Pioneering Teams Play for Love of the Game
On December 27, 1892, Biddle College (present-day Johnson C. Smith University) and Livingstone College made history as the first Black colleges to face off in an intercollegiate football game.
The momentous match took place on Livingstone’s snow-covered front lawn in North Carolina. With no external incentives besides passion for football, the squad used its own funds to outfit the players.
The women’s department sewed uniforms, while the men equipped their street shoes with makeshift cleats. Together the teams purchased one regulation ball to share.
Hard-Fought Contest and a 5-0 Finish
Braving wintry conditions, the Livingstone Bears hosted Biddle for two 45-minute halves of competitive play. Livingstone appeared to score the lone touchdown off a fumble recovery. However, the snow obscured field markings by then, leading Biddle to dispute the location of the recovery.
Nonetheless, officials awarded the touchdown as the only points that day. Biddle ultimately emerged with a 5-0 victory in the books for this intercollegiate football original. The game marked a turning point for legitimacy and growth for the young sport at Black colleges.
Lasting Commemoration and Inspiration
In 1956, Livingstone dedicated a plaque honoring the pioneering1892 game and its modest beginnings on campus. It memorialized the contest as the start of the rich legacy of HBCU college football that thrives today.
Over a century later in 2015, the Black college football tradition became encapsulated in the Celebration Bowl postseason game and trophy.
The annual meeting between HBCU conference champions remembers the past while showcasing the talent that originated on snowy fields played purely for the love of the game.
