Hampton and Howard to meet in historic HBCU football rivalry

Hampton University and Howard University are scheduled to compete in the ‘Battle of the Real HU’ college football game on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The event, which has been rebranded from the ‘Truth and Service Classic,’ marks the 101st meeting of this historic HBCU rivalry dating back to 1908.

Hampton holds an all-time series advantage of 58-44-1, though Howard won the most recent matchup with a score of 34-7 on Sept. 20, 2025. Since the rivalry began playing at Audi Field in 2021, the Hampton Pirates have maintained a 3-1 record against the Howard Bison at the venue.