Angel City Classic

The Angel City Classic includes a football game between two HBCUs as well as a battle of the bands, performances by dance teams and cheering squads, career and cultural expos, and a fifth-quarter concert. Since its introduction in 2006, the event has grown significantly from 10,000 people to over 52,000 attendees in 2008, making it the fifth-largest HBCU classic in the nation.

History of the Classic

2006
On September 29 and 30, 2006, two Historically Black Colleges and Universities marched proudly into Los Angeles into the prestigious stadiums of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena for the first time in over 12 years. Morehouse and Alcorn State University exhibited musical perfection and the football teams played four quarters of exciting college football.

Patrons young and old, from 8 to 80, joined in the festive celebration of the Classic event. High school bands and students also participated in this family-oriented event. Nowhere west of the Rockies could you experience the excitement, thrill, and exhilaration of great marching bands performing in the “southern show style.” Nowhere else did our fans sense the hope of young college-bound students as they experienced the pure traditions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Multiple opportunities and motivations were experienced by prospective college-bound students.

2007
At the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 8, 2007, the largest crowd of the year at any single event focused on African Americans witnessed the Historically Black College and University experience as North Carolina A&T battled Prairie View A&M for bragging rights to this now annual Classic.

Approximately 50,000 attendees, including nearly 10,000 youth, enjoyed a day of festivities including a festival of vendors, ongoing entertainment in the vendor festival area, a display of the breadth and depth of the educational opportunities offered at the two participating universities, a Greek step show, high school drumline exhibition, the Classic football game and a half-time Battle of the Bands performance by two of the largest and most talented college bands in the nation. In the words of a very excited fan: “Those bands rocked the coliseum!”

The Historically Black College and University experience was embraced by Los Angeles like never before as fans began to witness the rise of what is now one of the largest HBCU Classics in the nation!

2008
At the 2008 Angel City Classic, Morehouse College attempted to dethrone Prairie View A&M University as the Farmers Angel City Classic champion. Although Prairie View still reigns as champion, the Angel City Classic rocked Los Angeles and the Memorial Coliseum like never before!

More than 50,000 individuals attended the 2008 festivities, including a career/cultural expo, high school band clinic, youth football game, and Greek stepshows before kickoff and the halftime Battle of the Bands. The day ended with a 5th Quarter tribute concert to Isaac Hayes, with performances from Anthony Hamilton, Lalah Hathaway, and Angie Stone.

As the event continues to grow, Black Educational Events is extending the planning and preparation time between Classics to bring it back bigger than ever in 2010. As BEE CEO John Fleming noted, “Supporters such as City Council Members Jan Perry, Herb Wesson, Bernard Parks and Mayor Villaraigosa, Assemblyman Michael Davis and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, USC Head Football Coach Pete Carroll, Nick Cannon, Debbie Allen and Denzel Washington, who were all in attendance last year, are evidence that our mission to increase awareness of the continued significance of our nation’s HBCUs has been warmly welcomed by our Los Angeles community. We are eagerly looking forward to making this an even larger event for everyone in 2010.”

For more information about the Farmers Angel City Classic, view our video.