20 numbers to know about an HBCU football doubleheader on Labor Day Sunday

Labor Day weekend will see HBCU football on national television yet again on Sunday, September 6. The day begins at noon ET as Texas Southern visits Prairie View A&M in the Labor Day Classic outside of Houston. Then, South Carolina State and Florida A&M head to Miami at 3 p.m. ET for the Orange Blossom Classic.

Here’s a number-by-number breakdown to set the stage for the HBCU football doubleheader.

0

There will be zero competition for football-viewing eyes on Sunday, Sept. 6, for the duration of the Labor Day Classic and at least the first hour of the Orange Blossom Classic. Both games open the college football Sunday slate as the only Division I football games until the Apple Cup kicks off at 4 p.m. ET.

Even the Division II level is giving these two FCS games their own window as the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic between Albany State and Johnson C. Smith won’t kick off until 4 p.m. ET.

September 6 is a great way to spotlight FCS HBCU football.

1

Florida A&M head coach Quinn Gray sits first in Rattler history in career passing yards (7,378), pass attempts (1,113), pass completions (562) and passing touchdowns (57). Gray is in his first year as the head coach of his alma mater.

2

Just two seconds remained in the 2025 Labor Day Classic when Prairie View A&M quarterback Cameron Peters found wide receiver Rodny Ojo in the end zone for a 17-yard game-winning touchdown.

The touchdown gave the Panthers a season-opening win and ultimately began a SWAC Championship-winning season and run to the Celebration Bowl in head coach Tremaine Jackson’s first year.

3

South Carolina State and Florida A&M have played three times since the Rattlers left the MEAC for the SWAC in 2021. Florida A&M has won all three matchups (2021, 2022, and 2024) with an average margin of victory of 11 points.

However, that 11-point margin is bolstered by a 30-7 win from 2021. The two most recent games were all decided by one possession.

6

Legendary coaches Alexander Durley and William J. "Billy" Nicks won a combined six Black College Football National Championships at Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M. While said championships aren’t necessarily recognized by all institutions, they still served as a litmus test of the quality of teams Durley and Nicks led.

Durley won a title in 1952 at Texas Southern while Nicks won titles in 1953, 1954, 1958, 1963 and 1964 at Prairie View A&M.

The two coaches are the namesakes of the Durley-Nicks Trophy that Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M compete for in the Labor Day Classic each year.

10

Florida A&M had 10 sacks in its season-opening win against Albany State (GA). The Rattlers also added 16 tackles for loss in the 20-7 win. Florida A&M’s 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss lead the FCS in both team stat categories.

It was a solid win for FAMU in Quinn Gray’s debut as head coach, as Gray defeated the school where he coached a year ago.

11

The 2026 Labor Day Classic will kick off at 11 a.m. local time (Central) as Texas Southern visits Prairie View A&M. It’s an early start time for both teams and their fans, especially considering the game is being played on a Sunday. Nonetheless, this is a rivalry game, so expect fans to bring Texas-sized energy.

12

Texas Southern had 12 penalties for 117 yards in a Week 0 win over North Carolina Central. TSU lost the penalty battle 12-3, but still emerged victorious. However, 12 penalties rank the fifth-highest in the FCS, so things need to be cleaned up entering Week 1.

14

Texas Southern rallied back from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to win its season opener against North Carolina Central last week. The Tigers won 42-30 behind three touchdowns on eight completions for quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy and 163 rushing yards from running back Athean Renfro.

18

Prairie View A&M has won 18 of its last 22 matchups against Texas Southern, dating back to when quarterback Chris Gibson and others led the charge in the mid-2000s. PVAMU’s dominance counters to the early days of the Labor Day Classic, when Texas Southern won 17 of 18 games to start the classic.

More recently, PVAMU and TSU have split the series. The Tigers won in 2024 before the Panthers pulled off a one-point win in 2025.

Entering 2026’s matchup, I have Texas Southern ranked No. 5 and Prairie View A&M ranked No. 6 in my HBCU football power rankings. The Black College Football Poll — which I vote in — has the schools in reverse order. Both rankings indicate that the latest edition of the Labor Day Classic should be a close contest yet again.

19

Prairie View A&M is 19-20 all-time in the Labor Day Classic. The Panthers are one win away from evening out the all-time series with Texas Southern, although the Tigers would still have one more total win thanks to a 1990 victory over Hampton.

25

South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry has won 25 straight conference games. He’s gone 10-0 against MEAC opponents since taking over the Bulldogs after previously going 15-0 across his final two seasons at Benedict.

26

It’s been 26 years since Texas Southern has had back-to-back winning seasons. The Tigers ended a 25-year losing season streak last season with a 6-5 record. The last time TSU had consecutive winning seasons was from 1996-2000, when the Tigers never lost more than five games.

37

That was the margin by which Chennis Berry defeated Quinn Gray the last time the two stood on opposite sidelines. Berry’s Benedict Tigers met Gray’s Albany State Golden Rams in the 2023 SIAC Championship game. Benedict defeated Albany State 47-10 as the Tigers went back-to-back atop the conference.

Berry’s squad held Gray’s to a season-low in total offense, while Benedict reached a season-high in total offense. Albany State had zero first-half passing yards in the game. Berry and Benedict spoiled an otherwise successful season during Gray’s first year as Albany State’s head coach.

41

The Labor Day Classic has existed for 41 years, dating back to 1985. Texas Southern has played in every edition of the game with a 21-19 record. While the classic has existed since 1985, Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M have been playing each other in football since 1947. The Tigers lead the overall all-time series 45–35–1.

43

That’s how long the Orange Blossom Classic disappeared for, from 1979 to 2020. After a 43-year hiatus, the classic returned in 2021.

51

Florida A&M has played in the Orange Blossom Classic a leading 51 times since the game’s inception in 1933. The Rattlers are 27-23-1 all-time in the game, but only 1-3 since the classic’s return from hiatus. Florida A&M has played in every game but one since the OBC returned this decade.

Orange Blossom Classic results in the 2020s Year Score Winner Loser 2021 7-6 Jackson State Florida A&M 2022 59-3 Jackson State Florida A&M 2023 28-10 Florida A&M Jackson State 2024 31-24 North Carolina Central Alabama State 2025 10-9 Howard Florida A&M

58

Prairie View A&M only had 58 rushing yards from non-quarterbacks in a season-opening loss to Tarleton State — the No. 5 team in the FCS Coaches Poll. It was a disappointing start to the season for preseason First-Team All-SWAC running back Chase Bingmon after he was named Co-Freshman of the Year in the conference a season ago.

While quarterback Tevin Carter rushed for 130 yards on the ground to go with 309 yards in the air, the rest of the backfield will enter the Labor Day Classic with something to prove.

87

South Carolina State enters the OBC off of an 87-0 win over Savannah State. The win set a school record for points scored in a game, last set by the Bulldogs 45 years ago in 1981. SC State had 627 yards of total offense, with 423 yards rushing. The defense allowed just 117 total yards.

The win also came against head coach Chennis Berry’s alma mater. Berry played offensive tackle for Savannah State from 1991 to 1994.

93

The Orange Blossom Classic began 93 years ago in 1933 when Florida A&M defeated Howard 9-6 in Jacksonville, Florida.

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