HBCU football D2 showcase moved to ESPNU
Scheduled for Sunday, August 31, 2025, at the historic Cramton Bowl, the game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET and air live on ESPNU. The matchup marks the first time these HBCU stalwarts have faced each other in five years and their first meeting in the Red Tails Classic.
This will be Tuskegee's fifth straight appearance in the event, solidifying its role as the game's anchor. Head coach Aaron James enters the season with a strong cast of returners, aiming to build on the momentum from a promising 2024 campaign.
For Winston-Salem State, this marks the program's debut in the Red Tails Classic. The Rams, 12-time champions of the CIAA, are coming off a 7-3 overall record and 5-2 conference finish in 2024. They become the second CIAA program to compete in the Red Tails Classic, following in the footsteps of Virginia State.
Both teams boast deep traditions at the NCAA Division II level and have clashed before in postseason action-meeting in back-to-back Pioneer Bowls in 1999 and 2000. Their renewed rivalry promises to bring added intrigue to the season opener.
The Red Tails Classic is more than just football-it honors the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, the pioneering group of African American pilots who served in World War II. The game shines a national spotlight on HBCU culture, tradition, and excellence through football, bands, and community events.
With pride, history, and bragging rights on the line, the 2025 Red Tails Classic is shaping up to be a can't-miss HBCU showcase.
The post HBCU football D2 showcase moved to ESPNU appeared first on HBCU Gameday.
Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
USC football countdown to kickoff—Sam Cunningham in focus
The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 39 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we look at USC Hall of Fame running back Sam Cunningham. Position: Running back Years played at USC: 1969-1972 Career highlights: Cunningham starred at fullback for John McKay's USC teams of the early 1970s. As a senior in 1972, he earned first-team All-American honors. In the Rose Bowl against Ohio State, Cunningham scored four touchdowns, clinching an undefeated season and a national championship for the Trojans. Perhaps Cunningham's biggest, impact, though, came in the 1970 game between USC and Alabama. At the time, the Crimson Tide still did not have any African American players on their team. Getting dominated by 42-21 Cunningham and the integrated Trojans, however, prompted legendary Alabama head coach Bear Bryant to change that the following year, forever altering the course of college football. In 2010, Cunningham was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and the USC Athletics Hall of Fame. After USC: The New England Patriots selected Cunningham with the 11th overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft. He would go on to play for the team from 1973-1972, earning Pro Bowl honors in 1978. In 2010, he was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Cunningham passed away in 2021 at the age of 71.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Four star basketball recruit considering an HBCU
New Florida A&M men's basketball coach Charlie Ward is wasting no time making waves on the HBCU recruiting trail. Ward and his staff are going head-to-head with elite programs as they build his first Rattlers roster. On Monday, July 21, Christopher Washington Jr., the No. 1 basketball prospect in Tennessee, included FAMU in his top seven college choices. The four-star forward also named Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Villanova-all powerhouse programs known for high-level competition. In an interview with On3's Jamie Shaw, Washington explained what he's looking for in a college:"I want to go somewhere that feels like a family. And I want to play early, so I want to go somewhere I'll play right away. How they play will be big for me. I like playing fast and playing on the wing. Location won't matter to me as long as it feels like family there." Washington, a 6-foot-7, 175-pound small forward, plays for Providence Christian Academy in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He is rated the No. 13 small forward nationally and 31st overall by 247Sports. Originally from Gainesville, Florida, Washington began his high school career at The Villages Charter School before transferring to Providence as a junior. His inclusion of an HBCU in a list packed with Power Five programs signals growing respect for what Coach Ward is building at FAMU. Ward was officially named Florida A&M men's basketball head coach on April?16,?2025, replacing Patrick Crarey II, who departed to lead Grambling State after just one season there. This marks Ward's first college head coaching role. The former Heisman Trophy winner and 11-year NBA veteran arrives amid renewed optimism, aiming to build on FAMU's progress and bring new energy to the Rattlers program. With his storied history in Tallahassee, the season is setting up for a pristine opportunity of community support and high-level basketball. The post Four star basketball recruit considering an HBCU appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
HBCU HC Building Legacy as He Nears 100 Career Wins
"There were moments I didn't know if I'd ever coach again," said Virginia State Head Coach Henry Frazier III. "Now I'm sitting at 98 wins-and I want that hundred." One hundred wins will cement his legacy as an HBCU coaching icon. For Frazier, the climb to 100 wins is about more than the number. It's about redemption, proving HBCU coaches belong in any conversation, and honoring the path he's walked-from Bowie to Prairie View, from the sidelines to the classroom. "That's something I want, you know, from a personal standpoint," he added. "It's something I've worked toward my whole career." "I am proud, man, proud. I couldn't be more happy for Lamar," Frazier said, referring to Lamar Manigo, the former Bowie State quarterback who played under him and eventually joined his staff. "It's not just a branch. I recruited him out of high school." That branch is part of a vast coaching tree. "We did a survey a few years ago… over 83 or 84 guys that I've coached are coaching now," he said. "I love to see boys go to men. That's my 'why.'" Henry Frazier III calls it guided discovery. "I want you to have that aha moment. And when it happens, you're gonna know. I'm gonna know. And I'm gonna say job well done." Frazier's reach spans every level of education. "I mentor middle school boys… I write children's books… and I recruit high school guys to college," he said. "From kindergarten to a college graduate, I have an impact on young people." He chairs the fatherhood and mentoring program for Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, working with youth at Ernest Everett Just Middle School. "That's been so rewarding," he said. "I'm an educator. I got my degree in education." Off the field, Frazier finds time to recharge. "I chase the white ball on the golf course. Some days I binge-watch Netflix. That's how I stay strong." After last season's 7–4 finish, Frazier knows expectations are high. "We play the top five teams… Fayetteville, Smith, Winston, Union, and Bowie," he said. "We have no room for error." He owns last year's late-season dip. "We lost four football games by 13 points. That's on me. Just bad coaching after the bye week. I won't make that mistake again." With five quarterbacks competing to replace Mello, Frazier has his eye on one name. "If we get the right guy in there, which I think we have in R.J. Matthews… we're gonna be a tough out." And if older players don't step up? "You'll see a bunch of freshmen playing," he warned. "Because the goal is to win a championship." "We're good football coaches," Frazier said with conviction about his HBCU counterparts. "A lot of the white schools look at us and think that we can't coach ball. We're gonna just keep proving them wrong." Then, after a pause, he added: "I'm not chasing a number-I'm chasing impact. If a hundred wins gets me one more young man who believes in himself, then I've done my job." The post HBCU HC Building Legacy as He Nears 100 Career Wins appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
