HBCU GO Features Jackson Sate In Saturday's Doubleheader & BCFHOF Classic On Sunday

HBCU GO will broadcasts three significant HBCU football games this Labor Day weekend.

Jackson State Head Coach TC Taylor hoists the 2024 Cricket Celebration Bowl Trophy as the Tigers defeated South Carolina State 28-7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. December 14, 2024; Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

HBCU GO will open the 2025 football season this weekend with three significant football games. Their HBCU GO Football Kickoff crew will travel to Jackson, Mississippi, with Tally Carr and Nicole Hutchinson returning for another year. The co-hosts will feature insights for an epic Saturday afternoon doubleheader.

HAMPTON vs. JACKSON STATE

The first contest features the reigning national champions, the No. 17 Jackson State Tigers, who will be hosting the Hampton Pirates. Its a rare SWAC vs. CAA matchup in HBCU football.

This is the first time that Hampton will visit Jackson State in Mississippi. The first three meetings were all victorious for the Pirates. Their last battle was at the 2008 MEAC/SWAC Challenge, where Hampton defeated Jackson State, 17-13.

Saturday's season opener will be the 124th for Hampton. This historic matchup has the Tigers excited to secure a victory in front of their home crowd at Veterans Memorial Stadium.  

Last Season

Last season, Jackson State finished 12-2, 8-0 In the SWAC, Hampton compiled a 5-7, 2-6 record in the CAA. Coaches T.C. Taylor (JSU) and Trenton Boykin (HU) will meet for the first time as head coaches.

Jackson State was the SWAC's best team in scoring (36.4 points) and rushing (213.7 yards) while placing second in total offense (403.0 yards) in 2024. Hampton's tenacious defense was No. 1 in the CAA in passing defense (167.8) and total defense (317.7).

The Broadcast

The incomparable Charlie Neal (play-by-play), John Kelley (color analyst), and Lawrencia Moten (sideline) will lead the broadcast, which kicks off at 3:00 PM ET on HBCU GO.

A CIAA vs. SIAC CLASH OF CHAMPIONS

Next, the Labor Day Classic, featuring Fayetteville State against Benedict College, will be televised at 5:00 PM ET in an exciting CIAA vs. SIAC matchup. Saturday's game will be the first between the Broncos and Tigers since Sept. 7, 2019, when FSU won 35-21. It's a 3-3 stalemate between the two combatants in their all-time series.

Last Season

In 2024, it was the first time in six seasons that Fayetteville did not participate in the CIAA football championship game. The Broncos finished with a 4-5 overall, 3-4 CIAA record.  

The Tigers were rebuilding last season after losing their former head coach, Chennis Berry, to South Carolina State. Benedict posted a 4-6 overall, 4-4 SIAC record for 2024.

HBCU GO ON SUNDAY

The 2025 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in Canton, Ohio, features a highly anticipated matchup between the Miles College Golden Bears, the reigning 2024 SIAC champions, and the Virginia Union University Panthers, the 2024 CIAA titleholders.

The game is set for 4:00 PM ET on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, and will be nationally broadcast in a historic simulcast by HBCU GO and NFL Network. Steve Wyche (play-by-play), Bucky Brooks (analyst), Isaiah Stanback (analyst), and Bridget Condon (sideline) will have the call from the booth.

Doug Williams and James "Shack" Harris, founders of the Black College Hall of Fame, have partnered with the Pro Football Hall of Fame to bring the classic to Canton, Ohio.   

This year's contest will be a clash of two conference champions. Miles had a 10-3 season in 2024 under former head coach Sam Shade. On Sunday, the Bears' new head coach, Chris Goode, will face Dr. Alvin Parker of Virginia Union for the first time.  

Last season, the VA Union Panthers won the CIAA championship with a 10-4 overall record. Both programs made impressive runs in the 2024 NCAA Division II playoffs.

Expect to have plenty of milestones in this affair as HBCU GO and the NFL Network will have the first-ever live simulcast of an HBCU football game.

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Previous HBCU GO coverage:

HOUSTON - On Monday evening, Steve Wyche of the NFL Network announced that he will join the 2025 HBCU GO Kickoff Show this Saturday, Aug. 23. The broadcast will air at 11:00 AM CT/12:00 PM ET on HBCU GO.

The network confirmed that Wyche will have a recurring role again this football season. He will be in the booth as a color analyst for the Hampton-Howard game, which is known as the "Truth and Service Classic." Wyche, a Howard graduate, has been on the broadcast for the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowls since the game kicked off four seasons ago.

Steve Wyche Announcement | Steve Wyche X Account

WYCHE'S INTERVIEWS

Why Sean Payton?

Wyche will conduct two significant interviews on Saturday's program. The first will be with Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who is recognized as one of the most innovative offensive-minded coaches in the league, particularly during his time with the New Orleans Saints.

Under Payton's leadership, future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees helped create one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history.

This morning, sources from HBCU GO informed HBCU Legends that Payton will discuss how he developed part of his offensive strategy based on insights from Archie "Gunslinger" Cooley Jr., the former head coach of Mississippi Valley State.

Jerry Rice, Archie Cooley, Wille Totten | Jerry Rice X Account

Cooley's innovative offense, which featured Willie "Satellite" Totten as the quarterback and his top wide receiver, Jerry Rice, set numerous NCAA records. Both Totten and Rice are celebrated figures as HBCU football icons.

San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh invited Cooley to discuss his offensive approach. Walsh later incorporated some of Cooley's techniques, which became part of the renowned West Coast Offense. Additionally, he drafted Jerry Rice as the 16th overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft.

Rice, primarily paired with quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, enjoyed a remarkable NFL career. He is widely regarded as the greatest of all time (GOAT) among wide receivers, having won multiple Super Bowl titles and been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

The Wyche-Payton interview will provide additional texture to the legend of Archie Cooley Jr. - The Ol' Gunslinger, as Jerry Rice would call him.

Carson Vinson Interview

Wyche will also sit down with Alabama A&M offensive lineman Carson Vinson, who was the only HBCU football player selected this season when the Baltimore Ravens picked him as the 141st overall pick in the fifth round.

Early reports indicate that Vinson is having a productive training camp and has a strong chance of making the team's 53-man roster.

STEVE WYCHE' ROLE

Wyche, who was a regular guest towards the end of last season, will partner with co-hosts Tolly Carr and Nicole Hutchinson on the first show.

All of the seasoned broadcasters are HBCU alums; Wyche and Hutchinson hail from Howard University, and Carr graduated from Winston-Salem University.

The 2025 football season will be officially broadcast on HBCU GO, featuring the first two games:

1. Hampton will face Jackson State, and
2. Fayetteville State will compete against Benedict College

Stay tuned for additional broadcasting news coming from HBCU GO.

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