Eddie Robinson Classic

The Eddie Robinson Classic was a college football "kickoff" game played in late August from 1997 through 2002 at various sites. The game was named after legendary Grambling coach Eddie Robinson. Until 2002, the NCAA only allowed for teams to play a 12 game regular season schedule if the first game were a licensed Classic such as the Eddie Robinson Classic, the Pigskin Classic, or the Kickoff Classic. In 2002 the NCAA ended the allowance of an extra 12th game, thus effectively ending the Classics.[1] Kickoff games would later see a revival in 2008, when the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game was organized as a neutral-site game held in Atlanta, Georgia, followed by the most prominent kickoff game, the Cowboys Classic in Arlington, Texas.

Game results

Year Date Site Winning team Losing team
 1997   August 28  Ohio Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio State 24 Wyoming 10
1998 August 29 Memorial Stadium
Lincoln, Nebraska
Nebraska 56 Louisiana Tech  27
1999 August 28 Notre Dame Stadium
South Bend, Indiana
Notre Dame 48 Kansas 13
2000 August 26 Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas State 27 Iowa 7
2001 August 25 Camp Randall Stadium
Madison, Wisconsin
Wisconsin 26 Virginia 17
2002 August 24 Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
Florida State    38 Iowa State 31

References