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December 31, 1997
Pittsburgh, PA - For the second time in the last four years, Hampton University has captured the 1997 SBN Sports Black College Football Championship. Under the leadership of Joe Taylor, the Pirates rolled to a 10-1 regular season mark and lost to Youngstown State in the Division I-AA playoffs. Youngstown State would eventually go on to win the I-AA title.Hampton finished with 25 first place votes (309 points) and a comfortable margin over second place Southern University (8 first place votes/276 points) to win the Jake Gaither National Championship Trophy. Florida A&M, Albany State and Jackson State rounded out the first five, followed by South Carolina State, Livingstone, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Virginia State and Howard University.
Hampton did not lose to a Black College team all year. It's only loss during the regular season came in week one, to William & Mary. The Pirates were in first place for the final four weeks of the regular season.
Hampton University will officially be crowned at the 24th Annual SBN Sports Black College All-American Awards Banquet on Saturday, February 21, 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Chevrolet Motor Division will provide a $5,000 scholarship to the school's general fund in honor of the 1997 Black College Football champions.
The SBN Sports Network is a division of American Urban Radio Networks, the largest Black-owned radio network company in the country, with offices and bureaus in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit and Pittsbugh.
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