State Fair Classic brings Prairie View A&M, Grambling rivalry back to Dallas
State Fair Classic 2026: Prairie View vs Grambling at Cotton Bowl
Prairie View A&M and Grambling State renew their historic HBCU football rivalry this Saturday at the Cotton Bowl for the annual State Fair Classic in Dallas.
DALLAS - The countdown to the start of the State Fair of Texas is on, and a historic college football rivalry is taking center stage in North Texas this weekend.
State Fair Classic
What we know:
The State Fair of Texas opens Friday, setting the stage for the annual State Fair Classic on Saturday.
Prairie View A&M University and Grambling State University will face off at the historic Cotton Bowl, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
Organizers said the event typically draws more than 60,000 fans to the Cotton Bowl.
The rivalry is also one of the biggest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) football events.
The winning team will take home the traveling State Fair Classic championship belt.
What they're saying:
On Monday, the city of Dallas and the Dallas Sports Commission welcomed the head coaches and athletic directors from both universities ahead of the game.
"We've always said there's no more unique atmosphere to play a college football game than right in the heart of the State Fair of Texas in a historic Cotton Bowl, if you can believe that," said Mitchell Glieber, president of the State Fair of Texas.
Decades-Old Tradition
The backstory:
The State Fair Classic is a tradition that dates back more than a century to 1925, when Wiley College faced Langston University.
The matchup between Prairie View A&M and Grambling State moved to the Cotton Bowl in 1985, establishing the game as a major annual event in Dallas.
This year also marks 51 years of Al Wash’s leadership and involvement with the event.
Big picture view:
The event is much more than just a football game.
Fans can expect the traditional halftime showdown between two of the nation's most recognized HBCU marching bands: Prairie View’s Marching Storm and Grambling’s world-famed Tiger Marching Band.
In addition to the game and halftime show, attendees can look forward to pregame and postgame entertainment around the stadium.
The Source: The information in this article comes from organizers and officials with the State Fair of Texas, the Dallas Sports Commission, Prairie View A&M University, and Grambling State University.