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 | |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Hard Rock Stadium |
| Location | Miami, Florida |
| Previous stadiums | Orange Bowl |
| Previous locations | Jacksonville, Tampa, and Tallahassee |
| Operated | 1933–1978; 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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Jacksonville, Florida | Florida A&M | 9 | Howard | 0 |
| 1934 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 13 | Virginia State | 12 |
| 1935 | Jacksonville, Florida | Kentucky State | 19 | Florida A&M | 10 |
| 1936 | Jacksonville, Florida | Prairie View A&M | 25 | Florida A&M | 0 |
| 1937 | Jacksonville, Florida | Florida A&M | 25 | Hampton | 20 |
| 1938 | Jacksonville, Florida | Florida A&M | 9 | Kentucky State | 7 |
| 1939 | Jacksonville, Florida | Florida A&M | 42 | Wiley | 0 |
| 1940 | Jacksonville, Florida | Wilberforce | 0 | Florida A&M | 0 |
| 1941 | Jacksonville, Florida | Florida A&M | 15 | Tuskegee | 7 |
| 1942 | Jacksonville, Florida | Florida A&M | 12 | Texas College | 6 |
| 1943 | Jacksonville, Florida | Hampton | 39 | Florida A&M | 0 |
| 1944 | Jacksonville, Florida | Virginia State | 19 | Florida A&M | 6 |
| 1945 | Jacksonville, Florida | Wiley | 32 | Florida A&M | 6 |
| 1946 | Tampa, Florida | Lincoln (PA) | 20 | Florida A&M | 0 |
| 1947 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 7 | Hampton | 0 |
| 1948 | Miami, Florida | Virginia Union | 10 | Florida A&M | 6 |
| 1949 | Miami, Florida | North Carolina A&T | 20 | Florida A&M | 14 |
| 1950 | Miami, Florida | Wilberforce State | 13 | Florida A&M | 6 |
| 1951 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 67 | North Carolina College | 6 |
| 1952 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 29 | Virginia State | 7 |
| 1953 | Miami, Florida | Prairie View A&M | 33 | Florida A&M | 27 |
| 1954 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 67 | Maryland State[nb 1] | 19 |
| 1955 | Miami, Florida | Grambling | 28 | Florida A&M | 21 |
| 1956 | Miami, Florida | Tennessee A&I | 41 | Florida A&M | 39 |
| 1957 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 27 | Maryland State[nb 1] | 21 |
| 1958 | Miami, Florida | Prairie View A&M | 26 | Florida A&M | 8 |
| 1959 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 28 | Prairie View A&M | 7 |
| 1960 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 40 | Langston | 26 |
| 1961 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 14 | Jackson State | 8 |
| 1962 | Miami, Florida | Jackson State | 22 | Florida A&M | 6 |
| 1963 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 30 | Morgan State | 7 |
| 1964 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 42 | Grambling | 15 |
| 1965 | Miami, Florida | Morgan State | 36 | Florida A&M | 7 |
| 1966 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 43 | Alabama A&M | 26 |
| 1967 | Miami, Florida | Grambling | 28 | Florida A&M | 25 |
| 1968 | Miami, Florida | Alcorn A&M | 36 | Florida A&M | 9 |
| 1969 | Tallahassee, Florida | Florida A&M | 23 | Grambling | 19 |
| 1970 | Miami, Florida | Jacksonville State | 21 | Florida A&M | 7 |
| 1971 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 27 | Kentucky State | 9 |
| 1972 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 41 | Maryland Eastern Shore[nb 1] | 21 |
| 1973 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 23 | South Carolina State | 12 |
| 1974 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 17 | Howard | 13 |
| 1975 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 40 | Kentucky State | 13 |
| 1976 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 26 | Central State | 21 |
| 1977 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 37 | Delaware State | 15 |
| 1978 | Miami, Florida | Florida A&M | 31 | Grambling State | 7 |
2021–present
| Year | Site | Winner | Loser | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Miami Gardens, Florida | Jackson State | 7 | Florida A&M | 6 |
| 2022 | Miami Gardens, Florida | Jackson State | 59 | Florida A&M | 3 |
Appearances by school
| No. | School | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 48 | Florida A&M | 26–21–1 |
| 6 | Grambling State | 3–3 |
| 5 | Jackson State | 3–1 |
| 4 | Kentucky State | 1–3 |
| 4 | Prairie View A&M | 3–1 |
| 3 | Central State | 1–1–1 |
| 3 | Hampton | 1–2 |
| 3 | Maryland Eastern Shore[nb 1] | 0–3 |
| 3 | Virginia State | 1–2 |
| 2 | Howard | 0–2 |
| 2 | Morgan State | 2–0 |
| 2 | Wiley | 1–1 |
| 1 | Alabama A&M | 0–1 |
| 1 | Alcorn State | 1–0 |
| 1 | Delaware State | 0–1 |
| 1 | Jacksonville State | 1–0 |
| 1 | Langston | 0–1 |
| 1 | North Carolina A&T | 1–0 |
| 1 | North Carolina Central | 0–1 |
| 1 | South Carolina State | 0–1 |
| 1 | Tennessee State | 1–0 |
| 1 | Texas College | 0–1 |
| 1 | Tuskegee | 0–1 |
| 1 | Virginia Union | 1–0 |
Footnotes
- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was known as Maryland State College until 1970.
References
- Super Bowl Catches Up to Orange Blossom Classic, The New York Times, February 3, 2007, retrieved February 7, 2009.
- Tremene Triplett, Fans, coaches, athletes reminisce about the historic Orange Blossom Classic, South Florida Times, March 14, 2008, retrieved February 7, 2009.
- http://media-newswire.com/release_1143144.html
- "HBCU Football: The Orange Blossom Classic returns after 43 years". Saturday Blitz. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Records Book, National Collegiate Athletic Association, p. 367–368.
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