BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — The Southern University Jaguars and the Grambling State University Tigers rivalry is one of the biggest rivalries in Louisiana college football. This year marks the 51st annual Bayou Classic. The matchup is known nationwide as one of the best games between the two Historic Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Historically, the series goes back to the 1930s but wasn't labeled as the Bayou Classic until the 1970s when the universities met in New Orleans. The 51st Bayou Classic will occur at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Here's what to know about the history of this rivalry. Bayou Classic in New Orleans 2024: What to know about events, tickets History of the Bayou Classic According to Southern University Athletics, the Bayou Classic started in New Orleans on Nov. 23, 1974. Grambling State University won five games in a row of the series at the beginning of the annual matchup at Tulane University. The Jaguars finally secured a win in 1979. As of 2024, the Jaguars are trailing in the overall series, 32-33. The National Collegiate Athletics Association reports the competition gained national attention in 1991 when it was picked up by NBC. The matchup continues to be aired on television. Two occasions when the Bayou Classic was not played in New Orleans were after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Former Southern University football head coach Pete Richardson led the Jags to five Black college national championships, 11 SWAC titles and over 175 victories in 27 years. Richardson will be inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame on Friday, Dec. 13. Grambling's former football head coach Eddie Robinson Sr. is recognized as one of the all-time best coaches throughout college football. He directed the Tigers to 17 SWAC titles and nine Black college national championships. Other notable players who met on the gridiron in New Orleans include Doug Williams, Paul "Tank" Younger, Willie Davis, Junious "Buck" Buchanan, Willie Brown, Charlie Joiner, James "Shack" Harris, Aeneas Williams, Mel Blount, Harold Carmicheal, Ken Ellis, Frank Pitts, Rufus Porter, Rich "Tombstone" Jackson and Isiah "Butch" Robinson. Latest News Bayou Classic 2024: Historic football rivalry between Southern University and Grambling State University Town of Fordoche police chief to retire in December Very demure, very 2024: Why this TikTok term was declared word of the year by Dictionary.com Missing man's body found on roof of California business Trump team reviews Boris Epshteyn ‘consulting agreements’ to push potential nominees