Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University first met on the gridiron in Tallahassee, FL, nearly a century ago, and the universities announced recently that the rivalry will continue through the 2026 season.
More than a football game and an in-state rivalry, The Florida Classic is now the nation’s largest football game between two Historically Black College/University (HBCU) schools. These days, the rivalry is conducted under the leadership of the Florida Classic Consortium, a collaboration between the two universities, and Orlando-based Florida Citrus Sports was announced recently by Bethune-Cookman University Interim President Dr. Lawrence Drake II and Florida A&M University President Dr. Larry Robinson.
Bethune-Cookman interim president Lawrence Drake: Florida Citrus Sports has been an indispensable and unconditional partner for the Consortium and our respective universities, and we are blessed to have formed such strong bonds over nearly three decades of partnership.
Since 1978, the game has attracted two million-plus spectators (2,102,576), surpassing attendance at the Bayou Classic and the game between Grambling and Southern held annually in New Orleans. That makes the Florida Classic the top-attended game in NCAA Division I-AA.
“The Classic is more than an athletic event to our two universities,” said A&M’s president Larry Robinson. “It has meaning and impact for citizens and businesses in Orlando and Orange County, and for the tens of thousands of alumni and fans who attend year after year.”
