When I pulled off the Interstate you could immediately see people parking their cars along the median walking to the stadium and that quite possibly the three hours I allotted for getting in may have not been enough. The route I took was right in front of the hospital and workers stepped out to see the crowds going forward almost as if people were marching. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the grills were going hard for my slow drive in traffic. Once I finally parked, I realized that only for GHOE and the Atlanta Falcons playing the New Orleans Saints had I witnessed this amount of people…. OUTSIDE the stadium!! Crowds are always nice, but not always a litmus test to what the experience will be but from the walk inside Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium where I met the gracious hospitality of fans from both teams, pointing me in the right direction. When I got to the elevator, I encountered some good-hearted back and forth teasing among fan bases. I went upstairs to the press area and along the way I spoke to so many that worked for the stadium and Jackson State, willing to assist in whatever way possible. I saw so many in the industry that have been HBCU lifers and just “chopping” it up with them is always great as I appreciate the different perspectives and hard work, they bring. Then I looked out of the window and saw the crowd filing in. Jackson State clearly having the advantage being at home, but Prairie View rose for the occasion and travelled well. Then the “Marching Storm” of the Panthers made their presence felt, making their way into the stadium to a thunderous applause by the PV faithful. I must say throughout the contest I was impressed by the way their band held their own, and I am not a “band-head” at all. Then here came the renowned “Sonic Boom of the South” who lived up to its notoriety as they and their crowd fit like a hand into a perfectly fitting glove.
THEE Experience
Thee Experience
I have been in sports media for the past 20 years, covering high school, collegiate, semi-professional, and professional sports and for the last 7 years I have primarily covered HBCU athletics. It was always a natural fit, especially living in Atlanta where so many HBCU Alumni reside, and of course me having the experiences myself I have a passion for it. My vantage point was always from the MEAC/CIAA point of view so being in Georgia I got the opportunity to speak to more people who attended SIAC and SWAC schools. Of course, the banter always goes back and forth as to the better experience but again, I was limited. This past week I was highly encouraged to attend the SWAC Championship Game between Jackson State and Prairie View A&M. I have always heard about the experiences and the affinity that players and fans have for that ball game but being that the MEAC did not have a championship game, it was an afterthought. Dr. Kenyatta Cavil of the “Inside the HBCU Sports Lab”, who I consider one of the foremost experts on HBCU sport business and culture, who is a graduate of Prairie View and a professor at Texas Southern University told me I need to go, so I did, and it was nothing short of amazing.
Overall, the game was the game, with Jackson State and their talented defense simply overpowering Prairie View and winning by the score of 27-10, becoming SWAC Champions in Coach Deion Sanders’ first fall campaign as head coach. The bigger story for me was the way that the culture was on display. As much as the questions about the direction of where HBCU sports especially football should go, I would never forsake the cultural experiences of events like the SWAC Championship Game or any culturally relevant classic that brings together the HBCU masses. This was a movie, and I am so glad I got to experience it!!
