August 30, 2025
Harvard Stadium will trade crimson for HBCU colors this Labor Day weekend as the inaugural Essence HBCU Classic brings Black college culture to Boston.
A new college football tradition is taking shape in an unexpected place — Harvard Stadium. This weekend, the historic venue will host the first-ever Essence HBCU Classic, a matchup between the Morehouse College Maroon Tigers and Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls during Labor Day weekend.
“It’s really a cultural event,” said Derek Brown, co-founder of the Essence HBCU Classic. “Football is definitely a part of the weekend. But I would say it’s the appetizer, and everything that comes with it is the entrée.”
The four-day celebration, organized by Campus Rise, which also created the HBCU NY Classic, is designed to feel like an HBCU homecoming. The schedule features a pep rally, tailgate, battle of the bands, and step show, all intended to spotlight historically Black colleges and universities and their influence.
“We are trying to amplify HBCUs and the amazing folks that go to those schools,” said Michele Ghee, chief content officer at Essence, which is serving as the event’s title sponsor. “What an amazing opportunity to say, ‘Yes, HBCUs are producing great students just like Harvard.’”
Organizers chose Boston as the site due to its sizable HBCU alumni community and the historical relevance of Harvard Stadium. In 1971, Howard University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore played there in a game organized by the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.
“Boston is actively working to shape a new narrative,” said John Borders IV, a Morehouse graduate, who leads the Boston Office of Sports, Tourism and Entertainment. “Boston has a rich Black history. While people may have one perception about Boston historically, there is a different dimension.”
Leaders from both participating institutions say the event is about more than football. It’s an opportunity to share the legacy of HBCUs with new audiences and expand their reach beyond traditional settings.
“It’s really an opportunity to have that broader exposure and to bring the product of Morehouse, the product of the pride of HBCUs on the road to showcase,” said F. Dubois Bowman, president of Morehouse College.
Valerie Kinloch, president of Johnson C. Smith University, noted that the game also prompts reflection on representation and the role of Black institutions in shaping American culture. “I think there are lots of questions we have to ask ourselves about representation, about the role that people of color, particularly Black people, play in this country,” she said.
“When we talk about traversing different types of spaces, we have to understand how historically Black colleges and universities have a wide impact, and that also includes an impact on spaces that we usually would not be represented in.”
In addition to Essence, the inaugural game is sponsored by DraftKings and Cash App, helping to ensure this celebration of culture, education, and sport launches on a high note.
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