Orange Blossom Classic

The Orange Blossom Classic is an annual college football game first held between 1933 and 1978 and again since 2021. In its first incarnation, it featured Florida A&M and another historically black school in an unofficial de facto championship game.[1] It was seen as a mythical "Black National Championship" game.[2] 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.[3]

Orange Blossom Classic
StadiumHard Rock Stadium
LocationMiami, Florida
Previous stadiumsOrange Bowl
Previous locationsJacksonville, Tampa, and Tallahassee
Operated1933–1978; 2021
2022 matchup
Jackson State 59, Florida A&M 3
2023 matchup
Jackson State vs Florida A&M

In its second incarnation, Florida A&M played Jackson State in a season opening game at Hard Rock Stadium in September 2021.[4]

Game results

1933–1978

Year Site Winner Loser
1933Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M9Howard0
1934Miami, Florida Florida A&M 13 Virginia State12
1935Jacksonville, Florida Kentucky State 19 Florida A&M10
1936Jacksonville, Florida Prairie View A&M 25 Florida A&M0
1937Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M 25 Hampton20
1938Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M 9 Kentucky State7
1939Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M 42 Wiley0
1940Jacksonville, Florida Wilberforce0Florida A&M0
1941Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M 15Tuskegee7
1942Jacksonville, Florida Florida A&M 12Texas College6
1943Jacksonville, Florida Hampton 39Florida A&M0
1944Jacksonville, Florida Virginia State 19Florida A&M6
1945Jacksonville, Florida Wiley 32 Florida A&M6
1946Tampa, Florida Lincoln (PA) 20Florida A&M0
1947Miami, Florida Florida A&M 7 Hampton0
1948Miami, Florida Virginia Union 10 Florida A&M6
1949Miami, Florida North Carolina A&T 20 Florida A&M14
1950Miami, Florida Wilberforce State 13Florida A&M6
1951Miami, Florida Florida A&M 67 North Carolina College6
1952Miami, Florida Florida A&M 29 Virginia State7
1953Miami, Florida Prairie View A&M 33 Florida A&M27
1954Miami, Florida Florida A&M 67 Maryland State[nb 1]19
1955Miami, Florida Grambling 28 Florida A&M21
1956Miami, Florida Tennessee A&I 41 Florida A&M39
1957Miami, Florida Florida A&M 27Maryland State[nb 1]21
1958Miami, Florida Prairie View A&M 26 Florida A&M8
1959Miami, Florida Florida A&M 28Prairie View A&M7
1960Miami, Florida Florida A&M 40 Langston26
1961Miami, Florida Florida A&M 14 Jackson State8
1962Miami, Florida Jackson State 22 Florida A&M6
1963Miami, Florida Florida A&M 30 Morgan State7
1964Miami, Florida Florida A&M 42Grambling15
1965Miami, Florida Morgan State 36Florida A&M7
1966Miami, Florida Florida A&M 43Alabama A&M26
1967Miami, Florida Grambling 28Florida A&M25
1968Miami, Florida Alcorn A&M 36Florida A&M9
1969Tallahassee, Florida Florida A&M 23Grambling19
1970Miami, Florida Jacksonville State 21 Florida A&M7
1971Miami, Florida Florida A&M 27 Kentucky State9
1972Miami, Florida Florida A&M 41 Maryland Eastern Shore[nb 1]21
1973Miami, Florida Florida A&M 23South Carolina State12
1974Miami, Florida Florida A&M 17Howard13
1975Miami, Florida Florida A&M 40 Kentucky State13
1976Miami, Florida Florida A&M 26Central State21
1977Miami, Florida Florida A&M 37Delaware State15
1978Miami, Florida Florida A&M 31Grambling State7

2021–present

Year Site Winner Loser
2021Miami Gardens, Florida Jackson State7Florida A&M 6
2022Miami Gardens, Florida Jackson State59Florida A&M3

Appearances by school

No. School Record
48Florida A&M26–21–1
6Grambling State3–3
5Jackson State3–1
4Kentucky State1–3
4Prairie View A&M3–1
3Central State1–1–1
3Hampton1–2
3Maryland Eastern Shore[nb 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

[5]

Footnotes

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

See also

References

  1. Super Bowl Catches Up to Orange Blossom Classic, The New York Times, February 3, 2007, retrieved February 7, 2009.
  2. Tremene Triplett, Fans, coaches, athletes reminisce about the historic Orange Blossom Classic, South Florida Times, March 14, 2008, retrieved February 7, 2009.
  3. http://media-newswire.com/release_1143144.html
  4. "HBCU Football: The Orange Blossom Classic returns after 43 years". Saturday Blitz. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  5. Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Records Book, National Collegiate Athletic Association, p. 367–368.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.