Photo Courtesy: HBCU Gameday
After hurricane Ian negatively affected Florida, Florida A&M University rattlers (FAMU) and
Bethune Cookman University wildcats (BCU) are feeling very apprehensive and believe that
The Florida Blue Classic tradition must go on. Although FAMU had no physical damage, B-CU
ordered the evacuation of all students and staff from the campus. By Friday afternoon, a large
portion of the campus, including historic buildings, suffered considerable damage from flooding
and aggressive winds.
The Florida Blue Classic is currently scheduled for November 19, 2022 at Camping World
Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
A significant portion of the hurricane hit Orlando, Florida, flooding many homes and buildings.
According to click Orlando, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said “While the storm could
have been much worse, we do have an extraordinary amount of debris that is in our
neighborhoods and along our roadways, and it’s going to take some time to clean all of that up
and get our community back, the shining beautiful community that it was pre-storm.”
These circumstances have sparked discussions and increased fear in students and Alumni not
knowing if this game will happen in November.
“This is not just a regular game, this is tradition during the Florida Classic weekend, former
classmates meet together, families celebrate and fans watch the FAMU Rattlers and B-CU
Wildcats compete for supremacy on the football field,” said Brianna Taylor .
Due to the hurricane’s damage to their campus, which made it difficult for the squad to practice,
many wildcats are concerned that Bethune Cookman may not be ready. However, some think
there is still time to make the necessary repairs.
The Florida Blue Classic will bring in a lot of tourists, who will fill up most hotels and AirBnB’s,
thus the money could be used to repair and solve whatever issues the community may have had.
Students are attempting to resume their regular everyday routines in Daytona Beach, Florida,
which has been severely damaged by hurricane Ian. The problem still exists in that Bethune
Cookman University requires assistance and funds to ensure successful reestablishment.
The game is still scheduled for now, and the rattlers are prepared to play. Public Safety in
Orlando, Florida, has been working very quickly to get the town back up and running. With the
assistance of nearby residents, this has been somewhat accomplished.
Javian R. Jones, Former Mister Bethune Cookman from Belle Glade, Florida says this is a
tradition for both schools to come together and give the fans a show.
“Given that the game is still a month away, I think Orlando has ample time to clean up the area
and let the event take place because B-CU has a reputation for surmounting challenges. This is a
custom that unites the two schools and enables us to rejoice.,”said Jones.