A full week of concerts, tailgating, a golf tournament and a downtown parade will lead up to kickoff of the first Gulf Coast Challenge, a Southwestern Athletic Conference football matchup between Alabama A&M University and Southern University set for Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.
Alabama A&M will serve as the designated home team when the Southern University Jaguars travel in for the 4 p.m. kickoff, but organizers say the event is designed to be far more than a single football game. The matchup is being staged jointly by the Mobile Sports Authority and the Gulf Coast Challenge Committee, and it replaces the 5th Quarter Classic, an earlier HBCU showcase that for years drew tens of thousands of visitors to Mobile and generated millions of dollars in estimated economic impact for the city.
“College football is a huge event, and having the opportunity to host two of the largest HBCU football teams in the South speaks volumes for our city,” said Tim Hale, executive director of the Gulf Coast Challenge. “The Gulf Coast Challenge will add to the many attractions that Mobile already has to boast about as football fans flock to the city to partake in the events for that week.”
Mobile Sports Authority Executive Director Danny Corte said the event builds on momentum the city has built hosting HBCU football weekends in recent years. “As we have for the past two years, we are very excited to be hosting another HBCU football weekend in Mobile this fall,” Corte said. “With the excitement that both Southern University and Alabama A&M will bring, we expect this event to be one fans of both schools will not want to miss, as we’re putting together a fun-filled weekend of events for all to enjoy.”
The festivities begin Wednesday morning with a college and career fair at the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel, running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and giving area students a chance to connect with recruiters and admissions staff from both universities. That evening, a kickoff concert featuring hip-hop pioneer Doug E. Fresh is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Cathedral Square in downtown Mobile.
Thursday’s schedule shifts to the links, with the Gulf Coast Challenge HBCU golf tournament teeing off at 8 a.m. at Heron Lakes Country Club. Back at the Riverview hotel, an alumni luncheon is set for 11:30 a.m., followed later in the evening by a pep rally at 6 p.m. and an alumni networking mixer at 7 p.m.
The golf tournament resumes Friday morning at Heron Lakes, while the two college teams hold a luncheon at the Riverview at 11:30 a.m. Fans looking for a break from football-related programming can join a bid whist and spades tournament at the hotel from 3 to 6 p.m. The evening ramps up considerably at 6 p.m., when the HBCU Greek Fest, step show and Battle of the Bands take over the Mobile Civic Center. The night closes out with dual after-parties at 9 p.m. — an alumni bash at Azalea Manor and a separate gathering at Club Rain.
Game day itself opens with a parade at 9 a.m. Saturday, presented by Bishop State Community College, that will showcase the marching bands from both Alabama A&M and Southern as they wind through downtown Mobile. Tailgating at Ladd-Peebles Stadium begins at noon, followed by a second line procession into the stadium at 3 p.m. ahead of the 4 p.m. kickoff. Once the final whistle blows, the celebration continues at 9 p.m. with closing gatherings at the Mobile Museum of Art and Club Rain.
Tickets for the full slate of Gulf Coast Challenge events are available through thegulfcoastchallenge.com or by calling 251-281-8202.
Organizers expect a heavy contingent of traveling Southern fans making the roughly 200-mile drive up Interstate 10 from Baton Rouge, while Alabama A&M supporters face a longer trip of about 355 miles down from Huntsville. The two programs have met on the football field since 1939, and Southern enters as the reigning victor after a 35-14 win last season that helped head coach Dawson Odums extend his streak of winning seasons to five straight.
Southern brings back several key contributors from that squad, including offensive lineman Jeremiah Abby and safety Andrea Augustine, both of whom earned first-team preseason all-SWAC honors for a second consecutive year. Augustine anchors a defense that also features senior defensive back and return specialist Demario Houston, who was named to the Black College Football Hall of Fame Player of the Year Watch List after piling up 53 tackles last season. On offense, quarterback John Lampley returns as the Jaguars’ most experienced passer, while running back Devon Benn, who averaged 5.1 yards per carry for 442 yards and four touchdowns a year ago, and receiver Jamar Washington, who tied for ninth in the conference in catches as a true freshman, give Southern a proven backfield and receiving threat.
Alabama A&M enters the Gulf Coast Challenge under new head coach Connell Maynor, who drew a large turnout of Bulldog alumni to the news conference at Ladd-Peebles Stadium announcing the new event. The Bulldogs return 13 starters overall, including six from a defense that ranked second in the SWAC a season ago. Defensive lineman Vernon Moland, who racked up 35 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2017, and defensive back Dylan Hamilton, who posted 67 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions, both earned spots on the SWAC preseason first team. Pass rusher Yurik Bethune adds another proven piece up front after totaling 46 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five sacks last year.
On offense, quarterback Aqeel Glass returns after throwing for 1,192 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore. Senior receiver Isaiah Bailey, who hauled in 34 catches for 514 yards and six scores while ranking fourth in the league in receiving yards per game despite missing two contests, gives Glass a reliable target, while running back Jordan Bentley looks to build on a freshman season in which he gained 851 yards after an injury limited him to 427 yards on 107 carries as a sophomore.
City and tourism officials are hoping the new event can match or exceed the crowds and economic activity generated by past HBCU football weekends in Mobile, cementing the Gulf Coast Challenge as an annual fixture on the city’s fall calendar alongside its other college football traditions.