ATLANTA, Ga. (August 10, 2021) — ESPN’s expanded relationship with the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) will feature 22 football games this fall aired exclusively across ESPN platforms including, ESPNU, ESPN3 and ESPN+ announced Tuesday by the league office.
“We are pleased to extend and expand our relationship with ESPN this fall,” said SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore. “This year’s games will include an exciting mix of both traditional and geographic rivalries which, coupled with our extremely passionate fans, will provide SIAC member schools and student-athletes with an unprecedented amount of ESPN national exposure opportunities.”
This year’s mania will include some of the conference’s biggest classics and rivalries including the inaugural Red Tails Classic, Fountain City Classic and the 85th Annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic.
Every Saturday from September 4th through November 13th will feature a SIAC matchup.
The season will begin with Benedict College and Allen University, a rivalry renewed after a half century hiatus. The SIAC will be the college football Thursday night feature on ESPNU as Benedict takes on Edward Waters on September 9th. Reigning champ Miles College will receive plenty of air time including matchups with in-state and divisional rival Tuskegee as well as Albany State, a rematch of the 2019 conference title game.
Rivalries are the highlight of this year’s schedule. Fans of Albany State, Fort Valley State and Savannah State will be able to enjoy every game of the triangular rivalry between the three Georgia public HBCUs. Matchups like the Battle of the AUC between Morehouse and Clark Atlanta as well as Central State versus Kentucky State will also be featured.
The season will conclude with the SIAC Football Championship game on November 13th, which will be streamed live on ESPN3 and re-aired on ESPNU the following Sunday.
ESPN is already set to showcase the SIAC during Week 1 of the 2021 college football season with the inaugural Red Tails Classic, a college football event launched by ESPN Events to showcase Historically Black College and Universities. The inaugural game will feature Tuskegee University and Fort Valley State University on Sunday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. ET, on ESPNU. More information is available here.