Money and restrictive schedules have made Classics harder to come by, but Southern athletic director Roman Banks is hopeful that changes

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is not officially termed a “Classic,” but Southern Athletic Director Roman Banks is hopeful he sees a little bit of the Classic mentality out on the Bluff this weekend.

The simplest way he could encapsulate the classic spirit was to say “it’s a big celebration of love in a competitive spirit.”

That competition extends well beyond the playing field for the parties involved.



“Traditionally, HBCUs celebrate themselves a little differently,” Banks said. “People come together and they’re tailgating out there, but also sharing. You get a chance to enjoy my gumbo while I tell you why I’m better than you.”

Banks enjoys these types of affairs. He is hopeful they can be a more frequent occurrence at Southern under his direction.

It is Southern’s first game against a school from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, its fellow HBCU conference, since ...

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