The Black College Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that Virginia Union University will battle Miles College in the 2025 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in Canton on Aug. 31.
The newly dubbed HBCU football’s “Clash at The Classic” game will feature the defending football champions from the CIAA and SIAC for the first time in the six-year history of the Labor Day weekend event.
The NFL Network will broadcast the 4 PM ET kickoff at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on the campus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“We are grateful to the commissioners and teams of the CIAA and SIAC for their commitment to playing in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic game,” Jim Porter, president & CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame said. “The format of bringing in the defending conference champions sets up the ‘Clash at The Classic’ as an entertaining, well-matched game annually, with top-tier players representing their historic universities.”
Virginia Union, led by head coach Dr. Alvin Parker, is making its second appearance in Canton. In 2023, the Panthers defeated Morehouse College 45-13. Last season, the Panthers posted a 10-4 record that included two wins in the Division II NCAA tournament before falling to the eventual national runner-up Valdosta State Blazers in the quarterfinal round.
The 2025 “Clash at The Classic” will serve as Miles head coach Chris Goode’s first game at the helm of the Golden Bears. The program finished a historic 2024 season with a 10-3 record, including school records for most victories, most consecutive wins in a single year (10), and its first NCAA Division II playoff victory. The Golden Bears’ season also ended at the hands of Valdosta State, one week before the Blazers ousted Virginia Union.
The annual Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl game concluded with Team Robinson defeating Team Gaither, 17-14, at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Feb. 22. Virginia Union running back Jada Byers was named the 2024 Deacon Jones Award winner during the HBCU Legacy Bowl week.
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