More about culture than competion, HBCU classics are like a family reunion in the Black community

ALANIS THAMES

As a crowd made its way into the nearby football stadium, a father watched his two sons toss a ball back and forth. Hot dogs sizzled on a smoky charcoal grill nearby.

The music from a DJ’s live set a few yards over was so loud it reverberated off the ground as lyrics from “Before I Let Go,” the hit by the soul band Frankie Beverly and Maze, prompted tailgaters to break out in dance.

This particular intersection of sports and culture was outside Hard Rock Stadium, where the historically Black universities Florida A&M and Jackson State were playing in the annual Orange Blossom Classic. The outcome of the game meant bragging rights for the next year, of course, and the tailgating here had many of the same trappings you might find at a game in the Southeastern Conference or Big Ten.

The reasons for attending this multi-day