Orange Blossom Classic
The Orange Blossom Classic is an annual postseason college football game held between 1933 and 1978, and again from 2021– present. 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– |
| 1978 matchup | |
| Florida A&M vs. Grambling State (31-7) | |
| 2021 matchup | |
| Florida A&M vs. Jackson State (September 4, 2021) | |
In its second incarnation, Florida A&M played Jackson State in a season opening game at Hard Rock Stadium in September 2021.[4][5]
Game results
| 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 |
| Year | Site | Winner | Loser | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Miami Gardens, Florida | Jackson State | 7 | Florida A&M | 6 |
Appearances by school
| No. | School | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Florida A&M | 26–20–1 |
| 6 | Grambling State | 3–3 |
| 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 | Jackson State | 1–1 |
| 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 University | 0-1 |
| 1 | Virginia Union | 1–0 |
Source: [6]
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
- https://www.miamiandbeaches.com/event/orange-blossom-classic/19641. Retrieved 22 August 2021. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - "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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