MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Labor Day weekend in Miami Gardens means football, culture and history.
The Orange Blossom Classic is back, and this year it’s about a rematch nearly a century in the making.
HBCU graduates from across the U.S. are traveling to South Florida for the event.
Organizers say this year is extra special because of the long-anticipated matchup between Florida A&M and Howard University — a rematch of the inaugural Orange Blossom Classic played in 1933.
Inside Hard Rock Stadium, history is repeating itself.
“This is a welcome back, honoring that very first game,” said Orange Blossom Classic executive director Kendra Bulluck, the first Black woman to own an HBCU sports property.
“These are two powerhouse institutions. If you don’t know anything about HBCUs or HBCU football, chances are you heard of FAMU or you’ve heard of Howard. This year we welcomed FAMU back after a year hiatus,” Bulluck said. “And as the Howard fans would say, an opportunity for them to get revenge.”
But Bulluck says the weekend is about much more than football.
“It’s extremely important. This game is for the community. It’s for our students. One of the things I’m most proud about is our opportunity to provide scholarships,” she said.
New this year, the Classic will transform Miami Gardens into a Greek weekend, spotlighting Black fraternities and sororities.
“Most of our D9 organizations were founded on the campus of Howard, so we’re celebrating that. We are bringing down all nine of the national presidents,” Bulluck said. “City of Miami Gardens is the only city in the country that has nine streets named after all nine of our D9 organizations.”
And of course, no HBCU game would be complete without a halftime show.
“We have the Marching 100 and we have Howard’s Showtime Marching Band. They will be putting together an amazing halftime show. And we’ve got a nice little pregame fanfest on Saturday as well,” Bulluck said.
The Orange Blossom Classic kicks off Saturday at 4 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium.
The fanfest begins at 1 p.m., featuring a live performance from Miami’s own Ball Greezy.
Click here for more information on how to purchase tickets.
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