Orange Blossom Classic Explained

Orange Blossom Classic
Stadium:Hard Rock Stadium
Previous Stadiums:Several, including the Miami Orange Bowl and Tinker Field
Location:Miami Gardens, Florida
Previous Locations:Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa
Years:1933–1978; 2021–present
Sponsors:Denny's[1] (2021present)
Prev Matchup Year:2023
Prev Matchup Season:2023
Prev Matchup Teams:Jackson State vs. Florida A&M
(Florida A&M 28–10)
Next Matchup Year:2024
Next Matchup Season:2024
Next Matchup Teams:North Carolina Central vs. Alabama State

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

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.

See 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]

YearSiteWinnerLoserRef.Attendance
1933Jacksonville, Florida96 [8]
1934 Jacksonville, Florida 13 12 [9]
1935 Jacksonville, Floridabgcolor=goldKentucky State 19 9 [10] [11]
1936 Jacksonville, Florida60 [12]
1937 Orlando, FloridaFlorida A&M 25 20 [13] 3,000
1938 Orlando, Floridabgcolor=goldFlorida A&M 9 7 [14]
1939 Orlando, Florida 42 0 [15]
1940Orlando, Floridaalign=center colspan=4 0–0 [16]
1941 Orlando, FloridaFlorida A&M 157 [17] 8,200
1942 Jacksonville, Floridabgcolor=goldFlorida A&M 126 [18]
1943 Jacksonville, Florida 390
1944 Jacksonville, Florida 196
1945 Jacksonville, Floridabgcolor=goldWiley 32 6 8,000
1946 Tampa, Florida
  1. 20 Lincoln (PA)
 20
  1. 8 Florida A&M
0 9,000
1947 Miami, Florida
  1. 3 Florida A&M
 7
  1. 4 Hampton
0 19,000
1948 Miami, Florida
  1. 10
10
  1. 5
6 16,000
1949 Miami, Florida
  1. 6
20
  1. 5 Florida A&M
14
1950 Miami, Florida
  1. 12
13bgcolor=gold6 19,317
1951 Miami, Florida
  1. 2 Florida A&M
 67
  1. 7
6 23,446
1952 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Florida A&M
 29
  1. 2
7 35,064
1953 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Prairie View A&M
 33 bgcolor=gold27 41,313
1954 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 2 Florida A&M
 67
  1. 6
19 41,179
1955 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Grambling
 28 21 40,319
1956 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Tennessee A&I
 41 39 41,808
1957 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Florida A&M
 27
  1. 4
21 37,000
1958 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Prairie View A&M
 26 8 39,426
1959 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Florida A&M
 28
  1. 4 Prairie View A&M
7 43,645
1960 Miami, Florida
  1. 2 Florida A&M
 40 26 42,080
1961 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Florida A&M
 14
  1. 2 Jackson State
8 47,791
1962 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 2 Jackson State
 22 bgcolor=gold6 43,461
1963 Miami, Florida
  1. 4 Florida A&M
 30
  1. 3
7
1964 Miami, Florida
  1. 2 Florida A&M
 42
  1. 3 Grambling
15
1965 Miami, Florida
  1. 2
36
  1. 3
7
1966 Miami, Florida 4326
1967 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 2 Grambling
 28
  1. 4
25
1968 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 3 Alcorn A&M
 36
  1. 7
9 37,398
1969 Tallahassee, Florida
  1. 3 Florida A&M
 23
  1. 5 Grambling
19 36,784
1970 Miami, FloridaJacksonville State 21 7 31,184
1971 Miami, Florida 27 9 26,161
1972 Miami, Florida 41 21 21,606
1973 Miami, Florida 23
  1. 11 South Carolina State
12 18,996
1974 Miami, Florida
  1. 20
17
  1. 6
13 20,166
1975 Miami, Florida
  1. 2
40
  1. 8
13 27,875
1976 Miami, Florida
  1. 20 Florida A&M
 26
  1. 16
21 18,000
1977 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Florida A&M
 37
  1. 8 Delaware State
15 29,493
1978 Miami, Floridabgcolor=gold
  1. 1 Florida A&M
 31
  1. 2 Grambling State
7 35,499
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

YearSiteWinnerLoserRef.
2021 Miami Gardens, FloridaJackson State76 [19]
2022Jackson State593 [20]
2023Florida A&M2810 [21]

Appearances by school

No.SchoolRecord
48 27–21–1
6 3–3
5 3–2
4 1–3
4 3–1
3 1–1–1
3 1–2
3 0–3
3 1–2
2 0–2
2 1-1
2 1–1
1 0–1
1 1–0
1 0–1
1 1–0
1 0–1
1 1–0
1 0–1
1 0–1
1 1–0
1 0–1
1 0–1
1 1–0
Source:[22]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sponsors . orangeblossomclassic.com . August 20, 2023.
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/03/sports/football/05blossom.html?fta=y Super Bowl Catches Up to Orange Blossom Classic
  3. Tremene Triplett, Fans, coaches, athletes reminisce about the historic Orange Blossom Classic, South Florida Times, March 14, 2008, retrieved February 7, 2009.
  4. Web site: UW Athletics Black History: football assistant coach Les Ritcherson . media-newswire.com . February 17, 2011.
  5. Web site: HBCU Football: The Orange Blossom Classic returns after 43 years . Saturday Blitz . 22 August 2021 . 18 May 2021.
  6. Web site: Florida A&M leave Orange Blossom Classic . yahoo.
  7. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2022/Bowls.pdf
  8. News: Florida A. & M. Upsets Howard, 9-6, In Thriller . . 2–5 . December 9, 1933 . August 20, 2023 . newspapers.com.
  9. News: Rattlers Nose Out Trojans, 13 To 12 . . 2–5 . December 15, 1934 . August 20, 2023 . newspapers.com.
  10. News: Negro Football . . 1-C . December 8, 1935 . August 20, 2023 . newspapers.com.
  11. News: Rattlers Hold KY. In Hectic 2nd Half . . 2–4 . December 14, 1935 . August 20, 2023 . newspapers.com.
  12. News: 5,000 See Prairie View Beat Florida, 6-0, In Orange Blossom Game . . 6 . December 11, 1936 . August 20, 2023 . newspapers.com.
  13. News: Hampton Loses To A.&M. 25-20. The Sunday Sentinel-Star. December 5, 1937. 7. newspapers.com.
  14. News: Florida Rattlers Beat Kentucky, 9-7, For National Title. The Tallahassee Daily Democrat. December 4, 1938. 8. Newspapers.com.
  15. News: Florida's Orange Blossom Classic Is Joke Of Season . Halody . Moorne . . . 8 . December 16, 1939 . August 20, 2023 . newspapers.com.
  16. News: Terrific Defenses Feature 0-0 Tie At Orlando; 7,000 See 8th Classic . "Melancholy" . Jones . The Phoenix Index . 6 . December 14, 1940 . August 20, 2023 . newspapers.com.
  17. News: Tuskegee Loses To Florida A. And M., Orange Blossom Tilt . . . . Sports 8 . December 7, 1941 . August 20, 2023 . newspapers.com.
  18. News: Florida Takes Over Negro College Title . . . . 8 . December 13, 1942 . August 20, 2023 . newspapers.com.
  19. News: Deion Sanders's Defense Seals Victory for Jackson State in Orange Blossom Classic vs. Florida A&M . Wilton . Jackson . . September 6, 2021 . August 20, 2023.
  20. News: How Jackson State dominated Florida A&M 59-3 to win 2022 Orange Blossom Classic . Stan . Becton . NCAA.com . September 4, 2022 . August 20, 2023.
  21. News: Jackson State, Florida A&M to play in 2023 Orange Blossom Classic . Kevin . Kelley . fbschedules.com . January 6, 2023 . August 20, 2023.
  22. Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Records Book, National Collegiate Athletic Association, p. 367–368.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Orange Blossom Classic".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.