JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson State University (JSU) announced on Friday, February 11 that the 2022 Southern Heritage Classic game between JSU and Tennessee State University will be played as originally planned. According to a statement from the university, this will be the final Southern Heritage Classic between the two teams.
On Wednesday, February 2, JSU announced its termination of their participation in the game. At the time, JSU stated that their governing athletic conference, Southwestern Athletic Conference, has entered an agreement that conflicts with their agreement with the Southern Heritage Classic Agreement.
Last week, confidential legal correspondence between Jackson State University and Summitt Management Corporation was leaked, which did not reflect the ongoing communication between the parties. We understand how football fans plan to attend games months in advance, and it was never our intent to abruptly cancel participation during the 2022 season.
The 2022 Southern Heritage Classic game between JSU and Tennessee State University will be played as originally planned. We are pleased with this conclusion and look forward to bringing the SWAC Championship JSU Tigers back to Memphis in September for one final battle on the gridiron.
Jackson State University
Starting in 1990, the Southern Heritage Classic is an annual HBCU football game between the JSU Tigers and the Tennessee State University Tigers.