The band is warming up. The drums are pounding. Tailgates are opening. Alumni are arriving from across the country dressed in school colors, and somewhere in the crowd, somebody is already debating which Tiger program owns the bragging rights.

This isn't just game day.

This is HBCU football.

On Saturday, August 29, 2026, Tennessee State University and Jackson State University will renew one of HBCU football's most intriguing rivalries at Vanderbilt University's FirstBank Stadium in Nashville. Presented by the Tennessee Titans and ONE Community, the John A. Merritt Classic promises to deliver everything fans have come to expect from an HBCU Classic—and something more: a powerful reunion with the legacy of a legendary coach who helped build both programs.

For fans who understand HBCU culture, the football game is only part of the experience.

The real celebration begins long before kickoff.

More Than a Football Game

HBCU Classics have become cultural destinations. They bring together football, marching bands, fashion, food, entertainment, alumni pride, celebrity appearances, community engagement and generations of families who understand that attending an HBCU game can be an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else.

The John A. Merritt Classic is no exception.

Tailgaters will turn Nashville into a sea of school colors, music and food. Alumni will reconnect with classmates they haven't seen in years. Families will introduce younger generations to the traditions they grew up loving. And the sounds of HBCU marching bands will provide the soundtrack to a weekend built around Black excellence, education and history.

For many fans, traveling to an HBCU Classic isn't simply about supporting a football team. It's about coming home.

That is one reason fans routinely travel hundreds of miles for Classics across the country. They come for the rivalry, but they stay for the atmosphere.

They come to see who has the best band.

They come to see who has the best halftime performance.

They come dressed to impress.

They come to eat.

They come to network.

They come to celebrate their school.

And they come because HBCU football creates a sense of community that reaches far beyond the stadium.

A Rivalry Connected by a Legend

What makes the John A. Merritt Classic particularly special is the man whose name sits at the center of it all.

John Ayers Merritt was more than a football coach. He was a builder of programs, a developer of young men and a visionary whose influence continues to be felt throughout HBCU athletics.

Before becoming the legendary head coach at Tennessee State, Merritt spent 11 seasons at Jackson State. From 1953 through 1962, he built Jackson State into a respected football program, compiling a 63-37-5 record and finishing his tenure with an Orange Blossom Classic victory.

Then came Tennessee State.

Merritt spent 21 seasons leading the Tigers from 1963 through 1983, transforming TSU into one of the most dominant programs in college football. His record speaks for itself: 172 victories, just 33 losses and one tie, along with four national championships.

But statistics tell only part of the story.

Merritt helped establish Tennessee State as a pipeline for professional football talent. Players including Richard Dent, Claude Humphrey, Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Joe Gilliam carried the TSU name into the NFL, proving that HBCUs could develop athletes capable of competing—and succeeding—at the highest level.

And then there was the cigar.

For generations of football fans, the image of Coach Merritt pacing the sideline with a cigar in his hand became almost as recognizable as his championship record. It represented confidence, control and the swagger of a coach who expected his team to win.

Today, that spirit lives on through the Classic bearing his name.

A Rivalry With History

Tennessee State and Jackson State have been battling for decades, creating one of the most recognizable matchups in HBCU football.

The Tigers of Tennessee State currently hold a 30-23-2 advantage in the all-time series. The most recent meeting came in 2022, when Jackson State defeated Tennessee State 16-3.

But the rivalry has an especially deep connection to Nashville.

During Merritt's tenure, Tennessee State and Jackson State met three times at Vanderbilt's historic Dudley Field. After Jackson State defeated TSU 35-24 in 1978, Merritt's Tigers answered with consecutive shutouts—20-0 in 1980 and 21-0 in 1982.

Now, more than four decades later, the rivalry returns to Vanderbilt.

That makes the 2026 Classic more than a return to Nashville. It is a return to a place where Merritt created some of the memories that helped define his remarkable career.

The Sound and Soul of HBCU Football

Ask an HBCU fan what makes a Classic special and the answer may not begin with the quarterback or running back.

It may begin with the band.

HBCU marching bands are cultural institutions in their own right. Their performances transform stadiums into concert halls, bringing precision, musicianship, choreography and showmanship to the field.

The bands aren't background entertainment.

They are part of the competition.

Fans compare performances. Alumni celebrate their school's musical traditions. Social media lights up with clips of halftime shows and signature arrangements. The energy in the stadium can reach another level when the bands take the field.

That pageantry is one of the reasons HBCU Classics attract audiences well beyond traditional football fans.

And then there is the fashion.

Classic weekend is an opportunity to represent. School jackets, custom suits, dresses, sneakers, hats and accessories turn the stadium and surrounding tailgates into a fashion showcase. HBCU pride isn't something fans simply wear—it is something they display.

Where Celebrities, Community and Culture Meet

HBCU Classics have also become major social gatherings, attracting entertainers, athletes, business leaders, media personalities, alumni and community influencers.

The celebrity atmosphere is part of the excitement, but the deeper story is the connection between entertainment and purpose.

The John A. Merritt Classic uses the spotlight to celebrate Tennessee State University, HBCU excellence and educational opportunity. As a signature event for TSU, the Classic helps generate scholarship support and resources for future generations.

That mission gives the celebration substance.

It isn't simply about having a good time.

It is about making sure the next generation has an opportunity to attend college, graduate and become the leaders of tomorrow.

Why Fans Keep Coming Back

There are football games everywhere.

There are concerts everywhere.

There are festivals everywhere.

But HBCU Classics combine all of those experiences with something that cannot be manufactured: tradition.

Families pass the experience from generation to generation. Alumni return because the stadium reminds them of where they came from. Students create memories that may last a lifetime. Fans travel because they know that for one weekend, an HBCU community can come together in a way that feels both massive and personal.

For AMPS Magazine, that is what makes the John A. Merritt Classic worth celebrating.

It represents the very best of HBCU culture—competition without losing community, entertainment with purpose, history connected to the future, and pride that stretches far beyond the scoreboard.

On August 29, Nashville will welcome two proud Tiger traditions back to FirstBank Stadium.

The bands will play.

The tailgates will come alive.

The stands will shake.

The rivalry will resume.

And above it all, the legacy of John Ayers Merritt will be present.

Two Tigers. One legendary coach. Decades of rivalry. Generations of HBCU pride.

This isn't just a Classic.

This is a celebration of who we are, where we came from and where we're going.