Johnson C. Smith University and Albany State University will face off in the 2026 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in Canton, bringing two reigning conference champions to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium during Labor Day weekend.
The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sept. 6 and will be broadcast by NFL Network, according to organizers. Tickets start at $40.
Johnson C. Smith, representing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, enters the matchup after a 10-2 season in 2025 that included a 45-21 victory over Virginia Union in the CIAA championship game and a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Golden Bulls, coached by Maurice Flowers, fell 21-7 to Frostburg State in the quarterfinals.
Albany State, of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, is coming off a 12-2 campaign that included three wins over defending conference champion Benedict College. The Golden Rams advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals as a No. 1 seed.
The matchup marks the second straight year the “Clash at the Classic” has featured champions from the CIAA and SIAC, two conferences made up primarily of historically Black colleges and universities.
Albany State head coach David Bowser enters his first season leading the program but is familiar with Johnson C. Smith, having served as a special assistant to Flowers during the 2025 season.
“The Pro Football Hall of Fame is proud to move into Year 7 of playing the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic game in Canton, Ohio, on Labor Day Weekend,” Hall of Fame President and CEO Jim Porter said in a statement. “We are excited that this partnership is bringing two newcomers from the CIAA and SIAC to the region for the weekend.”
The Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic weekend, scheduled for Sept. 3-6, will also feature several community events, including a kickoff 6K, college fair, career fair, Habitat for Humanity Day of Service, golf outing, battle of the bands, tailgate and minority business reception.
Organizers also announced the Black College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which includes Nick Collins of Bethune-Cookman University, Rudy Hubbard of Florida A&M University, Tyrone Poole of Fort Valley State University, Eddie Robinson Jr. of Alabama State University, Jimmy Smith of Jackson State University and Steve Wyche of Howard University.
