New Orleans Might not Host the 2020 Bayou Classic

The annual Bayou Classic game might be in jeopardy of not being played in New Orleans this year or even next year in 2021. The Bayou Classic consists of Grambling and Southern Universities locking up every year. Other than the game, fans also look forward to the performances from both University bands.

NEW ORLEANS - The Southwestern Athletics Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors will have a meeting in late June about 2020 Fall sports.

In the scheduled meeting officials will talk about which will host the 2020 and 2021 Bayou Classics.

Southern University Athletic Director, Roman Banks, gave a conflicting statement Saturday morning saying that the 2020 Bayou Classic will not be played in New Orleans this year, and possibly will not be played in 2021.

Banks did not give specifics as to why the city might not host the annual game but COVID-19 has forced many conventions, events, and sports slated for the fall to be cancelled.

Bayou Classic Committee and Management Company gave a statement via email regarding the statement Banks made:

There has been no decision about the Bayou Classic and any such statements about where the Bayou Classic might be played are premature. The Southwestern Athletics Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors have a late June meeting where matters related to Fall sports will be discussed.

The Bayou Classic is an annual football game of the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) between Grambling University and the Southern Jaguars. The game as it is known today was first played in Tulane Stadium in New Orleans although the series itself started in 1932.

As of now, no announcement has been made as to where the game will be played but Banks mentioned Tiger Stadium and Independence Stadium as possibilities.