'Soul Bowl' has lot on line for Jackson State and Alcorn State

JACKSON, Mississippi — It doesn't get much bigger than this for Jackson State — or rival Alcorn State, for that matter.

Since July, Saturday's meeting between the in-state SWAC rivals has been one of the most anticipated in series history, simply because of the location.

That was when Alcorn announced it was moving the game to its stadium in Lorman, ending an 18-year run at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (JSU's home turf) as the Capital City Classic. Braves fans rejoiced, while some Jackson State fans and city of Jackson employees fumed.

The Magnolia Heritage Classic: Return of the Soul Bowl — as it's billed by Alcorn — is set for a 2 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Spinks-Casem Stadium. Alcorn added 2,500 temporary seats to accommodate what school officials expect to be a record crowd at the 22,500-seat stadium.

Those added seats could come in handy. Not only does the game mark the return of the series to the Alcorn campus for the first time in nearly 20 years, but both teams have plenty to play for.

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