Black college football has impressive roots

It is doubtful that when Biddle University and Livingstone College teed it up on Dec. 27, 1892—in what was described as little more than a cow pasture, no less—if the contestants in this momentous occasion had the slightest inkling of the legacy they were about to give birth to. Games of monumental historical significance, coaches of legendary proportions and players of extraordinary brilliance ultimately emerged from the mother lode that was to become known as the Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

History recorded that good ol’ Biddle University, which eventually morphed into Johnson C. Smith University, triumphed 5-0. Two years later, Lincoln University (Pa.) and Howard University (D.C.) established a gridiron rivalry in the east while Tuskegee and Atlanta University did likewise in the south. In modern vernacular, “IT WAS ON!”

Now, 116 years later, Black college football continues to flourish beyond all reasonable expectations, given the changing economic landscape and the expanding/contracting recruitment pool.

The aforementioned Biddle-Livingstone matchup took on such significance that it became an annual Thanksgiving Day occurrence, ostensibly an attempt to prove which of these two institutions was the real turkey (stuffings and cranberry sauce too). Let it be known that after several whompings from Livingstone, Biddle opted (some say were coerced) to place uncommon emphasis on their debating team, to the detriment of their footballers.

In any event, the formation of conferences seemingly ensured the perpetuation of Black college football and the ancillary events that have become part and parcel of the HBCU experience. First among these was the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Founded in 1912, it is historically and symbolically appropriate that the CIAA set the tone, considering that two of its original members (yes, Biddle and Livingstone) launched the entire notion back in 1892.

Following the CIAA’s lead, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1913, united 11 institutions under the heading of the Southeastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference before settling for its current name in 1929. Renowned for having one of the winningest Black college programs of all time (that would be Tuskegee), the SIAC for years was dominated by Florida A&M before the Rattlers switched conferences. As a measure of the ever-changing tapestry in college football in general, FAMU defeated the University of Miami during its National Championship runs in 1977-78.

Both the Southwestern Athletic Conference, formed in 1920 by a closely-knit group of Texas schools and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which coalesced in 1969—the SWAC and MEAC, respectively—have been dominant conferences within the Black college football ranks throughout their individual existence. Both have produced coaches, teams and talent that ranks among the very best on any level. It would take a Britannica-sized encyclopedia to recount the exploits of the multitude of coaches and players who have produced the lustre and legend that is Black college football. Even the casual follower is familiar with the “Colossus of Coaches,” Grambling’s Eddie Robinson — 408-165-15 record, 17 SWAC titles, 104 All-Americans, 207 professional players (and countless professional people). He is regarded as the man most responsible for elevating the nation’s consciousness regarding this unique brand of football during his half century of coaching.

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