The Orange Blossom Classic has always been bigger than football.
Orange Blossom Classic 2026 was an event to remember in Miami Gardens during Labor Day weekend, bringing together HBCU athletics, Black culture, music, education, and community through a weekend of events that showed why the tradition remains important nearly a century after it began.
The weekend included the Orange Blossom Classic press conference, the GMCVB Commissioner’s Welcome Reception & Kick-Off Luncheon presented by FPL, Fan Fest and the highly anticipated matchup between Florida A&M University and South Carolina State University at Hard Rock Stadium.
Leading up to the game, South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry and Florida A&M head coach Quinn Gray Sr. spoke about what it meant for their programs to participate in a game carrying such a significant legacy.
“This is bigger than a football game,” South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry said. “It’s culture, it’s legacy.”
Berry described the matchup as something extending beyond the football field, emphasizing the culture and history attached to representing an HBCU on a national stage. For Gray, a FAMU alumnus and South Florida native, returning to the area as the Rattlers’ head coach added another layer to the occasion.
Their matchup also renewed a piece of Orange Blossom Classic history. FAMU and South Carolina State had not faced one another in the Classic since 1973, when the Rattlers defeated the Bulldogs at the Miami Orange Bowl.
The celebration continued Friday, Sept. 4, at Jungle Island with the GMCVB Commissioner’s Welcome Reception & Kick-Off Luncheon presented by FPL.
The luncheon brought together HBCU supporters, community leaders, alumni, and guests for an afternoon centered on leadership, legacy, and impact. Actress, producer, and philanthropist Crystal Renee Hayslett participated in a fireside chat focused on her career, purpose, and the importance of creating opportunities for others.
One of the most meaningful moments came when Orange Blossom Classic Executive Director Kendra Bulluck-Major was surprised by her sons during the luncheon. The moment added a personal element to a weekend largely centered on recognizing the people responsible for preserving institutions, traditions and opportunities within the Black community.
“When I started this journey, my youngest son was two, and my oldest was five. And so they’ve been on this journey with me,” Bulluck-Major said. “I hope that what they see is that it’s not just about the Classic. It’s about the community.”
By Sunday, Sept. 6, the celebration moved to Hard Rock Stadium.
Before kickoff, the Tobacco Free Florida Fan Fest presented by Baptist Health brought music and entertainment to the South Side Fountain Plaza. Miami hip-hop legends Trina, Trick Daddy, JT Money, performed for fans, connecting one of South Florida’s biggest HBCU celebrations with artists whose careers have helped shape Miami’s cultural identity.
The Orange Blossom Classic does not exist separately from Miami Gardens and the larger South Florida community. From local businesses and performers to residents, alumni and community organizations, the weekend creates an opportunity for HBCU culture to take center stage in the city in Florida with the highest black population.
Once inside Hard Rock Stadium, another HBCU tradition commanded attention.
FAMU’s Marching 100 and South Carolina State’s Marching 101 took the field for the halftime Battle of the Bands, reminding everyone that at an HBCU football game, halftime carries just as much cultural significance as the game itself.
On the field, South Carolina State defeated FAMU 31-13.
South Carolina State running back Mason Pickett-Hicks delivered one of the game’s strongest performances, rushing for 210 yards on 17 carries. The Bulldogs finished with 292 rushing yards while their defense held FAMU to negative rushing yardage. FAMU’s Justin Bostic provided one of the Rattlers’ biggest moments with an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown.
More than 23,000 fans attended the game at Hard Rock Stadium, according to FAMU Athletics.
Following South Carolina State’s win, defensive end Jordan Dollard reflected on what it meant to leave Miami Gardens as an Orange Blossom Classic champion.
“It feels great. Just another game, 1-0, 1-0. It ain’t nothing we’re not used to, man,” Dollard said.
The scoreboard, however, only tells one part of the story.
As a reporter covering several events throughout the weekend, what stood out to me was the range of people and experiences occupying the same spaces. There were current HBCU students and athletes alongside alumni, community leaders, legendary Miami artists, marching bands, families and young people who may have been experiencing the Orange Blossom Classic for the first time.
The Orange Blossom Classic gives South Florida an opportunity to tell a larger story about HBCUs and the communities that continue to support them. It is a story about institutions that have historically created opportunities for Black students. It is about preserving traditions while allowing them to evolve. It is about celebrating Black achievement in spaces where generations can experience it together.
South Carolina State may have left Hard Rock Stadium with the victory, but the significance of the weekend cannot be measured by a final score.
Nearly a century after the first Orange Blossom Classic was played, the reason the event still matters remains clear: it provides a platform for HBCU history, culture and community to be seen, celebrated and documented.
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