by Daniel Johnson
August 24, 2025
The rivalry will probably be held at Raymond James Stadium, the house of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The rivalry between the Southern College Jaguars and the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats will probably be receiving a venue improve and a brand new title, befitting the event, in accordance with a press launch from Bethune-Cookman College.
In line with Andre “Fortunate” White, a Tampa native and government director of the Tampa Bay Soccer Basic, the rivalry will now have the premium venue that followers of each applications have lengthy sought since it will likely be held at Raymond James Stadium, the house of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which it additionally shares with the College of South Florida.
“The Tampa Bay Soccer Basic will probably be one of many Tampa Bay Space’s most extremely anticipated occasions, offering alternatives for everybody to benefit from the traditions and pleasure surrounding the soccer sport. This occasion brings our communities collectively to have fun and share within the tradition, sportsmanship, and richness of the Tampa Bay Space and its wealthy HBCU tradition,” White acknowledged.
In line with Michael E. David, founding father of the Tampa Bay Soccer Basic, the Unique Battle of the Bands, and an alum of Florida A&M College’s Marching 100, along with the sport, there will probably be a marching band competitors side of the weekend’s festivities.
“The keenness and vitality that the Tampa Bay Soccer Basic will create a one-of-a-kind ambiance, celebrated all through the Tampa Bay Space. We’re equally thrilled to introduce our new marching band sport particular occasion property in Band VERZUZ Band. Band VERZUZ Band is the candy musical science within the precision of the game of marching band,” David added.
Per the press launch, the sport is anticipated to create between $10-$30 million for the Tampa space economic system.
In 2023, the groups additionally shared a impartial web site sport at an NFL stadium in Florida, this time, it was at TIAA Financial institution Discipline, the house of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Previous to that, and final 12 months, the groups alternated residence websites at every college and have competed towards one another intermittently since 1981, sadly, for Bethune-Cookman, they’ve but to beat the Jaguars, holding an 0-7 report within the matchup regardless of taking Southern right down to the wire within the newest sport between the 2 sides in 2024.
Sadly, for Southern, they had been soundly defeated within the season opening MEAC/SWAC Problem at Georgia State’s Middle Parc Stadium by the North Carolina Central College Eagles who rode the sport’s MVP, working again Chris Mosley, and his 174 yards on the bottom en path to a 31-14 drubbing of the Jaguars.
The sport, in soccer phrases, was shut till it wasn’t. Regardless of Southern staying in hanging distance for 2 quarters, a 49-yard landing from Mosley simply earlier than the halftime break that gave NCCU a 17-14 lead was the final time the sport could be shut, because the second half was dominated by the Eagles in all phases of the sport.
North Carolina Central, who performed within the Celebration Bowl final season, confirmed their championship pedigree by keen themselves to a win, selecting up huge performs and stops after they wanted them. Conversely, Southern, regardless of a robust begin, by no means discovered a rhythm after halftime. Southern will look to rebound subsequent week on Aug. 30 towards NFL Corridor of Famer Jerry Rice’s alma mater, Mississippi Valley State.
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