The Indiana Black Expo is making big changes the the 42nd annual Circle City Classic. Game officials have announcing that’s pivoting away from its traditional HBCU college football matchup to a high school football showcase featuring two boys’ tackle football contests and two girls’ flag football games at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts.
The September 26 quadruple-header will feature Warren Central, ranked No. 298 in the High School Football America 300 national rankings, powered by NFL Play Football, taking on Pike in a Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference showdown. In the other boys’ game, Ben Davis will square-off with Lawrence North.
The girls’ flag doubleheader will feature Arsenal Tech taking on Crispus Attucks and Ben Davis squaring-off with Lawrence North. Girls’ flag is currently an emerging sport in the Hoosier State.
The timing aligns with the rapid rise of girls’ flag football in Indiana. The sport grew from just eight teams in 2023 to 78 in 2025. The Colts have been the driving force with initiatives like the “Road to 100.”
The full-day event will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., preserving beloved traditions like the parade, battle of the bands (featuring Talladega University and Miles College), education day, college fair, and other cultural elements. Organizers also plan to introduce an HBCU basketball showcase in 2027.
For more than four decades, the Circle City Classic has stood as a cornerstone of Black college football and cultural celebration in Indianapolis. Founded in 1984 by the Indiana Black Expo, the event brought HBCU teams, marching bands, alumni, and fans together in what became one of the Midwest’s premier neutral-site classics. The first game saw Mississippi Valley State, featuring a breakout performance from future Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, defeat Grambling State 48-36.
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