Turkey Day Classic

Last updated
Turkey Day Classic
Turkey Day Classic
Stadium Hornet Stadium
Location Montgomery, Alabama
Operated1924–2019, 2021–
2023 matchup
Alabama State 41, Tuskegee 3
Turkey day classic.jpg

The Turkey Day Classic is a college football game, traditionally held annually on Thanksgiving Day. [1] Originally, it was played between Alabama State University and Tuskegee University, two historically black universities. [2] The game was originally played in Montgomery, Alabama's Cramton Bowl, but relocated to Alabama State's new Hornet Stadium in 2012. [3] [4] The game is one of two black college football classics to be associated with Thanksgiving weekend; the other is the younger, but more widely known, Bayou Classic, held two days later.

Contents

The game fell into a category of classics that feature two rival teams playing each year. The activities surrounding the game take place over several weeks in the downtown of Montgomery, and include parades, parties, and the like. [5] Many classics feature activities and events like golfing, pageants, and tailgating.

History

The 1924 game was the first in the series and it is considered the first black college football classic. [6] Tuskegee refused tournament slots for the NCAA Division II National Football Championship because the Division II playoffs conflict with the Turkey Day Classic; the Golden Tigers program did this even in successful seasons where it has qualified and earned high playoff seeding. From 1998 to 2009, Tuskegee participated in the Pioneer Bowl, representing its conference nine times in the 11 Pioneer Bowls in that span and winning eight. [7] Similarly, Alabama State and other Southwestern Athletic Conference members opt out of contention for the NCAA Division I Football Championship; this accommodates the Turkey Day Classic, the Bayou Classic in New Orleans, any weather-related reschedulings (such as the 2017 Labor Day Classic) and, during the game's existence, the SWAC Championship Game. SWAC members instead contend for the Celebration Bowl.

Beginning in 2013, Tuskegee withdrew from the contest due to playoff considerations beginning that year. Tuskegee's opting into the playoffs forced the cancellation of the Pioneer Bowl, but the Turkey Day Classic continued, with Stillman College serving as the opponent.

In 2014, Alabama State announced it was officially discontinuing the Turkey Day Classic in order to give itself the option of participating in the Division I championship, should it qualify. For two years, the college held its homecoming on the penultimate Saturday of November; that is, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Stillman College remained the Hornets' opponent for 2014. [8]

In August 2015, it was announced that the Alabama State-Tuskegee rivalry was to resume in 2017, with these games being held in early September and nicknamed the Labor Day Classic (ambiguously, since another black college football rivalry and Canadian college and professional football Labour Day games also use the name). For the 2015 season, Miles College participated in the November Hornet Homecoming. [9]

In March 2016, it was announced that the Turkey Day Classic would return to its traditional date of Thanksgiving Day, with Miles College returning as Alabama State's opponent. [10] For the 2017 Turkey Day Classic, Alabama State was originally scheduled to host Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, a team it had never faced before, but Cheyney backed out of the contest two weeks beforehand and suspended its football program indefinitely [11] due to the school's ongoing financial problems. [12] Edward Waters College, an NAIA squad whom Alabama State had played once before in its history, agreed to take Cheyney's place on short notice.

The 2018 Turkey Day Classic was contested by a conference rival, Mississippi Valley State University; that university, which won the 1971 contest, had been the only team other than Tuskegee or Alabama State to win the Turkey Day Classic in its history. The move was made in an effort to boost falling attendance and attention for the event, which had failed to sell out the games against other D-II and NAIA opponents. [13] (The strategy was unsuccessful, as attendance continued to fall, and the game went untelevised, as ESPN, the game's previous telecaster, declined to carry the game on any of its outlets.)

The 2019 game featured Prairie View A&M, another division rival, as the Hornets' Thanksgiving Day opponent; the Panthers became the second team other than Tuskegee or Alabama State to win with its 20–17 win over the Hornets.

The 2020 game was effectively canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, as both teams' member conferences cancelled all fall 2020 athletics. [14] For 2021, Tuskegee returned to its traditional spot on the Thanksgiving Day schedule, with the game being carried over the top on ESPN+. University of Arkansas–Pine Bluff served as the Hornets' opponent in 2022, upsetting the home team by staving off a comeback to win, 19–14. [15]

Game results

NOTE: no game in 2020.

DateWinning teamLosing teamLocation
November 15, 1924Tuskegee28Alabama State7Montgomery, AL
1925Tuskegee14Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 6, 1926Tuskegee14Alabama State7Montgomery, AL
December 3, 1927Alabama State0Tuskegee0Montgomery, AL
November 24, 1928Alabama State6Tuskegee6Montgomery, AL
November 23, 1929Tuskegee20Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 22, 1930Tuskegee32Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 21, 1931Tuskegee32Alabama State7Montgomery, AL
November 24, 1932Tuskegee7Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 30, 1933Tuskegee14Alabama State7Montgomery, AL
November 29, 1934Alabama State6Tuskegee2Montgomery, AL
November 28, 1935Alabama State3Tuskegee0Montgomery, AL
November 26, 1936Tuskegee6Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1937Tuskegee14Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 24, 1938Alabama State26Tuskegee0Montgomery, AL
November 30, 1939Tuskegee6Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 28, 1940Alabama State31Tuskegee12Montgomery, AL
November 20, 1941Tuskegee33Alabama State6Montgomery, AL
November 23, 1942Tuskegee25Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1943Tuskegee19Alabama State13Montgomery, AL
1944Tuskegee32Alabama State12Montgomery, AL
1945Tuskegee26Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 28, 1946Tuskegee26Alabama State14Montgomery, AL
November 27, 1947Alabama State26Tuskegee26Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1948Tuskegee15Alabama State0Tuskegee, AL
November 24, 1949Tuskegee20Alabama State19Montgomery, AL
November 23, 1950Tuskegee15Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 22, 1951Tuskegee26Alabama State13Montgomery, AL
November 27, 1952Alabama State28Tuskegee13Montgomery, AL
November 26, 1953Alabama State6Tuskegee2Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1954Alabama State23Tuskegee2Montgomery, AL
November 24, 1955Alabama State19Tuskegee13Montgomery, AL
November 22, 1956Tuskegee19Alabama State13Montgomery, AL
1957Alabama State13Tuskegee7Montgomery, AL
November 27, 1958Tuskegee24Alabama State20Montgomery, AL
November 26, 1959Alabama State22Tuskegee20Montgomery, AL
November 24, 1960Tuskegee12Alabama State8Montgomery, AL
November 23, 1961Tuskegee19Alabama State8Montgomery, AL
November 22, 1962Tuskegee42Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 28, 1963Tuskegee3Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 26, 1964Alabama State19Tuskegee11Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1965Alabama State20Tuskegee12Montgomery, AL
November 24, 1966Alabama State35Tuskegee14Montgomery, AL
November 23, 1967Tuskegee21Alabama State8Montgomery, AL
November 28, 1968Tuskegee23Alabama State21Montgomery, AL
November 27, 1969Tuskegee28Alabama State14Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1970Tuskegee34Alabama State20Montgomery, AL
November 28, 1971Mississippi Valley State10Alabama State7Montgomery, AL
December 2, 1972Tuskegee10Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
December 1, 1973Tuskegee22Alabama State15Montgomery, AL
December 7, 1974Tuskegee28Alabama State7Montgomery, AL
November 27, 1975Alabama State37Tuskegee21Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1976Alabama State29Tuskegee14Montgomery, AL
November 22, 1977Alabama State13Tuskegee7Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1978Alabama State15Tuskegee0Montgomery, AL
November 22, 1979Alabama State20Tuskegee6Montgomery, AL
November 27, 1980Alabama State14Tuskegee7Montgomery, AL
November 26, 1981Tuskegee14Alabama State3Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1982Tuskegee14Alabama State13Tuskegee, AL
November 24, 1983Alabama State13Tuskegee3Montgomery, AL
November 22, 1984Alabama State31Tuskegee8Montgomery, AL
November 28, 1985Alabama State21Tuskegee0Montgomery, AL
November 27, 1986Alabama State21Clark Atlanta6Montgomery, AL
November 26, 1987Alabama State21Johnson C. Smith3Montgomery, AL
November 24, 1988Alabama State17Tuskegee0Montgomery, AL
November 23, 1989Alabama State26Tuskegee20Montgomery, AL
November 22, 1990Alabama State49Tuskegee7Montgomery, AL
November 28, 1991Alabama State62Johnson C. Smith6Montgomery, AL
November 26, 1992Alabama State17Fayetteville State14Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1993Alabama State31Tuskegee30Montgomery, AL
November 24, 1994Alabama State37Tuskegee35Montgomery, AL
November 24, 1995Alabama State58Tuskegee20Montgomery, AL
November 28, 1996Tuskegee21Alabama State14Montgomery, AL
November 27, 1997Tuskegee21Alabama State16Montgomery, AL
November 26, 1998Alabama State27Tuskegee7Montgomery, AL
November 25, 1999Tuskegee37Alabama State34Montgomery, AL
November 23, 2000Tuskegee28Alabama State27Montgomery, AL
November 22, 2001Tuskegee31Alabama State27Montgomery, AL
November 28, 2002Tuskegee25Alabama State20Montgomery, AL
November 27, 2003Alabama State48Tuskegee28Montgomery, AL
November 25, 2004Tuskegee27Alabama State17Montgomery, AL
November 24, 2005Tuskegee28Alabama State27Montgomery, AL
November 23, 2006Tuskegee17Alabama State10Montgomery, AL
November 22, 2007Tuskegee64Alabama State58Montgomery, AL
November 27, 2008Alabama State17Tuskegee13Montgomery, AL
November 26, 2009Tuskegee21Alabama State0Montgomery, AL
November 25, 2010Tuskegee17Alabama State10Montgomery, AL
November 24, 2011Alabama State30Tuskegee21Montgomery, AL
November 22, 2012Tuskegee27Alabama State25Montgomery, AL
November 28, 2013Alabama State41Stillman28Montgomery, AL
November 22, 2014Alabama State30Stillman27Montgomery, AL
November 21, 2015Alabama State26Miles College7Montgomery, AL
November 24, 2016Alabama State53Miles College20Montgomery, AL
November 23, 2017Alabama State37Edward Waters College3Montgomery, AL
November 22, 2018Alabama State31*Mississippi Valley State24Montgomery, AL
November 28, 2019Prairie View A&M20Alabama State17Montgomery, AL
November 25, 2021Alabama State43Tuskegee9Montgomery, AL
November 24, 2022Arkansas–Pine Bluff19Alabama State14Montgomery, AL
November 23, 2023Alabama State41Tuskegee3Montgomery, AL

(*) Game was decided in overtime

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Timmermann, Tom (2009-09-26), "Tuskegee Opens Long Road Trip at Gateway Classic", St. Louis Post-Dispatch , archived from the original on 2009-09-28, retrieved 2009-10-22
  2. ↑ Cunningham, Jonathon (2006-11-16), "Big Classic: Orlando's About to Go off the Chain", Orlando Weekly , retrieved 2009-10-22
  3. ↑ "There's Plenty in the Area to See and Do", Montgomery Advertiser , 2009-10-22, retrieved 2009-10-22
  4. ↑ Willingham, Leo (2008-11-18), "Tuskegee Still No. 1, Big Classic Weekend", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution , retrieved 2009-10-22
  5. ↑ Nettles, Adrienne (2009-11-23), "Turkey Day Classic Festivities March into Downtown", Montgomery Advertiser , retrieved 2009-11-24
  6. ↑ Barnidge, Noell (2006-10-11), "Classics an Integral Part of Black College Football", Savannah Morning News , archived from the original on 2007-12-08, retrieved 2009-10-22
  7. ↑ Perrin, Mike (2008-11-01), "Pioneer Bowl Suspended for 2008; Nowhere for Tuskegee to Go", The Birmingham News , retrieved 2009-10-22
  8. ↑ Birdsong, Nick (March 4, 2014). Turkey Day Classic won't be held on Thanksgiving. AL.com. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  9. ↑ Alabama State, Tuskegee to renew football rivalry in 2017
  10. ↑ ASU's Turkey Day Classic 2016 returns to Thanksgiving Day
  11. ↑ "Cheyney University drops NCAA Division II status in restructuring of its athletic department". 21 March 2018.
  12. ↑ "Cheyney pulls out of Turkey Day Classic due to finances".
  13. ↑ "ASU faces Mississippi Valley State in Turkey Day Classic".
  14. ↑ Heupel, Shannon. "There will not be a 2020 Turkey Day Classic Parade. COVID-19 derailed the annual tradition". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  15. ↑ Shames, Jacob (November 24, 2022). "Turkey Day Classic: Alabama State football loses to Arkansas-Pine Bluff on last-minute TD". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
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