Following the success of Michael Vick’s Norfolk State and DeSean Jackson’s matchup in the HBCU Battle of the Legends game last fall at Lincoln Financial Field, more historically Black college and university football is coming to South Philadelphia this fall.
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The Eagles are coordinating with the City of Philadelphia to host an HBCU weekend that could feature one or two games at the Linc, according to a team spokesperson. Because the negotiations are ongoing and not yet finalized, the spokesperson could not confirm which teams will be featured that weekend.
Last week at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association media day, Lincoln University head coach Frank Turner revealed his team would be playing Virginia Union at the Linc. Those teams, who compete at the Division II level, are scheduled to play Oct. 31, per the program’s schedule.
Neither school responded when The Inquirer reached out directly.
It would be Lincoln’s first game in Philadelphia in 16 years, when they played Cheyney University at Northeast High School in back-to-back years in 2009 and 2010. The two programs played yearly from 2009 until Cheyney’s football program was shut down in 2017.
Lincoln was winless in 10 games last season, including a 66-21 loss at Virginia Union. Overall, Lincoln is 1-16 all-time against Virginia Union, with its last win coming in 2011, a 19-10 victory.
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Turner is entering his fourth season as head coach and has been on the staff since 2018, serving previously as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. Turner has a 6-24 record at the helm.
Virginia Union, meanwhile, finished with a 9-3 record last season and lost in the first round of the Division II playoffs to California University of Pennsylvania. The Panthers were picked as the preseason favorite to win the CIAA in 2026. Lincoln was picked to finish last in the preseason conference poll.
The matchup between Lincoln and Virginia Union will be the second straight year the Linc hosts an HBCU game. Last year, Jackson’s Delaware State squad held off a late rally from Vick’s Norfolk State for a 27-20 victory. The game brought in a crowd of 47,266 people and brought out all types of stars, from former NFL players Cam Newton and Marshawn Lynch to rapper Meek Mill and longtime Eagle Brandon Graham.
Lincoln, located in Chester County, is the first college-degree granting HBCU in the country.
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