(Miami, Florida – May 22, 2025) — During a press conference from Miami’s historic Hampton House on Wednesday, Howard University Athletics Director Kery Davis sent a message to Florida A&M University, the Bison’s opponent for the 2025 Invesco QQQ Orange Blossom Classic, which will take place at Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium Saturday, Aug. 30. 

“The tagline for this game is ‘Built on History. Fueled by Pride,’ but I’d like to say that we see this game as being fueled by revenge,” Davis said, referencing the 2023 Celebration Bowl, in which Howard — winners of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference — suffered a hard-fought 30-26 loss to Florida A&M — winners of the Southwestern Athletic Conference — before a packed house at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 

The game, which was for the Black College Football Championship, was the last time the two teams faced off and the 40th time in history in which the teams have met. This year’s Orange Blossom Classic will be an opportunity for Howard to exact revenge and get their 2025 season off to a solid start. 

“Both of these institutions have storied legacies, and over the years have had some competitive matchups,” Davis said. “But we know what we’re capable of and we look forward to getting out there in this game to set the tone for what we believe will be a successful season.”  

Howard University Head Coach Larry Scott, a south Florida native, was excited to be home to promote the game and discuss how his team is preparing for the moment. 

“This really is a full-circle moment for me, having the opportunity to bring my team here for this game, which means so much to the community and the HBCU culture,” Scott said. “And playing Florida A&M to kick off the season is special because we want to close out the season playing for a championship and could very well do so against them in this year’s Celebration Bowl.” 

The 2025 Orange Blossom Classic holds significant meaning because it features the two teams that played in the inaugural Orange Blossom Classic in 1933. Founded by J.R.E. Lee Jr., the son of then FAMU president J.R.E. Lee Sr., the first Orange Blossom Classic was played on a “blacks only” field in Jacksonville, Florida. FAMU won 9-0 before a crowd of 2,000. It would be another 41 years before the teams would meet again in the classic, a closely contested 17-13 victory for FAMU. The classic was retired in the late 1970s but returned in 2021 with the hard work of Kendra Bullock, who now serves as the classic’s executive director. Since 2021, the game has been played at the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Miami Dolphins. In that game, Jackson State University, then coached by NFL legend and current University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, narrowly defeated FAMU 7-7 in a game that aimed to return the classic to its intended mission of celebrating HBCUs.  

Everything about the game is steeped in history and tradition. The fact that the press conference was held at the historic Hampton House was a nod to Black culture. The venue, now a museum, was once a hotel for Black celebrities who could perform in some of Miami’s most popular hotels but not stay there. In its heyday, it wasn’t uncommon for the likes of Muhammad Ali, Ella Fitzgerald, or Harry Belafonte to walk through its doors.  

Following the press conference, participants were taken on a tour of the building, entering the very rooms where those Black luminaries stayed. The hotel was the scene for the 2020 film “One Night in Miami,” that tells the story of how Ali, Malcom X, singer Sam Cooke and football star Jim Brown gathered to discuss their commitment to the Civil Rights movement. 

“Being here at the Hampton House on a street known as ‘Unity Boulevard,’ means so much to me,” Scott said. “And unity is what this is all about. Howard and Florida A&M may be rivals, but we’re both a part of the HBCU legacy and committed to seeing that our student athletes are prepared to graduate and go be leaders in their communities. And that’s what makes us winners.” 

Bison Nation can secure tickets now for the 2025 Invesco QQQ Orange Blossom Classic. There is a special Bison room block at the Hollywood Beach Marriott. Reservations must be made by Aug. 1. For more information on the classic’s weekend of activities, visit www.orangeblossomclassic.com.