The State Farm Bayou Classic is the annual college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 game between the Grambling State University

Grambling State University

Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...

 Tigers and the Southern University

Southern University

Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...

 Jaguars, first held under that name in 1974 at Tulane Stadium

Tulane University

Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...

 in New Orleans, Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, although the series itself actually began in 1936. Since 1978 the game has been held the final Saturday in November (i.e., the Saturday after Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving (United States)

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...

) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. A Waterford crystal

Waterford Crystal

Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware, previously produced in Waterford, Ireland, though the factory there was shut down after the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood plc in early 2009...

 trophy is awarded to the winning school. The game has had State Farm Insurance

State Farm Insurance

State Farm Insurance is a group of insurance and financial services companies in the United States. The company also has operations in Canada....

 as its primary sponsor since 1996. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

, organizers moved the 2005 event from the Superdome to Reliant Stadium

Reliant Stadium

Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....

 in Houston, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, where many of New Orleans' evacuees were living. This was the first time ever that the Bayou Classic was held outside of Louisiana. The 2006 Bayou Classic returned to the Superdome in New Orleans.

It is the best known game and rivalry in historically black college

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....

 football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 and is televised in the USA by NBC

NBC Sports

NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...

. The Bayou Classic is the only NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) game to be shown regularly on broadcast television. Fans have been known to refer to it as the "Black Super Bowl

Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

," although that name is not used in any official capacity by either school due to the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

's restrictions on the use of the "Super Bowl" name. Both schools typically forgo Division I-AA playoff eligibility to participate in the Bayou Classic. The game is one of two black college football classics to be associated with Thanksgiving weekend; the other is the older, but less known, Turkey Day Classic

Turkey Day Classic

The Turkey Day Classic is a college football game, traditionally held annually on Thanksgiving Day. It is played between Alabama State University and Tuskegee University, two historically black colleges and universities. The game is played at the home of Alabama State, in the Cramton Bowl stadium...

, held two days prior on Thanksgiving itself.

Other activities

Of the many festivities held in conjunction with the game, the most well-known and well-attended is the 2 part Battle of the Bands

Battle of the Bands

Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...

, where both schools' marching band

Marching band

Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...

s (The Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band, also known as " The World Famed," and the Southern University Marching Band, also known as the Human Jukebox). Following the offical Greek Show, the two band stage elaborately choreographed performances on the Friday night before the game. The second part is during the football games' halftime show. There is no offical judge for the band events. Other festivities include a golf tournament, Thanksgiving Day Parade which was brought back in 2011 and a job fair for graduating students of both schools.

Impact

The Bayou Classic is a source of tourism revenue (over $75 million for more 30 years plus) to the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. The success of the game has inspired the promotion of numerous other HBCU rivalries and "Classics".

Series history

University Comparison

School	Grambling State University	Southern University
Established	1901	1880
Location	Grambling, Louisiana Grambling, Louisiana Grambling is a city in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,693 at the 2000 census. The city is home to Grambling State University and is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area....	Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
Students	4,994	10,300
Athletic Logo
Conference	SWAC Southwestern Athletic Conference The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...	SWAC Southwestern Athletic Conference The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
Nickname	Tigers	Jaguars
School Colors
Victories	20	18
Winning Years	1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1980 1983 1984 1985 1986 1989 1990 1992 2001 2004 2005 2008 2009 2010 2011	1979 1981 1982 1987 1988 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2006 2007

Grambling is ahead in the overall series 30-29. Grambling State leads the Bayou Classic series 20-18 after a 36-12 win in 2011. Grambling claims the longest winning streak in the all-time series, 9 games from 1970 to 1979. Southern claims the longest winning streak in the Bayou Classic, 8 games from 1993-2000. Grambling's 43-6 victory in 1980 ranks number 1 in the largest margin of victory in the series.

Game results

Grambling victories are shaded in ██ gold, and Southern victories are shaded ██ blue.

Date	Winning team		Losing team		Site	Series
November 23, 1974	Grambling Grambling State University Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...	21	Southern Southern University Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...	0	Tulane Stadium Tulane Stadium Tulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium located in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1926 to 1980. Officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, it replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium" where the Telephone Exchange Building is now located... , New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...	Grambling 1-0
November 22, 1975	Grambling	33	Southern	17	Louisiana Superdome Louisiana Superdome The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA... , New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...	Grambling 2-0
November 27, 1976	Grambling	10	Southern	2	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 3-0
November 26, 1977	Grambling	55	Southern	20	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 4-0
November 25, 1978	Grambling	28	Southern	15	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 5-0
December 1, 1979	Southern	14	Grambling	7	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 5-1
November 29, 1980	Grambling	43	Southern	6	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 6-1
November 21, 1981	Southern	50	Grambling	20	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 6-2
November 27, 1982	Southern	22	Grambling	17	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 6-3
November 26, 1983	Grambling	24	Southern	10	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 7-3
November 24, 1984	Grambling	31	Southern	29	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 8-3
November 23, 1985	Grambling	29	Southern	12	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 9-3
November 29, 1986	Grambling	30	Southern	3	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 10-3
November 28, 1987	Southern	27	Grambling	21	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 10-4
November 26, 1988	Southern	10	Grambling	3	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 10-5
November 18, 1989	Grambling	44	Southern	30	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 11-5
November 24, 1990	Grambling	25	Southern	13	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 12-5
November 30, 1991	Southern	31	Grambling	30	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 12-6
November 28, 1992	Grambling	30	Southern	27	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 13-6
November 27, 1993	Southern	31	Grambling	13	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 13-7
November 26, 1994	Southern	34	Grambling 1994 Grambling State Tigers football team The 1994 Grambling State Tigers football team represented the Grambling State University in the SWAC during the 1994 college football season. The Tigers offense scored 479 points while the defense allowed only 262 points. Despite a 9-0 start, the Tigers lost their final two games of the season and...	7	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 13-8
November 25, 1995	Southern	30	Grambling	14	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 13-9
November 30, 1996	Southern	17	Grambling	12	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 13-10
November 29, 1997	Southern	30	Grambling 1997 Grambling State Tigers football team The 1997 Grambling State Tigers football team represented the Grambling State University in the SWAC during the 1997 college football season. The Tigers offense scored 187 points while the defense allowed 258 points. The Tigers failed to get their first winning season since 1994.-Regular season:*It...	7	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 13-11
November 28, 1998	Southern	26	Grambling	14	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Grambling 13-12
November 27, 1999	Southern	37	Grambling	31	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Tied 13-13
November 25, 2000	Southern	33	Grambling	29	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Southern 14-13
November 24, 2001	Grambling	30	Southern	20	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Tied 14-14
November 30, 2002	Southern	48	Grambling	24	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Southern 15-14
November 29, 2003	Southern	44	Grambling	41	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Southern 16-14
November 27, 2004	Grambling	24	Southern	13	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Southern 16-15
November 26, 2005	Grambling	50	Southern	35	Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface.... , Houston Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...	Tied 16-16
November 25, 2006	Southern	21	Grambling	17	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Southern 17-16
November 24, 2007	Southern	22	Grambling	13	Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans	Southern 18-16
November 29, 2008	Grambling	29	Southern	14	Louisiana Superdome Louisiana Superdome The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA... , New Orleans	Southern 18-17
November 28, 2009	Grambling	31	Southern	13	Louisiana Superdome Louisiana Superdome The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA... , New Orleans	Tied 18-18
November 27, 2010	Grambling	38	Southern	17	Louisiana Superdome Louisiana Superdome The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA... , New Orleans	Grambling 19-18
November 26, 2011	Grambling	36	Southern	12	Louisiana Superdome Louisiana Superdome The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA... , New Orleans	Grambling 20-18

External links

• www.MyBayouClassic.com -- Official web site
• Ebony Magazine article about the game