florida A&M6
1945Jacksonville, Florida Wiley‡ 32 Florida A&M68,000
1946Tampa, Florida #20 Lincoln (PA) 20#8 Florida A&M09,000
1947Miami, Florida #3 Florida A&M 7 #4 Hampton019,000
1948Miami, Florida #10 Virginia Union 10 #5 Florida A&M616,000
1949Miami, Florida #6 North Carolina A&T 20 #5 Florida A&M14
1950Miami, Florida #12 Wilberforce State 13#1 Florida A&M‡619,317
1951Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M 67 #7 North Carolina College623,446
1952Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 29 #2 Virginia State735,064
1953Miami, Florida #1 Prairie View A&M‡ 33 #2 Florida A&M‡2741,313
1954Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M‡ 67 #6 Maryland State[lower-alpha 1]1941,179
1955Miami, Florida #1 Grambling‡ 28 #3 Florida A&M2140,319
1956Miami, Florida #1 Tennessee A&I‡ 41 #2 Florida A&M3941,808
1957Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 27#4 Maryland State[lower-alpha 1]2137,000
1958Miami, Florida #1 Prairie View A&M‡ 26 #3 Florida A&M839,426
1959Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 28#4 Prairie View A&M743,645
1960Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M 40 Langston2642,080
1961Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 14 #2 Jackson State847,791
1962Miami, Florida #2 Jackson State‡ 22 #1 Florida A&M‡643,461
1963Miami, Florida #4 Florida A&M 30 #3 Morgan State7
1964Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M 42#3 Grambling15
1965Miami, Florida #2 Morgan State 36#3 Florida A&M7
1966Miami, Florida Florida A&M 43Alabama A&M26
1967Miami, Florida #2 Grambling‡ 28#4 Florida A&M25
1968Miami, Florida #3 Alcorn A&M‡ 36#7 Florida A&M937,398
1969Tallahassee, Florida #3 Florida A&M 23#5 Grambling1936,784
1970Miami, Florida Jacksonville State 21 Florida A&M731,184
1971Miami, Florida Florida A&M 27 Kentucky State926,161
1972Miami, Florida Florida A&M 41 Maryland Eastern Shore[lower-alpha 1]2121,606
1973Miami, Florida Florida A&M 23#11 South Carolina State1218,996
1974Miami, Florida #20 Florida A&M 17#6 Howard1320,166
1975Miami, Florida #2 Florida A&M 40 #8 Kentucky State1327,875
1976Miami, Florida #20 Florida A&M 26#16 Central State2118,000
1977Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 37#8 Delaware State1529,493
1978Miami, Florida #1 Florida A&M‡ 31#2 Grambling State735,499

‡ Denotes a team selected as Black college football national champions for the season in question (in some seasons, different teams were named champions by different selectors).

Rankings from The Pittsburgh Courier (1946-1958, 1961-1969), Associated Negro Press (1959-1960), and Jet (1973-1978)

2021–present
Year Site Winner Loser Ref.
2021Miami Gardens, Florida Jackson State7Florida A&M6[19]
2022 Jackson State59Florida A&M3[20]
2023 Florida A&M28Jackson State10[21]

Appearances by school
No. School Record
48Florida A&M27–21–1
6Grambling State3–3
5Jackson State3–2
4Kentucky State1–3
4Prairie View A&M3–1
3Central State1–1–1
3Hampton1–2
3Maryland Eastern Shore[lower-alpha 1]0–3
3Virginia State1–2
2Howard0–2
2Morgan State2–0
2Wiley1–1
1Alabama A&M0–1
1Alcorn State1–0
1Delaware State0–1
1Jacksonville State1–0
1Langston0–1
1North Carolina A&T1–0
1North Carolina Central0–1
1South Carolina State0–1
1Tennessee State1–0
1Texas College0–1
1Tuskegee0–1
1Virginia Union1–0

Source:[22]

See also

Notes
  1. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was known as Maryland State College until 1970.

References
  1. "Sponsors". orangeblossomclassic.com. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  2. Super Bowl Catches Up to Orange Blossom Classic, The New York Times, February 3, 2007, retrieved February 7, 2009.
  3. Tremene Triplett, Fans, coaches, athletes reminisce about the historic Orange Blossom Classic, South Florida Times, March 14, 2008, retrieved February 7, 2009.
  4. "UW Athletics Black History: football assistant coach Les Ritcherson". media-newswire.com. February 17, 2011.
  5. "HBCU Football: The Orange Blossom Classic returns after 43 years". Saturday Blitz. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  6. "Florida A&M leave Orange Blossom Classic". yahoo.
  7. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2022/Bowls.pdf
  8. "Florida A. & M. Upsets Howard, 9-6, In Thriller". Pittsburgh Courier. December 9, 1933. pp. 2–5. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  9. "Rattlers Nose Out Trojans, 13 To 12". Pittsburgh Courier. December 15, 1934. pp. 2–5. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  10. "Negro Football". Miami Herald. December 8, 1935. p. 1-C. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  11. "Rattlers Hold KY. In Hectic 2nd Half". Pittsburgh Courier. December 14, 1935. pp. 2–4. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  12. "5,000 See Prairie View Beat Florida, 6-0, In Orange Blossom Game". St. Louis Argus. December 11, 1936. p. 6. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  13. "Hampton Loses To A.&M. 25-20". The Sunday Sentinel-Star. December 5, 1937. p. 7 – via newspapers.com.
  14. "Florida Rattlers Beat Kentucky, 9-7, For National Title". The Tallahassee Daily Democrat. December 4, 1938. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Moorne, Halody (December 16, 1939). "Florida's Orange Blossom Classic Is Joke Of Season". The Black Dispatch. Oklahoma City. p. 8. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  16. Jones, "Melancholy" (December 14, 1940). "Terrific Defenses Feature 0-0 Tie At Orlando; 7,000 See 8th Classic". The Phoenix Index. p. 6. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  17. "Tuskegee Loses To Florida A. And M., Orange Blossom Tilt". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. AP. December 7, 1941. p. Sports 8. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  18. "Florida Takes Over Negro College Title". Star-News. Wilmington, North Carolina. AP. December 13, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved August 20, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  19. Jackson, Wilton (September 6, 2021). "Deion Sanders's Defense Seals Victory for Jackson State in Orange Blossom Classic vs. Florida A&M". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  20. Becton, Stan (September 4, 2022). "How Jackson State dominated Florida A&M 59-3 to win 2022 Orange Blossom Classic". NCAA.com. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  21. Kelley, Kevin (January 6, 2023). "Jackson State, Florida A&M to play in 2023 Orange Blossom Classic". fbschedules.com. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  22. Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Records Book, National Collegiate Athletic Association, p. 367–368.
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