The annual Labor Day Classic between Texas Southern University (TSU) and Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is always one of the most anticipated matchups during the HBCU college football season. This year, the matchup will see a move that gives the game some added national exposure.
The historic Southwestern Athletic Conference game will be held on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 11 a.m. on ESPN 2. It will be the first time since 2019 that the Labor Day Classic won’t be a Saturday night game. According to PVAMU Athletic Director Anton Goff, the decision was made to amplify the rivalry and HBCU football. The Labor Day Classic will be the only college football game broadcast on Sept. 6.
“Not many times do you get to be the only football game on in the country. That’s never happened,” Goff said in a statement to the Houston Defender. “People can continue to look at the way things have been done. I’m trying to be innovative.”
The game being broadcast on ESPN puts the rivalry and HBCU football on the national stage, but also the historic and passionate sports culture unique to HBCUs. The bands, pageantry, and traditions of both schools will have the opportunity to shine on a national broadcast.
Last year’s matchup was another classic entry into the rivalry’s historic past, which resulted in a 22-21 thriller with PVAMU edging out Texas Southern. The Panthers would go on to win the SWAC West and SWAC titles, as well as the program’s first-ever Celebration Bowl berth.
Prairie View lost its matchup against South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl, the annual HBCU national championship game, 40-38, in a game that went to four overtime periods. The game drew 2.3 million viewers on ABC, which was a 12 percent increase from last year’s broadcast, signaling the steady rise in national growth for HBCU football.
After the program’s SWAC Championship-winning season under coach Tremaine Jackson, Goff views the newly announced game day change as the next step toward increasing the program’s visibility. The move comes as the SWAC is set to broadcast the most games ever across multiple networks, including ESPN, HBCU Go or SWAC TV.
“It’s an opportunity to play without competition,” Goff said. “It’s a chance to continue to expand our brand after we just played on national TV during the Celebration Bowl, and it had great ratings, so I took advantage of that timeslot.”
