Bayou Classic

The annual clash in New Orleans between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars represents the fiercest and most anticipated in-state football rivalry in Louisiana and the most significant national game to feature historically black colleges and universities. More than a contest, the Bayou Classic is a lavish event, featuring celebrities, a fan festival, and a halftime "Battle of the Bands" that offers an intensity equal to that of the action on the gridiron. In Bayou Classic, Thomas Aiello chronicles the contest that became the Bayou Classic, providing not only a history of the game but also an exploration of the two schools' broader significance to Louisiana, to sports, and to the black community.