‘Hall of Fame Classic’ pits Virginia State vs. Benedict College, Sept. 1
With each year, more Pittsburghers are making the trip to Canton, Ohio, for the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic, which occurs on the Sunday before Labor Day.
For sports fans, or fans of Black College Football lore, or both, it’s the only football game between two HBCUs anywhere near Pittsburgh all year.
The New Pittsburgh Courier spotted a number of Pittsburghers at the 2023 contest between Morehouse and Virginia Union, including Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wayne Walters and members of the Westinghouse High School football team.
The Black College Football experience puts the “u” in unique. The battle of the bands, the Divine Nine, the passion that fans have for their HBCU, the places that those HBCUs hold in American history, and more. It’s something that a HBCU graduate surely wants to pass on to their kids and grandkids, which is why so many families attend the annual game in Canton.
Around Pittsburgh, the closest HBCUs are Lincoln and Cheyney universities near Philadelphia, Central State and Wilberforce universities near Dayton, Ohio, and West Virginia State University, near Charleston. Cities like Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham and Indianapolis host at least one HBCU game or classic each year.
For Pittsburgh, not so.
That makes the experience in Canton so appealing to some Pittsburgh Black families who have no problem with the two-hour trip west. The easiest way to get to Canton is to take the Pa. Turnpike (76) West into Ohio, and remain on 76 towards Akron. Once you’re in Akron, take I-77 South for 15 minutes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Tom Benson Stadium, where the Sept. 1 game will take place at 4 p.m. between Virginia State University and Benedict College.
The past three Black College Football Hall of Fame Classics in Canton have drawn 38,004 fans, an average of 12,668 per game. The first classic was held in 2019, when 9,776 people saw Alabama A&M defeat Morehouse, 35-30. There was no classic in 2020 due to COVID-19. In 2021, Grambling State defeated Tennessee State, 16-10, and in 2022, Central State defeated Winston-Salem State, 41-21. Virginia Union crushed Morehouse in the 2023 contest, 45-13.
But it’s not just the on-field activities that make the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. It’s grown into a full slate of events, such as a college fair for Canton-area high school students on Aug. 29, a kickoff concert at the Canton Civic Center featuring rapper T.I., the Ying Yang Twins and singer Lloyd on Friday, Aug. 30; a golf classic on Aug. 31; an HBCU Block Party at Centennial Plaza, Downtown Canton, all day Aug. 31, featuring gospel artist Erica Campbell in the evening, and an All-White Party beginning at 9 p.m. On the day of the game, Sunday, Sept. 1, there will be a Minority Business Reception from noon to 3 p.m. at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, steps from Tom Benson Stadium. The game begins at 4 p.m.
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