One of the oldest HBCU football classics will have a different look this year, but its founder believes that the experience can be as good as it’s ever been.
Southern Heritage Classic founder Fred Jones Jr. joined Grind City Media’s HBCU Huddle show to talk about the reformed SHC that will feature Alcorn State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff in late September, explaining that the proximity for both teams to Memphis is cause for excitement.
“We’ve got tremendous tradition [in this game]. You think about Alcorn, you think about Steve McNair. UAPB has a lot of history here, a lot more than people imagine,” Jones said. “Both of these schools are located close to Memphis.”
The SHC announced a deal with UAPB, which will be participating in its third SHC, and Alcorn (which will be making its first SHC appearance) last week. This replaces Tennessee State, whose reasoning was that the financial woes the school faces thanks to the Tennessee state legislature’s underfunding of the University made it impossible to accept the SHC’s offer.
With that in mind, Jones says he has no ill feelings towards TSU or Jackson State, who withdrew following the 2022 Southern Heritage Classic.
“I do not have an axe to grind with JSU or TSU. Could things have been handled a little bit differently? Yes. You can’t choose how things happen, it’s how you deal with them,” he said. “The door’s always open here. It won’t be where one team will settle in for 15-20 years, it’s the way college sports has evolved. We have a good relationship; I don’t have any animosity. My main concern is UAPB and Alcorn State to have the best classic we’ve ever had.”
Jones says that the SHC being a SWAC conference contest for the first time is beneficial for both the conference and the SHC.
“Conference games are always important, but you’re elevating it with a brand called the Southern Heritage Classic that everybody knows,” he said. “It was only announced last Friday, and the calls have been nonstop to both schools, and the two alumni chapters have already met. Having a conference game has a little bit more meaning, but it gives it an elevation and appreciation because of the SHC.”