Orange Blossom Classic
The Orange Blossom Classic was an annual postseason college football game held between 1933 and 1978. Each year, it featured Florida A&M and another historically black school in an unofficial de facto championship game.[1] It was seen as a mythical "Black National Championship" game.[2] For example, the December 5, 1942 "Afro American" newspaper refers to the 1942 game as a national title game, as does at least one source for the 1945 game (see: http://media-newswire.com/release_1143144.html).
Presently, an occasional regular season game between Florida A&M and Florida International is called the Orange Blossom Classic.[1][3] Florida International, however, is not a historically black college. These two teams last played in 2005 and are not scheduled to meet again in the near future.
Game results
Year |
Site |
Winning team |
Losing team |
1933 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Florida A&M | 9 | Howard | 0 |
1934 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 13 | Virginia State | 12 |
1935 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Kentucky State | 19 | Florida A&M | 10 |
1936 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Prairie View | 25 | Florida A&M | 0 |
1937 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Florida A&M | 25 | Hampton | 20 |
1938 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Florida A&M | 9 | Kentucky State | 7 |
1939 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Florida A&M | 42 | Wiley | 0 |
1940 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Central State | 0 | Florida A&M | 0 |
1941 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Florida A&M | 15 | Tuskegee | 7 |
1942 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Florida A&M | 12 | Texas College | 6 |
1943 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Hampton | 39 | Florida A&M | 0 |
1944 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Virginia State | 19 | Florida A&M | 6 |
1945 | Jacksonville, Florida |
Wiley | 32 | Florida A&M | 6 |
1946 | Tampa, Florida |
Lincoln | 20 | Florida A&M | 0 |
1947 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 7 | Hampton | 0 |
1948 | Miami, Florida |
Virginia Union | 10 | Florida A&M | 6 |
1949 | Miami, Florida |
North Carolina A&T | 20 | Florida A&M | 14 |
1950 | Miami, Florida |
Central State | 13 | Florida A&M | 6 |
1951 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 67 | North Carolina Central | 6 |
1952 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 29 | Virginia State | 7 |
1953 | Miami, Florida |
Prairie View | 33 | Florida A&M | 27 |
1954 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 67 | Maryland State[nb 1] | 19 |
1955 | Miami, Florida |
Grambling | 28 | Florida A&M | 21 |
1956 | Miami, Florida |
Tennessee State | 41 | Florida A&M | 39 |
1957 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 27 | Maryland State[nb 1] | 21 |
1958 | Miami, Florida |
Prairie View | 26 | Florida A&M | 8 |
1959 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 28 | Prairie View | 7 |
1960 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 40 | Langston | 26 |
1961 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 14 | Jackson State | 8 |
1962 | Miami, Florida |
Jackson State | 22 | Florida A&M | 6 |
1963 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 30 | Morgan State | 7 |
1964 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 42 | Grambling | 15 |
1965 | Miami, Florida |
Morgan State | 36 | Florida A&M | 7 |
1966 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 43 | Alabama A&M | 26 |
1967 | Miami, Florida |
Grambling | 28 | Florida A&M | 25 |
1968 | Miami, Florida |
Alcorn State | 36 | Florida A&M | 9 |
1969 | Tallahassee, Florida |
Florida A&M | 23 | Grambling | 19 |
1970 | Miami, Florida |
Jacksonville State | 21 | Florida A&M | 7 |
1971 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 27 | Kentucky State | 9 |
1972 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 41 | Maryland-Eastern Shore[nb 1] | 21 |
1973 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 23 | South Carolina State | 12 |
1974 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 17 | Howard | 13 |
1975 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 40 | Kentucky State | 13 |
1976 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 26 | Central State | 21 |
1977 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 37 | Delaware State | 15 |
1978 | Miami, Florida |
Florida A&M | 31 | Grambling | 7 |
Appearances by school
No. |
School |
Record |
46 | Florida A&M | 26–19–1 |
5 | Grambling | 2–3 |
4 | Kentucky State | 1–3 |
4 | Prairie View | 3–1 |
3 | Central State | 1–1–1 |
3 | Hampton | 1–2 |
3 | Maryland-Eastern Shore[nb 1] | 0–3 |
3 | Virginia State | 1–2 |
2 | Howard | 0–2 |
2 | Jackson State | 1–1 |
2 | Morgan State | 2–0 |
2 | Wiley | 1–1 |
1 | Alabama A&M | 0–1 |
1 | Alcorn State | 1–0 |
1 | Langston | 0–1 |
1 | North Carolina A&T | 1–0 |
1 | North Carolina Central | 0–1 |
1 | South Carolina State | 0–1 |
1 | Tennessee State | 1–0 |
1 | Texas College | 0–1 |
1 | Virginia Union | 1–0 |
Source: [4]
Footnotes
- 1 2 3 4 The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was known as Maryland State College until 1970.
See also
References
- 1 2 Super Bowl Catches Up to Orange Blossom Classic, The New York Times, February 3, 2007, retrieved February 7, 2009.
- ↑ Tremene Triplett, Fans, coaches, athletes reminisce about the historic Orange Blossom Classic, South Florida Times, March 14, 2008, retrieved February 7, 2009.
- ↑ Dave Marks, "Florida A&M band highlights annual Orange Blossom Classic", Miami Times, November 23, 2004.
- ↑ Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Records Book, National Collegiate Athletic Association, p. 367–368.
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