It's been a football tradition in Louisiana and in New Orleans for almost 50 years. It's also a marching band tradition too. It is The Bayou Classic. An annual college football clash between Louisiana's to most famous historically black colleges and universities, namely Southern University and Grambling State.

The two teams normally meet over Thanksgiving weekend in New Orleans. It's part football game, part family reunion, party cultural event as fans from both schools gather for the game, and the always entertaining halftime show.

This year, because of COVID-19 officials with the SWAC Council of Presidents decided to suspend fall sports. They later agreed to hold football games in the spring. That brings us to April 17th and Independence Stadium in Shreveport. That was announced earlier this week as the location of this year's Bayou Classic.

Now another factor that figured into the Bayou Classic taking a one-year hiatus from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans is the fact that the venue will be undergoing some renovations in the spring. Since the building isn't usually hosting major sporting events during the spring months the work had already been scheduled for that time.

Just to be clear, this will not be a permanent move for the game. The 2021 Bayou Classic is set for New Orleans next November. Unless 2021 turns out to be as excruciating as the year 2020 has been. Let's hope that won't be the case and let's hope we get a beautiful spring day in April to watch one of the greatest rivalries in all of collegiate sports and I'm just talking about the battle of the bands.

 

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