By Wali Pitt
One of the largest and most historic HBCU football Classics will be getting some national exposure this season as the 83rd Magic City Classic between Alabama A&M and Alabama State will be a nationally televised game broadcast live on ESPN U on Saturday, Oct. 26 from Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
Initially listed as “TBD” on the SWAC football ESPN schedule when it was released back in June, the conference released a statement on Oct. 14 announcing that the game will now air on ESPN U, making it a national TV game on one of ESPN’s broadcast networks, as opposed to airing on its streaming ESPN+ platform.
Regarded as the largest HBCU classic in the country, the Magic City Classic is played at Legion Field, which has a seating capacity of 71,000. The 2023 matchup had a recorded attendance of 69,210 and that’s not including the thousands of tailgaters that pack the lots outside of Legion Field all week long. With both teams still very much in the race to represent the East in the SWAC Championship Game it’s easy to see why this game has been elevated to an ESPN national broadcast position.
Alabama A&M will come into the 83rd Magic City Classic with a 3-3 overall record and a 1-1 record in the SWAC. Alabama State also enters at 3-3 overall but with a 2-1 conference record.
Alabama A&M renegotiated its contract in 2023 and came to an agreement with Alabama State and the City of Birmingham to keep the Magic City Classic at Legion Field for the next four years.
“These two deserving HBCUs will receive the highest guaranteed payout in the history of HBCU athletics,” said Perren King, Executive Director of the event, in a statement. “This guarantee is higher than some FBS bowl game payouts.?We would like to applaud both presidents for being extremely thoughtful in achieving the best outcome for their constituency.”
Another marquee HBCU football matchup, Jackson State vs Florida A&M, was also moved to an ESPNU national broadcast for Oct. 19th. Both HBCU football matchups will have major implications on the SWAC championship and Celebration Bowl races and will play out in back-to-back weeks on national television.
