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by Jeroslyn JoVonn
August 27, 2025
For the first time, NFL Network is partnering with HBCU Go to broadcast the 2025 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic.
Allen Media Group’s HBCU Go has partnered with the NFL Network for the first-ever simulcast of the 2025 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic.
On Aug. 31, the 2024 SIAC Champion Miles College Golden Bears face the 2024 CIAA Champion Virginia Union Panthers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, for the 2025 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. The game will be the first time an all-star NFL Network crew broadcasts it, marking a historic partnership that brings HBCU athletics into the national spotlight.
NFL Network’s Steve Wyche will handle play-by-play, with Bucky Brooks and Isaiah Stanback providing analysis, and Bridget Condon reporting from the sidelines. Their coverage marks the first time the Classic will air on NFL Network, available nationwide on cable, satellite, and NFL+.
“This weekend is more than the game; it’s a weekend filled with exhilarating fun, tailgating, music, and other entertainment,” the NFL Network said.
The landmark partnership highlights the growing national recognition of HBCU culture and athletics. For decades, HBCU football classics and homecomings have stood out as premier events, bringing rival schools head-to-head in competition, while celebrating the rich traditions and spirit of the HBCU community. These Classics remain cornerstone gatherings that unite fans, players, and alums across generations.
“We weren’t allowed to go to state schools. So that’s why there’s more pride, because it’s a history. History of connecting, like a freedom out of slavery into getting educated,” Kevin Clayton, executive vice president, chief impact and equity officer for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group, told Cleveland.com.
Clayton, an HBCU alum from North Carolina Central University, cites the deep roots of HBCUs, which trace back to their beginnings in the Black church. The sixth Black College Hall of Fame Classic, set at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, provides a neutral stage for out-of-region schools to compete in Northeast Ohio while spotlighting their athletic and academic programs to a broader audience.
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