An SEC stadium will host one of the storied HBCU non-conference rivalries when Jackson State travels to play Tennessee State at the home stadium of Vanderbilt this fall.
Tennessee State and Jackson State will meet in the 2026 John A. Merritt Classic on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. The game will be played at FirstBank Stadium, home of the Vanderbilt Commodores, and presented by the Tennessee Titans and ONE Community.
The move gives the rivalry a new stage while keeping the game in Nashville.
Tennessee State said the shift from Nissan Stadium was necessary because of NFL scheduling. The Tennessee Titans are set to host the Chicago Bears in their preseason finale that same weekend. Vanderbilt stepped in to host the event, allowing the John A. Merritt Classic to remain in the city.
Tennessee State 2026 single-game tickets, including the John A. Merritt Classic, will go on sale Monday, June 15 at 9 a.m. CT.
“We are excited to bring the John A. Merritt Classic to FirstBank Stadium and honor Coach John Merritt’s legacy at a venue where he enjoyed tremendous success,” TSU Director of Athletics Dr. Mikki Allen said. “We appreciate the partnership of Vanderbilt University and the Tennessee Titans in helping make this special event possible for our student-athletes, alumni and fans.”
A historic HBCU rivalry gets an SEC stage
The matchup between Tennessee State and Jackson State is one of the most familiar non-conference series in HBCU football. It has also been one of the most visible.
The two programs have met 55 times, with Tennessee State holding a 30-23-2 advantage in the all-time series. The game has largely been tied to Memphis in recent decades, as each of the last 19 meetings came in the Southern Heritage Classic.
Jackson State won the most recent meeting in 2022, taking a 16-3 victory. The last matchup played in Nashville came on Nov. 17, 2001, when Tennessee State beat Jackson State 64-33.
Now the series returns to Nashville with another layer of history attached.
The John A. Merritt Classic honors one of the most important figures in HBCU football history. Merritt became the winningest coach in Tennessee State history, but his legacy also runs through Jackson State. Before arriving at TSU, Merritt spent 11 seasons as head coach at Jackson State, going 63-37-5 and leading the program to an Orange Blossom Classic victory in his final season in 1962.
Merritt’s history at Vanderbilt
FirstBank Stadium also connects directly to Merritt’s Tennessee State legacy.
The stadium was formerly known as Dudley Field, a venue where Merritt’s teams had major success. Merritt went 14-4-1 at Vanderbilt’s stadium, including a 2-1 record against Jackson State.
His first game at the facility came on Oct. 23, 1965, when Tennessee State beat Florida A&M 50-8. One of the most memorable wins came on Oct. 20, 1979, when TSU defeated top-ranked Florida A&M 20-3.
Tennessee State and Jackson State met three times at Dudley Field during Merritt’s tenure. Jackson State won 35-24 in 1978, but Tennessee State answered with back-to-back shutouts, winning 20-0 in 1980 and 21-0 in 1982.
Vanderbilt Vice Chancellor for University Affairs and Athletic Director Candice Lee said the venue adds meaning to the event.
“Coach Merritt led many memorable victories at Dudley Field, making it especially meaningful to welcome this game and TSU back to campus,” Lee said.
The 2026 game will mark Tennessee State’s first game at Vanderbilt as the designated home team since Sept. 21, 1996, when it hosted Florida A&M.
For Jackson State and Tennessee State, it is another chapter in a rivalry that has survived eras, venues and conference changes. This time, the HBCU classic will unfold inside an SEC stadium.