State Fair Classic 2026: Grambling, Prairie View Set for Another Dallas Showdown
DALLAS, Texas (TXAN 24) — The State Fair Classic returns to the Cotton Bowl this weekend, bringing Grambling State University and Prairie View A&M University together for another chapter of one of the most recognizable HBCU football traditions in Dallas.
But during Monday’s press conference at Fair Park, the message from both programs was clear: Saturday’s matchup is about much more than the final score.
The 101st State Fair Classic will take place Saturday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. as the Tigers and Panthers meet in a game surrounded by the sights, sounds and culture of the State Fair of Texas.
“This game is much more than just football,” Dallas City Council Member Adam Bazaldua said during the press conference. “It’s a tradition that brings together two historic HBCUs and thousands of fans, alumni, and families right here in our city.”
That tradition was a recurring theme throughout the event.
The State Fair Classic has become an annual gathering point for students, alumni, families and fans from across the country.
Dallas Sports Commission Executive Director Monica Paul noted that the event has become part of the cultural fabric of Dallas, with tens of thousands of people coming to the city for the Classic and its surrounding festivities.
The matchup also serves as the opening-weekend centerpiece for the 140th State Fair of Texas.
The football game is only one part of the weekend. Fans will also experience concerts, alumni events, the Battle of the Bands and other activities surrounding the Classic.
This year’s entertainment lineup includes the “SWAC Country Showdown,” with performances scheduled before the game, along with an R&B performance later Saturday evening.
The combination of football, music, the State Fair and HBCU culture makes the Classic a distinctly Dallas experience.
On the football side, neither coaching staff seemed interested in allowing records to define Saturday’s matchup.
Prairie View head coach Tremaine Jackson pushed back when Grambling Athletic Director Dr. Trayvean Scott referred to Prairie View as the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion.
“We’re not defending anything,” Jackson said. “There’s no trophy that’s been given out this year.”
Jackson emphasized that Prairie View views every SWAC West matchup as a championship-style game and said the focus has to remain on the current season.
Grambling head coach Mickey Joseph echoed the sentiment.
“You can’t look at records when it come down to this game,” Joseph said.
The Tigers enter the Classic after facing TCU, while Prairie View enters the matchup looking to establish itself as SWAC play gets underway.
For both programs, however, the history of the Classic creates an environment that is difficult to compare with a typical regular-season game.
One of the more significant conversations of the afternoon came from Joseph, who discussed the challenges HBCU programs face when trying to retain players in the current transfer-portal era.
Joseph said Grambling has seen players recruited away from the program and argued that additional financial resources could help HBCUs keep the talent they develop.
“If everybody start donating and give us the million, $2 million dollar roster,” Joseph said, “we can hold them.”
His comments highlighted an issue affecting college football programs across the country, while also placing particular emphasis on the financial challenges facing HBCUs.
For Joseph, supporting HBCU football means supporting the institutions themselves. “We’re the developers,” he said, referring to HBCUs developing players who can subsequently be recruited elsewhere.
Grambling Athletic Director Dr. Trayvean Scott also used the platform to highlight the historical significance of the weekend.
Grambling is celebrating its 125th anniversary, while the university is also recognizing 100 years of the World Famed Tiger Marching Band and 100 years of Grambling athletics.
Scott described the State Fair Classic as an opportunity to showcase “Black excellence” through football, education, music, entertainment, alumni and community.
That message extended beyond the two football programs.
The Classic has become a gathering place for HBCU alumni and supporters from across the country, with fans expected to travel to Dallas for the weekend.
Despite the competitive nature of the matchup, both coaches repeatedly emphasized their respect for one another.
Joseph and Jackson acknowledged their relationship away from the field while making it clear that the friendship disappears for the approximately two hours they’re competing.
“We’re friends on this stage,” Joseph said. “But we’re going to put that aside for about two hours and we’re going to get after each other. And then when it’s over, we’re going to hug each other.”
That combination of competition and mutual respect has become part of what makes the Classic unique.
Jackson, meanwhile, said his attention was already turning toward preparing his team for what he described as a very good Grambling football team.
Saturday’s State Fair Classic will once again place two historic HBCUs in the Cotton Bowl, but the weekend represents something larger for Dallas.
It’s football.
It’s the bands.
It’s the State Fair.
It’s alumni returning home.
It’s families creating traditions.
And it’s thousands of people gathering around two institutions with deep histories in Black higher education and athletics.
The 2026 State Fair Classic kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park.
For one weekend, Dallas becomes the meeting place for Grambling, Prairie View and the communities that have helped make the State Fair Classic a century-old tradition.
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