PHOTO VIA FLORIDA CITRUS SPORTS
The 2026 Florida Blue Florida Classic (Website) between Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University kicks off Saturday, November 21, at 3:30 p.m. at Camping World Stadium, but it’s really just the centerpiece of a weekend of events running from November 19 through gameday.
This year’s contest marks the 46th Wildcats-Rattlers matchup played under the modern “Florida Classic” brand, and the 81st overall meeting between the two schools, whose rivalry dates back to a 27-17 FAMU win in Tallahassee on October 10, 1925. FAMU leads the all-time series 54-25-1, but Bethune-Cookman won last year’s game 38-34 in front of 55,528 fans, evening the series to a 14-14 draw since the Classic relocated to Orlando in 1997. The event draws close to 60,000 spectators to the stadium each fall, with thousands more filling Tampa Avenue, Lake Lorna Doone Park and the Fan Fest grounds, and generates an estimated $30 million in annual economic impact.
The weekend schedule opens with the Florida Classic Golf Tournament on Thursday, November 19, at Eagle Creek Golf Club. Friday, November 20, brings the Florida Classic Consortium Kickoff Luncheon, presented by Florida Blue, at the Rosen Centre, followed that evening by the Florida Blue Battle of the Bands, presented by Publix, at the Kia Center. Gameday begins with the Florida Classic Fan Fest at Tinker Field, outside Camping World Stadium, ahead of the 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
This year’s game will be played at an adjusted capacity as work continues on a $400 million renovation to Camping World Stadium, set for completion next summer. The project includes an upgraded upper seating bowl, expanded terrace-level concourses with new amenities, a redesigned exterior and a new multipurpose events center.
Halftime festivities remain a signature draw of Classic weekend, featuring FAMU’s Marching 100 and Bethune-Cookman’s Marching Wildcats. The Marching 100, led by Dr. Shelby R. Chipman, has performed at the Olympics, the Super Bowl, a presidential inauguration, the Louis Vuitton Fashion Show in Paris, and, most recently, Coachella. The Marching Wildcats, led by Dr. Donovan V. Wells and known as the Pride of B-CU, number more than 250 members and have appeared on “The Ellen Show,” the Super Bowl, the NFL Pro Bowl and the Netflix special “Marching Orders.”
Additional details on this year’s Florida Classic events will be announced in the coming months.
