HBCU Football History

On December 27, 1892, the journey to The Cricket Celebration Bowl and its trophy began when the first Black Intercollegiate football game was played between Biddle College (now Johnson C. Smith University) and Livingstone College. On the snowy front lawn of Livingstone College in North Carolina, the teams played for nothing more than the love of the game. The young women of Livingstone’s industrial department made the players’ uniforms and equipped their street shoes with cleats. The two teams put their money together to purchase a regulation football. The Cricket Celebration Bowl trophy is a symbol of the Heritage, Legacy, Pageantry and Tradition of HBCU football that was started on that day. The trophy commemorates the inaugural game, its players: J.W. Walker (captain), W.J. Trent (manager), R.J, Rencher, Henry Rives, C. N, Garland, J. R. Dillard, J.B.A. Yelverton, Wade Hampton, Charles H Patrick, and J.J. Taylor, F.H. Cummings, and those who continue the tradition of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Football.

In 1976, Morgan State and Grambling State played in the first college football game outside the Western Hemisphere. ESPN’s The Undefeated recently wrote about this historic event – learn more here.

A total of 27 Pro Football Hall of Famers played their college football in the MEAC or SWAC. A full list can be found below.