The Southern Heritage Classic will return to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Saturday, September 12, 2026, with a renewed matchup between Alcorn State University and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Presented by FedEx, this year’s Classic marks the second consecutive showdown between the Braves and the Golden Lions after the two programs reignited the rivalry in 2025. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
Originally launched in 1990, the Southern Heritage Classic continues to be one of Memphis’ signature cultural and sports events, blending HBCU football, marching band pageantry, and Black cultural celebration. Thousands are expected to travel to Memphis for a week of festivities leading up to the game, including concerts, tailgating, a college fair and the Classic Parade.
“We are very excited to have Arkansas–Pine Bluff and Alcorn State return to Memphis for a second straight year,” said Fred Jones Jr., Southern Heritage Classic founder, in a news release.
“It’s very pleasing to be able to present different schools while still maintaining a high standard of competition and entertainment at the same time,” he continued. “We look forward to the ever-present challenge of always improving our event, as it reflects on our great city, our unique culture, and the visibility of the competing institutions.”
It’s something of a return to stability for Jones and the Classic, which for decades featured Tennessee State and Jackson State University. The Classic seemed poised to thrive in 2020 when those two programs were coached by NFL legends Eddie George and Deion Sanders.
But by 2023, both universities had withdrawn from the Southern Heritage Classic—and though Jones maintained a confident posture last January, he later acknowledged how close the 2025 Classic came to not happening.
“It got real close,” Jones told TSD in 2025. “Like, yes-or-no close. And I didn’t know what to tell people. I stayed out of sight for a few days, just trying to figure it out. … Folks. were looking to me for reassurance. And I didn’t have it.”
Ahead of last year’s clash between these two teams, Jones was confident that the Classic would bounce back.
“These schools — Alcorn and UAPB — they have strong alumni bases too,” Jones told TSD in September 2025. “And Memphis has a large HBCU presence overall. A lot of graduates from different schools live and work here.”
“Over time, the Classic itself became a tradition,” he added. ”People come home for it, like a second homecoming.”
The Southern Heritage Classic has long been a significant economic driver for Memphis. In past peak years, the Classic and its associated festivities generated roughly $20 million–$21 million in local economic activity through hotel stays, restaurants, retail and entertainment anchored by Classic weekend crowds.
While 2025 figures have not been publicly released, organizers and local observers say the Classic continues to bring visitors and spending into the city even as its team lineup evolves.
The announcement comes just weeks after news that longtime SHC rivals Jackson State and Tennessee State will renew their rivalry this fall with the John A. Merritt Classic in Nashville, set for Aug. 29. A 2027 game between the two in Jackson, Miss., has also been announced.
And as it turns out, the schedule may work in favor of “legacy fans” of the Southern Heritage Classic. While TSU will be facing Alabama A&M in Huntsville on Classic weekend, Jackson State fans take note: The JSU Tigers aren’t playing on Sept. 12.
So if you’re a Jackson State fan used to being in Memphis the second weekend of September … well, we’re just saying.
For more information, visit southernheritageclassic.com.
