JOURNAL SPORTS
Kickoff time is finally set at 6 p.m. for an attractive Sept. 10 college football matchup between Grambling and Northwestern State at Independence Stadium.
The teams, meeting for the first time since 2018, will play in what’s billed as the “Shreveport Classic.”
Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster at this link. Parking information and rates for tailgating are available by contacting the State Fair of Louisiana at 318-635-1361 or via email at info@statefairoflouisiana.com.
The release of ticket information for the contest was woefully late in a contest brokered by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Since the initial agreement was reached well over a year ago, both institutions have gone through transition in their athletic directors’ positions, while Grambling has endured a coaching change and Northwestern has a new president. That turbulence and accompanying change with Sports Commission leadership this spring resulted in much uncertainty and no local promotion of the contest to date.
Fifth-year Northwestern coach Brad Laird and new Grambling coach Hue Jackson will take part in the Shreveport Classic’s pregame press conference Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Stadium Club.
The teams met for the first time at what was then called State Fair Stadium in Shreveport in 1974, while Eddie Robinson was coaching Grambling. The contest was perhaps the first matchup in the Deep South, if not anywhere, between a Historically Black College or University and a predominantly white institution. It drew a near-capacity crowd and came down to the final moments in a narrow Grambling victory.
Grambling is the designated home team for the contest and fans can purchase tickets at the gsutigers.com website. In addition, Tiger fans have the option for prepaid parking or reserved tailgate space (or RV hookups) at the Independence Bowl.
Grambling season tickets include games against Northwestern State, Prairie View A&M (State Fair Classic), Florida A&M, Alcorn State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Homecoming) and are on sale by visiting the GSU Ticket Office or by calling 318.274.2629.
Monday’s announcement means kickoff times for all 11 of Northwestern’s games are set. All four of NSU’s home games all will be played in the afternoon.
NSU will kick off at 3:30 p.m. against Lamar (Sept. 24) and Nicholls (Oct. 1) and at 1 p.m. for Homecoming against Southeast Missouri (Oct. 22) and in the regular-season finale against UIW on Nov. 19. It is thought to be the first time in over 80 years that no nighttime home games will be played by the Demons.