Brotherly Love HBCU PRIDE LIGHTS UP PHILADELPHIA BY ROB KNOX
Campuses burst with school pride, shared unity, and memories that last a lifetime. Mingling clusters of smiling students and alums navigate parking lots filled with blaring music and the wafting aroma of chicken rising from grills during tailgates. There will be strong hugs of appreciation, selfies snapped, and stories swapped. These scenes are the essence of many homecomings, where for a weekend, alums are transported back to a special place where they Homecoming football games are a cherished cultural tradition among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), capping exhilarating, week-long celebrations of food, fun, and family.
created lasting memories.
"The big picture for HBCUs is that we are more than a Southern tradition," Lincoln University Vice President of Institutional Advancement & Executive Director of the LU Foundation, Harry Stinson, said, "The blueprint began in Philadelphia. The country began here, Lincoln and Cheyney began here, and the first HBCU football classic was played here. Philadelphia must be seen alongside other cities as an important part of HBCU culture. Black excellence is everywhere, and our story will be told on a national stage." Lincoln and Delaware State are part of the region's HBCU fabric, a connection made even stronger by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker's ties to Lincoln as a graduate. Philadelphia is ranked among the top 15 nationally in metro areas for HBCU alums according to a report released earlier this year by the NWI HBCU Alumni Alliance. That makes these games personal while providing another opportunity to showcase the excellence, culture and tradition of HBCU football on
With HBCU football classics played throughout the country during the season, the buzz and pageantry extend far and wide into urban areas like New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and, for the second consecutive year, Philadelphia. However, unlike other cities, Philadelphia will be the site for two HBCU games on consecutive days beginning with Lincoln hosting Virginia Union on Friday, Oct. 30 and Norfolk State meeting Delaware State on Saturday, Oct. 31. As part of One Philly HBCU Week 2026, both games will be played at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the back-to-back NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles. For Philadelphia, it's a full-circle moment as the nation's two oldest HBCUs were founded in the Philadelphia region: Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 1837 and Lincoln University in 1854, the first HBCU in the country to grant college degrees.
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