Inaugural Bridge Builder Classic Brings HBCU Basketball Showcase to Mobile
The Bridge Builder Classic paired SWAC teams Jackson State, Grambling, B-CU and Alabama State with Mobile-area high schools at the Mitchell Center.
Mobile’s Mitchell Center was set to host the inaugural Bridge Builder Classic on Saturday, Jan. 29 — an exhibition event designed to become what organizers called the ultimate HBCU basketball experience in the city.
The classic was created to boost exposure for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and highlight their role in educating aspiring professionals and developing future leaders.
“With the inception of the Gulf Coast Challenge and Bridge Builder Classic, the city of Mobile is quickly becoming recognized as the ‘Home of HBCU Events,'” said Kevin Ball, the classic’s managing partner, who added that he anticipated the event would become the premier showcase for Southwestern Athletic Conference basketball talent.
The day featured regional SWAC programs Jackson State, Grambling State, Bethune-Cookman and Alabama State, but its distinctive wrinkle was the high school slate played on the same floor earlier in the day — giving local players a taste of the collegiate atmosphere and exposure to college programs.
The high school matchups included Williamson against C.F. Vigor of Prichard, Mattie T. Blount of Prichard against George W. Carver of Montgomery, Jess Lanier of Bessemer against John L. Leflore of Mobile, with games tipping off at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. The college doubleheader followed at 5 p.m., with Jackson State facing Grambling State, and 7 p.m., with Bethune-Cookman taking on Alabama State.
About the teams and the venue
All four college programs on the Bridge Builder Classic card compete in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Bethune-Cookman, based in Daytona Beach, Florida, is the newest of the group, having moved to the SWAC from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2021.
The Mitchell Center, a roughly 10,000-seat arena on the University of South Alabama campus, opened in 1998 and is home to the South Alabama Jaguars basketball teams.
