The Circle City Classic was one of the first HBCU football games held annually in an NFL stadium. Once one of the top HBCU football classics, the Indianapolis, IN-based neutral site classic hit an all-time low on Saturday.
Attendance between the Morgan State Bears and the Miles College Golden Bears was reported at just 3,000. That number represents just 4.3 percent of the 70,000 fans that can fit into Lucas Oil Stadium for a game.
Alice Watson, president and CEO of Indiana Black Expo, the organization responsible for the Circle City Classic, attempted to put it all in perspective.
“We compete with over 25 classics now. This is one of the original,” Watson told WTHR. “But we’re really trying to figure out how do we morph it into something that’s a little bit different and more meaningful for the community.”
HBCU football comes to the midwest
The Circle City Classic was born in 1984 out of the vision of Rev. Charles R. Williams, president of the Indiana Black Expo. With no HBCUs in Indiana, Williams sought to bring Black college football — and all the culture around it — to Indianapolis. Backed by major sponsors like Coca-Cola and broadcast by BET, the Classic quickly became more than a game. It was a weekend filled with pageants, job fairs, concerts, and marching bands that turned the city into what many called “Chocolate City.”
The inaugural matchup pitted Grambling State and Mississippi Valley State, featuring legends Eddie Robinson, Willie Totten, and Jerry Rice. It grossed half a million dollars at the box office and set the tone for what would become one of the premier HBCU football showcases. Through the 1990s, the event regularly drew 50,000 to 60,000 fans to the Hoosier Dome and RCA Dome. Games like North Carolina A&T versus Southern in 1994 attracted over 62,000, while entertainment giants such as Babyface and Florence Griffith-Joyner graced the festivities. At its peak, the Classic symbolized Black financial empowerment and HBCU star power in the Midwest.
But the game’s fortunes shifted in the 2000s. Williams’ death in 2004 left a leadership void, while changing demographics and an over-saturated market chipped away at its uniqueness. Fans no longer had to travel to Indianapolis as Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago developed their own classics. Sponsorships and payouts declined, while powerhouse programs increasingly opted for higher-paying FBS “money games.” Attendance slipped from the 60,000s to just over 30,000 by the mid-2000s, then into the teens by the 2010s.
“We used to not have those challenges with HBCUs. And we’re now competing with PWIs — predominantly white institutions — where they’re paying a lot more for HBCU teams to come and play them. It’s like upwards to a million dollars,” Watson said.
NFL stadium just too big?
Several iterations of the game saw smaller HBCUs from the midwest — Central State and Kentucky State — attempt to fill the void in the new NFL home of Indianapolis — the massive Lucas Oil Stadium. Attendance continued to diminish, and many in the HBCU community felt that larger, Division I HBCUs would help bring that number up. In recent years the game has featured matchups of MEAC and SWAC schools, but it has not come anywhere near its glory days. In fact, that isn’t even the expectation anymore.
“We attempt to fill a stadium, but the reality is if we hit a number that is somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 in attendance, that’s a huge success,” Watson said.
This once-vibrant showcase once brought national attention to Indianapolis and showcased HBCUs. This year it barely filled 4 percent of the NFL stadium it calls home. It is a sobering reminder of how quickly even the grandest stages can fade.
Maybe it’s me but they do enough on the promotion side
I am from Indy and remember the first classic that is where I saw Jerry Rice. Since I was from the Midwest and did not know of the HBCU’s I found it so fascinating that I went to Tuskegee when I graduated in 1990. I even went to games while in college and even in adulthood. Too many obligations have kept me away the last several years. However, the rise of so many people have to choose where and how far they can to spend there dollar in a time where costs continue to soar. Hopefully things will turn back around and a new love for the classic will fill the void.
Anyone tried NRG HOUSTON AGAIN….USE TO HAVE SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP every Dec
Was a NICE GAME…TIL THEY MOVED IT OUTTA 4th Largest City
In America….js
Historically Black vs Predominantly White
My wife & I were in attendance at this surprisingly good game. It is SAD, however, that the IBE selected 2 teams that don’t have a strong alumni base in Indy/the Midwest. THAT is the primary issue.
IF the IBE is serious about reviving the CCC into THE social event & Classic it once was, it’s time to think outside the box. I’m available for consultation!
Oh, & by the way…There weren’t 3000 in attendance for the Miles/Morgan State game
Try 850-900.
If the HBCU classic are no drawing large attendance in NFL stadiums try working with a HBCU’S that can accommodate 25 to 30 thousand people if that’s possible. They has to be a way to continue the classic .
The problem is, we as a people hold on to titles and position too long. We needed to be breeding the successors of this and other Classics long before now. We need a greater alignment, we need improved communication so fans, Alumni and supporters alike can attend. We need a Media Broadcasting and Streaming deal to generate the necessary revenue.
Also, location matters. Because this Classic can be held in an attractive city like Miami (Dolphins), New Orleans (Saints), or even Vegas (Raiders). The locale plays a huge role in attendance.