Marion Military Institute in west Alabama to host first HBCU Pigskin Showdown
The first HBCU Pigskin Showdown, an all-star game to be played at Marion Military Institute, will give NFL scouts a chance to see 84 of the best HBCU players compete. Organizers plan to make the Showdown an annual event. (contributed)
A new, all-star college football contest featuring draft-eligible players from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is coming to west Alabama.
The first HBCU Pigskin Showdown is Sunday, Dec. 19, in Marion at Robinson Memorial Stadium on the campus of Marion Military Institute.
NFL scouts are expected to descend on Marion to take a close look at the 84 players scheduled to participate in the event. Alabama Power is title sponsor for the game scheduled to be broadcast live on HBCUGO.TV.
“We are looking forward to establishing an annual event that the state of Alabama can be proud of,” said Chris Williams, executive director and co-founder of the HBCU Pigskin Showdown. “Having a major entity like Alabama Power on board with us truly gets us started relative to creating a lasting foundation in the state.”
Organizers and community partners hope to make this more than just an annual football game, with a weeklong schedule of activities in Marion and nearby Selma, including networking opportunities for the athletes, as well as for HBCU alumni, supporters and administrators. Alabama has the largest concentration of HBCUs in the nation.
Among the events planned in connection with the Pigskin Showdown is a walk by the players across Selma’s historic Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of “Bloody Sunday” in 1965, when voting rights advocates were attacked by state troopers and lawmen.
“Academic and athletic achievement is at the very core of our nation’s historically Black colleges and universities,” said Leslie Sanders, vice president of Alabama Power’s Southern Division. “The HBCU Pigskin Classic will be an incredible opportunity to showcase the talents of student athletes and propel some to a professional football career. Playing the game in an area with such a strong connection to the civil rights movement is also a fitting tribute. Alabama Power is proud to support the HBCU Pigskin Showdown and HBCUs throughout the state.”
Learn more about the Pigskin Showdown and purchase tickets here.
