DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The City of Jacksonville and Bethune-Cookman University announced today that Bethune-Cookman Football will play host to Southern University at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville on October 21, 2023. The game comes during the annual Biketoberfest event in Daytona Beach, Florida.
For the second time in as many years, Bethune-Cookman Football is set to play a game at the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last season, Bethune-Cookman played host to Jackson State at TIAA Bank Field, with the eventual Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Champion Tigers of JSU claiming a hard-fought 48-8 victory over the Wildcats.
"We thrilled to have the opportunity once again to partner with the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Jaguars," Bethune-Cookman Athletic Director
Reggie Theus said. "This is an exciting season for Wildcats football - we look forward to seeing our student-athletes get the opportunity to play in an outstanding facility in front of our great fan and alumni base in Jacksonville."
"The City of Jacksonville is ready to welcome back Bethune-Cookman University to EverBank Stadium with open arms," said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. "This game brings our community together and delivers an important cultural and economic impact. We look forward to welcoming players, students, and fans from throughout the region to our beautiful city."
Annually, B-CU would host the Gateway Classic in Jacksonville throughout the 1980's, 90's and early-to-mid 2000's. The Wildcats hold a record of 29-24-1 all-time at EverBank Stadium. However, prior to last season's contest against Jackson State, Bethune-Cookman had not played at the venue since 2006.
The season's contest between Bethune-Cookman and Southern (La.) marks the first time the two teams will square off since meeting in the 53rd Gateway Classic back in 2006. That contest saw the Jaguars fend off the Wildcats 30-29 in front of a crowd of 23,241 in the season opener for both teams.
In 2022, the Bethune-Cookman/Jackson State game brought in a crowd of 22,373 – the third-largest crowd of the season for the Cats after games at Miami (Fla.) and the annual Florida Blue Florida Classic contest against Florida A&M in Orlando, Florida at Camping World Stadium.
The Marching Wildcats and the SU Marching Band will be in attendance for the contest.
Tickets for the BCU vs. Southern (La.) game will be made available Friday, August 11, at 10 a.m. through
TicketMaster.com, or at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena Box Office, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET.
Follow Bethune-Cookman Football on Twitter (
@BCUGridiron) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (
@BCUathletics), Instagram (
@BCU_Athletics) and
BCUathletics.com.
About the City of Jacksonville Division of Sports and Entertainment
The City of Jacksonville's Division of Sports and Entertainment attracts, hosts and creates opportunities that drive economic impact, accelerate the Jacksonville brand and improve the quality of life and cultural engagement for visitors and residents. Jacksonville hosts hundreds of diverse events each year making Northeast Florida a premier destination with rich tradition and world-class hospitality. For more information, visit
events.coj.net.
