Jackson State–Southern University rivalry

The Jackson State–Southern University rivalry (also known informally as the BoomBox Classic since 2010 ) is a college football rivalry between the Jackson State University Tigers and Southern University Jaguars. An annual conference game between two historically black universities in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, its location usually rotates between JSU's Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium and SU's A. W. Mumford Stadium, but it has also been held at larger venues to accommodate the crowds that the game draws. As of 2018, the Jaguars lead the series 33–29 (including two vacated wins. ).

History
The teams first met on November 30, 1929, a 98–0 win by Southern. They did not play again until 1958, when Jackson State joined the SWAC. Since then, the conference rivals have played each other every year—and twice in 1999 and 2013, when Southern defeated Jackson State in SWAC championship games. In fact, both schools are among the most successful SWAC members. Through 2017 Southern has won the second-most SWAC football titles (19), while Jackson State has won the third-most (16); however, Southern was ordered to vacate its 2013 and 2014 wins by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which may cause it to lose its 2013 conference title.

The game draws substantial crowds and has sometimes been played at alternative venues to accommodate the numbers. It was played in Baton Rouge's Memorial Stadium in 1978, since it could hold upwards of 25,000 fans, while Southern's stadium could only hold 13,000 at the time. It was also played in New Orleans in 2002 and 2004 as part of the "Big Easy Classic." From 2008 to 2010 it was played at Jackson State’s venue to take advantage of the larger capacity.

The intense rivalry extends beyond the game itself, featuring a battle between the schools’ well-respected and popular marching bands, Jackson State's "Sonic Boom of the South" and Southern's "Human Jukebox." Hence, the game is commonly referred to by using a portmanteau of the bands' names—the BoomBox Classic. The BoomBox battle happens before the game begins and continues after the game has been decided, known as the "Zero Quarter" and "Fifth Quarter" respectively in the HBCU community.