The Crusader Newspaper Group

21st Annual Chicago Football Classic creates winners

Morehouse wins with a Hail Mary victory in the final seconds against the Golden Bears

Millions pledged to support HBCU education at CFC

This year’s Classic featured an action-packed game between Morehouse College’s Maroon Tigers and Miles College’s Golden Bears. Sophomore quarterback Michael Sims (Detroit, MI) found senior wide receiver Tremell Gooden (Atlanta, GA) for a 39-yard touchdown on a Hail Mary pass in the last play of the game to win it for Morehouse 23-21.

Sims, a sophomore, brought the crowd of nearly 21,000 fans in Chicago’s Soldier Field to its feet in roaring cheers. With that play, the Maroon Tigers (4-0) stay undefeated while the Golden Bears (0-4) remain winless for the season.

Morehouse College also came away the winner in the half-time Battle of the Bands.

The high school bands waged a fierce competition with Proviso West taking first place; Rich Central second place; and Thornton High finishing third.

But the even bigger winners were the students of Chicago who participated in every aspect of the annual event from the College Scholarship Fair to the Empowerment Seminar, to the vendor fair.

During the annual College Scholarship Fair, hosted in partnership with the City Colleges of Chicago and the Chicago Public Schools, close to 1,500 students spoke with nearly 40

HBCUs and organizations, providing students with on-site admissions, application fee waivers, voter registration and scholarship award applications.

The highlight of the fair was Miles College’s admission of 106 students on the spot and offering 58 scholarships totaling $1,498,000.  Miles has already been invited back to do another recruitment day within CPS.

An additional 75 students were also admitted on the spot to other colleges, and $12,000 in scholarships awarded.   In total, 181 students were admitted to college and $1,510,000 in scholarship money was awarded as a result of the College Fair

A Financial Literacy workshop sponsored by BMO Harris Bank was available for students, parents, teachers and counselors.  Members of Omega Phi Psi Fraternity-Iota Chapter, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority combined Chicago chapters, registered 111 new voters during the Classic.

Co-sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, Sherman Dodge, and Comcast – NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago and NBC Sports Chicago, the Chicago Football Classic’s mission touts the importance of getting a quality HBCU education. More than a football game, the weekend of events promotes the importance of higher education through partnerships with the City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago’s business and philanthropic community.

Participating sponsors include: Ariel Investments, Aramark, Avión, CHA, the City of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, the City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Public Schools, Christmas in the Wards, the Chicago Crusader Newspaper, Citizen Newspapers, ComEd, Crawford Broadcasting, CTA,  Eastlake Management, Fifth Third Bank, Heneghan Wrecking Co., the Hudson Group, Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois State Treasurer, Illinois Bicentennial,  iHeartRadio, Illinois Restaurant Association, INTREN, JB for Governor, Linn-Mathes, Local 134 IBEW, Loop Capital, Madison Construction, Midway Wholesalers, Manny’s, McHugh Construction, Mesirow Financial, Moet Hennessy, Clear Channel Airports, Ombudsman, Premier Catering & Events, Peoples Gas, Providence Bank, Riteway-Huggins Construction, Self-Help Bank, Southwest Airlines, SSP- America, Starbucks Foundation, TrueStar, Uber, Vantage, Walgreens, Wintrust and WVON-AM.

About the Chicago Football Classic

The Chicago Football Classic’s mission is to support educational achievement, promote higher education, encourage culture and excellence, and showcase the spirit and tradition of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing an exciting football game in Chicago that provides financial assistance to college-bound students. The Classic’s events influence students and parents to consider the rich academic opportunities offered by HBCUs.

Recent News

Scroll to Top