The 2026 season gets set to start off with a matchup that could very well be for the HBCU National Championship in December. In the 2026 Orange Blossom Classic, Florida A&M and South Carolina State face off for an HBCU heavyweight fight that is the latest chapter in the brief history between the two young star coaches: Chennis Berry and Quinn Gray.
Both coaches were in attendance for the Orange Blossom Classic press conference and were candid about the magnitude of the matchup.
“This is bigger than a football game,” Berry said. “I think it's more than a football game. It's culture, it's legacy. This is an opportunity to showcase pride from both institutions, tradition, excellence of HBCU football.”
Gray added, “I'm excited to see where we will be against the defending national champions because that's what it's all about. You want to make sure that you're playing quality opponents so you can measure up to figure out where you are as a program.”
The game is set to feature two coaches with walking similar paths but having different journeys in their careers. Chennis Berry is the class of HBCU football. After going five-and-five in his first season at Benedict College in 2021, he won two SIAC Championships and made two trips to the Division II playoffs as the top seed in Super Region II.
Then, he moved to South Carolina State and succeeded legendary head coach Buddy Pough. He then proceeded to win two straight MEAC Championships and make the Celebration Bowl twice, finally getting over the hump and winning the HBCU National Championship last December. In the midst of his run, he hasn't lost a conference game in four seasons.
Berry's philosophy was to maximize the talent of the players on his roster. With many of them in the first two seasons of his time at South Carolina State being former Benedict College Tigers, Berry is one of several former Division II coaches who have found success and were called up to the Division I ranks and immediately made a name for themselves.
Quinn Gray now looks to do the same at his alma mater, Florida A&M. Gray served as the head coach of Albany State for the past three seasons, leading the Golden Rams to the SIAC Championship in his first season with the program. Their opponent was Berry's Benedict College Tigers. The first matchup between the two coaches did not go well for Gray, as his team was soundly defeated by Benedict 47-10. Shortly after, Berry left to coach at South Carolina State.
But Gray once again found himself atop the SIAC in the two seasons following Berry's departure it didn't take long for Albany State to find championship glory, ultimately dominating the SIAC and getting quasi-revenge over Benedict College, beating them 20-16 in the SIAC Championship—which was the second of three games that the Rams played against the Tigers in the 2025 season.
Gray then led Albany State to a historic run in the Division II playoffs as they beat Valdosta State 35-30 and Benedict College 14-12 before losing in the region championship to Newberry College 31-24. Now Gray looks to follow the path that Berry traveled in his quest to bring Florida A&M back to the prominence that they enjoyed only a couple of years ago under former head coach Willie Simmons.
“I'm excited to be in this seat as the head coach at Florida A&M University, returning to my alma mater and being able to restore what I feel is the place to restore us back to the place where we rightfully belong. And that's on top of not only HBCU football but FCS football,” Gray said of returning to coach his alma mater.
The matchup will surely be a clash of styles. Gray employs a heavy offensive attack predicated on moving the ball quickly and an air passing attack. Meanwhile, Chennis Berry has succeeded with his team having an aggressive defensive posture: getting after the quarterback, disrupting the flow of the offense, and controlling the tempo of the game.
Berry spoke about the culture that he instills in his team, saying, “When we talk about culture in our program, culture is how you act, how you react, and how you interact… our culture at South Carolina State is second to none. It's built on discipline. It's built on accountability.”
Nevertheless, the game will be a good measuring stick for both programs as they look to meet once again in Atlanta for the Cricket Celebration Bowl in December.
