Southern University and Bethune-Cookman
College to Renew Football Rivalry at 53rd Annual
Gateway Classic
February 23, 2006
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After eight
years and long deliberation, the
Southern University Jaguars and Bethune-Cookman College Wildcats
will officially renew their rivalry on the gridiron to kickoff
the 2006 B-CC football season in the 53rd Annual Gateway
Classic in Jacksonville, Florida on Sept. 2, 2006.
The Gateway Classic is an event that is hosted every year
by Bethune-Cookman College, and for the last several years
has been played at Jacksonville’s Alltel Stadium—home
of the NFL’s (National Football League) Jacksonville
Jaguars and site of the 2005 Super Bowl (XXXIX).
The Wildcats and Jaguars have not met since the 1998 Heritage
Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia. The ‘Cats fell in that contest
by a count of 28-2 in head coach Alvin B. Wyatt, Sr.’s
third full year at the helm of the Wildcats program.
“We are so excited about what will be the biggest and
most competitive Gateway Classic of all time,” comments
B-CC Director of Athletics, Lynn W. Thompson. “This is
a match-up that fans have wanted to see, and the halftime show
will simply be out of this world. Southern’s tradition
of success with their football team and marching band combined
with our top notch program will certainly be the hottest tickets
on Labor Day weekend for any football fan to purchase.”
This is just the second time that Southern and Bethune-Cookman
will be meeting in the Gateway Classic. The last time saw the
Jaguars escape with a hard-fought 14-10 victory on Sept. 4,
1982 to open up the B-CC season. Head coach Bobby Frazier was
in the final stage of his career at the helm of the Wildcats
program that year, and ended the campaign with just a 5-5 overall
mark.
“Adding Southern to the schedule is exciting for our
program, as well as I’m sure it is for them as well putting
us on the schedule,” states B-CC head football coach,
Alvin B. Wyatt, Sr. “You have a head coach in Pete Richardson
[Southern] that played with me in the NFL. We played together
with the Buffalo Bills. Now we face each other as head coaches
and you don’t see that very often. You have two quality
programs, great coaching staffs and excellent institutions
that are battling it out on the football field, and that is
always something special to see … especially with it
being Bethune-Cookman College and Southern University.”
With a game of this magnitude taking place, the only other
thing missing that WON’T be missing from the atmosphere
is the bands. Both the “The Pride” (Bethune-Cookman)
and the “Human Jukebox” (Southern) are expected
to be in full force for the fans to see and hear as two of
the best bands in all of collegiate football take to the field
and stands for, what is sure to be, non-stop excitement.
“I think this will be great for the Gateway Classic,
the city of Jacksonville, Bethune-Cookman College and Southern
University,” comments Donovan Wells, B-CC Band Director. “This
is a great experience with two fantastic band programs in the
MEAC and SWAC. Southern has a great band with great tradition,
and we are really looking forward to having them in Jacksonville
for everyone to see tradition from Bethune-Cookman College
and Southern University at its finest. This is going to be
awesome.”
The enthusiasm not only stretches to members in and around
athletics, but the members of the B-CC administration as well.
Irving Matthews, B-CC Board of Trustees Chairman, is a graduate
of Southern University and is truly looking forward to the
contest.
“My love for both schools makes this contest bitter-sweet,
indeed,” commented Matthews. “I will hate to see
either team lose.”
The exact time for the game is to be determined, and it will
be announced at a later date.
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