GRAMBLING, LA – An iconic piece of football history between Grambling State University and rival Southern University and A&M College has been donated to a new Smithsonian museum that will open in 2016.

“The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)is excited that Grambling State University, Southern University and the Bayou Classic have decided to donate this beautiful Waterford crystal trophy to the museum,” said Damion Thomas, sports curator for the NMAAHC. “The trophy will help the museum explain the contributions of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to sports in the United States, the unique forms of cultural expression that have emerged from HBCUs and the far reaching implications of football in African American culture.”

The new museum is currently under construction on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Bayou Classic trophy will be among the first exhibits when the 400,000 square-foot facility opens in 2016, featuring exhibits on the richness and diversity of the African American experience.

“The trophy should definitely be in the Smithsonian because of the history of the Bayou Classic and what that trophy has meant to so many people and how many times Coach Eddie Robinson had the chance to host that trophy. It says a lot about Grambling and Southern and the state of Louisiana,” said GSU Football Coach Broderick Fobbs.

The trophy was retired at the conclusion of the 2014 Bayou Classic and has been housed at Southern University’s Baton Rouge campus until its donation. John Rosenthall, vice president of research, advancement and economic development, said it was a “very honorable and humbling experience” to help send the trophy to the Smithsonian, where it can be enjoyed by future generations.

“Almost anyone who has attended an HBCU is well aware of the Bayou Classic. It puts together two of the most productive teams that have sent many players to the NFL. It was a very moving experience for me to be a part of this iconic trophy that is now going to be housed at the Smithsonian,” he said.

The new Bayou Classic trophy is currently being designed. Rosenthal said the trophy is “under lock and key” until it is unveiled at the upcoming Bayou Classic on Nov. 28.

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