The Jackson State football team will once again be placed in the national spotlight this week. On Oct. 29, ESPN‘s “College Gameday” is scheduled to head to Jackson, Mississippi, as the Tigers face longtime rival Southern in this year’s BoomBox Classic.
The longstanding show is one of ESPN’s staple productions, as a group of college football analysts and reporters overlook the week’s action across the nation on-site on the campus of whereever America’s premier game is. While the show has been on-site for HBCU games in the past, it’s usually during “Week Zero” when the MEAC-SWAC Challenge is one of few college football games being played in the country for the week. In this case, however, the crew is coming to Jackson in the middle of conference play during the season.
JSU moved to 7-0 after defeating Campbell 22-14 for homecoming. Southern has a 5-2 record after defeating Virginia University of Lynchburg 51-7.
This is Jackson State’s fourth major national placement in three weeks. On Oct. 16, coach Deion Sanders was profiled in his new venture on “60 Minutes.” On Oct. 21, “Good Morning America” came to Jackson State’s campus at the beginning of the school’s homecoming weekend. On Oct. 22, Shedeur Sanders sat with Michael Strahan for an interview on “FOX Big Noon Kickoff.” JSU supporters have pushed for Shedeur to be included in the Heisman Trophy race this year.
Strahan, who’s featured on “Good Morning America” and “FOX Big Noon Kickoff,” is a client under SMAC Entertainment, the same agency Sanders is signed under. Sanders, also known as “Coach Prime,” said he planned to use his resources to full advantage when he first accepted the JSU coaching job in September 2020.
At the Tigers’ homecoming game on Oct. 22, Coach Prime hosted the cast of “P-Valley,” Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross and Yella Beezy.
