There are football games, and then there is the Magic City Classic. On Saturday, October 31, 2026, Alabama State and Alabama A&M met at Legion Field in Birmingham for the 85th Magic City Classic, and I was in the stands for it. It was my first time back at the Classic since 2015, when Alabama State beat Alabama A&M 35-20 on Halloween. Some of my photos from that trip are in my Legion Field post.
This time, it was Alabama A&M’s day. The Bulldogs held off Alabama State 31-28 to snap a four-game losing streak in the series, and it came down to the final minutes.
The Setup
This rivalry goes all the way back to 1924, and the Classic has called Legion Field home since 1940. Alabama State came in riding a four-game win streak in the series, including a 56-13 win last year. The Hornets were 4-3 heading into the game. Alabama A&M came in at 6-2, scoring more than 50 points in each of its last two games against Bethune-Cookman and Grambling State.
The Game
Alabama A&M got on the board first when Cornelious Brown hit Jaylan Bean for a 6-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Jareese Howard answered for Alabama State with a 17-yard touchdown run, but Brown found Imari Conley for an 8-yard score, and the Bulldogs blocked an Alabama State field goal try before halftime to keep a 14-7 lead at the break.
The second half went back and forth. Alabama A&M added a 29-yard field goal, Jamarie Hostzclaw scored on a 4-yard run for the Hornets, and Brown ran one in from 9 yards out. Howard scored from 3 yards out to keep Alabama State close. Then Kolton Nero broke a 61-yard run and finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown to make it 31-21 with 3:47 left.
Alabama State was not done. Daionte Hicks returned the ensuing kickoff 86 yards, and Howard scored his third touchdown of the day to cut it to 31-28 with 3:01 left. The Hornets got the ball back after forcing a punt, but a fourth-and-8 pass fell incomplete with 1:09 left, and Alabama A&M ran out the clock.
Brown was named offensive MVP after completing 22 of 35 passes for 216 yards with two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown in his first Classic start. Linebacker DJ Barber was the defensive MVP with a team-high 13 tackles. It was also the first Classic win for Alabama A&M head coach Sam Shade, a Birmingham native.
The Experience
My seat was in Section 36, Row 6, Seat 17, and the ticket was $43 with fees. For a game of this size, that is a great price to be part of one of the biggest events in HBCU football.
Up Next
Alabama A&M moved to 7-2 and 4-1 in the SWAC, and the Bulldogs face Prairie View A&M next. Alabama State fell to 4-4 and 3-3 in the SWAC and plays Texas Southern next.
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