Bham City Council approves bringing Morehouse-Tuskegee Football Classic to Legion Field

The Birmingham City Council approved today an agreement for Legion Field to host the annual football game between Morehouse College and Tuskegee University starting this fall.

The agreement for the yearly “Football Classic” is for the next three years. 

The Morehouse-Tuskegee football annual game began in 1902 and is the oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) rivalry in the nation. It has traditionally been played in Columbus, Georgia. 

More Than a Game

Birmingham City Council President William Parker told Bham Now the Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic is more than a game. 

“We want to build it up to where it’s a week-long celebration of empowerment, conferences, pep rallies and tailgating, a family reunion – with the finale being the game on October 9th,” said Parker. “It’s a great rivalry, and we’re glad to be hosting it here in the city of Birmingham, and  specifically at Legion Field, the football capital of the South.”

Organizers expect  both the pre-game festivities and game will attract up to 150,000 fans and alumni.  

Two Classics in October

In another first, Birmingham will be hosting for the first time two HBCU Classics in one month. In  addition to the Morehouse-Tuskegee Football Classic, the Magic City Classic between Alabama State University and Alabama A&M University will take place on October 30th. 

Legion Field – Bright Future

With the opening of Protective Stadium in the Fall of 2021, many folks have wondered about Legion Field’s future. According to Council President Parker, the future looks bright with the addition of the Morehouse-Tuskegee Football Classic and the addition of the “Grey Lady” as the flag football venue for The World Games 2022 in July 2022.

Parker added, “This is just part of the larger strategy, working with the mayor, the city council, the park board and community stakeholders to make sure there’s programming and events at Legion Field year round. We’re working to make sure that Legion Field  continues to stay viable for the next 50 years. You can truly say Legion Field’s best days are yet to come. We’re very positive, very excited.”

Stay Tuned

Watch this space for additional Legion Field event announcements.