Delaware State vs Norfolk State Football Contest California Bound

Dover, DE --- Delaware State University has announced that the Hornets' November 10, 2001 football contest against Norfolk State University will be played in San Diego, CA at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the National Football League San Diego Chargers.

The game, dubbed the Fifth Annual Gold Coast Classic, will kick off at 3:00 pm Pacific Time.

The Gold Coast Classic, created by the San Diego African-American Sports Association in 1997, features top teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

The Delaware State/Norfolk State contest was originally scheduled to be played at DSU's Alumni Stadium in Dover, DE.

"The Gold Coast Classic is a major event in Southern California," DSU Director of Athletics Dr. Hallie Gregory said. "We believe the experience of playing in San Diego and participating in such an event would be a great for our university and the football team."

Delaware State is the fourth Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) school invited to compete in the game. Howard University and Morgan State University played in the first Gold Coast Classic in 1997, and Norfolk State returns to the game after competing against Texas Southern in the 2000 contest.

Grambling and Winston-Salem State played in the 1998 and '99 classics.

Attendance for the Gold Coast Classic has ranged from 24,000 for the 1997 game to 29,000 for the first Grambling-Winston-Salem contest. The Norfolk State-Texas Southern contest attracted more than 26,000 fans last year.

The trip to California will be a first for the Delaware State University football team.

"We believe the trip will bring great exposure to Delaware State University, in addition to offering a once-in--a-lifetime experience for our players, as well as members of the band and cheerleaders," Gregory added.

The Gold Coast Classic is the brainchild of Gerry Warren, Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego African-American Sports Association.

"The goal of the classic is to bring an important part of the African American culture to the City of San Diego," Warren said. "None of this would be possible without the contributions of sponsors and other organizations. The event is much more than a football game."

In past years, the Gold Coast Classic has featured a Black College & Career Expo, concerts by nationally known performers, a celebrity golf tournament, scholarship dinner, step show, and battle of the bands.

The change of venue for the Norfolk State contest means Delaware State will play just three games at its home stadium during the 2001 season, although the Hornets will serve as hosts for the Richard Allen Football Classic against Bethune-Cookman on October 6 at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium.

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