Classic Flyer: Photo courtesy: Google Images
The Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman rivalry is ingrained in both schools’ cultures, with students and alums participating feverishly in advance of the annual showdown on Saturday.
The rivalry extends beyond the football field. Fans from both colleges turn to social media weeks before the game to criticize the rival team.
Around the time of the Florida Blue Florida Classic in Orlando, memes, and photographs trashing the rival school fill Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. When it comes to this “friendly fire,” the cleverer the tweet or post, the better.
The Florida Classic weekend brings together college friends, family and supporters to exhibit their school passion for the standoff between the FAMU Rattlers and the B-CU Wildcats for bragging rights.
FAMU has a good chance of winning the 2022 classic. The Rattlers are 8-2, which places them second in the SWAC East. FAMU’s football team has won eight straight games. Bethune-Cookman’s stands at 2-8, placing them fifth in the SWAC East.
Mike Cobb, a fourth-year accounting major, feels strongly that FAMU is the superior school, therefore having no competition with FAMU.
“I don’t really feel like there is a feud,” Cobb said. “We are better than them.”
However, it appears that the remarks on social media have become venomous. FAMU defeated Bethune-Cookman last year following a nine-game winning run by B-CU from 2011 to 2019. FAMU and BCU have competed in the classic since 1925, when FAMU won 25-0.
The trash talk is even more amusing when it’s between FAMU and B-CU friends and relatives. During the half-time show, the trash talking reaches new heights.
The Marching 100 and the Marching Wildcats are influential bands well-known around the country. Some B-CU fans may argue that the Marching 100 disrespected B-CU by stepping on their school flag at the end of last year’s half-time show.
Even before the season began, both institutions’ fans were focused on the season’s final game. Even though social media messages sometimes get out of hand when the classic comes near, fans rarely seem to hold grudges for too long.
Saturday is sure to add another chapter to the rivalry between the two colleges. It is more than simply a football game; it is one of the most heated rivalries in Black college football. Every year, the game attracts tens of thousands of dollars.
This is the 76th time the two institutions have met. Overall, the rivalry between the two universities is beneficial to the game. It’s like attending a family gathering and making fun of your little cousins. All in the name of HBCU pride, o