Atlanta, Ga. | Morehouse College football is going international.
The Maroon Tigers will make history on Saturday, November 7, 2026, when they travel to Nassau, Bahamas, to face Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Kentucky State University in the YES HBCU Bahamas Classic. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
The trip will mark the first international trip in the history of Morehouse football, giving the Maroon Tigers an opportunity to take one of college athletics' most recognizable HBCU brands beyond the United States while providing student-athletes with a once-in-a-lifetime cultural and educational experience.
"This is much bigger than a football game for Morehouse," said Morehouse College Director of Athletics Harold Ellis. "The Morehouse brand is recognized nationally and internationally, taking our football program to the Bahamas gives us another opportunity to show the world who we are. Our student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete for an important conference win, but they will also represent Morehouse College, our alumni and the legacy of this institution on an international stage. That kind of exposure and experience is invaluable as we continue to elevate Morehouse Athletics."
The matchup will remain an official SIAC conference contest, adding significance to a game that will also serve as Morehouse's regular-season finale. The contest was originally scheduled to be played at Kentucky State before being moved to Nassau as part of the YES HBCU Bahamas Classic. The SIAC Championship Game is scheduled for the following Saturday, November 14.
Morehouse and Kentucky State have developed a competitive conference series in recent seasons. The teams split their last two meetings, with Morehouse earning a dramatic 31-28 victory in the 2024 Chicago Football Classic before Kentucky State responded with a 35-17 win in Atlanta in 2025.
The international matchup adds another marquee event to the first season under Morehouse head football coach Brad Sherrod. The 2026 schedule already includes neutral-site and classic contests against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Tuskegee, the annual Atlanta rivalry with Clark Atlanta and a road matchup against Howard before the Maroon Tigers close the regular season against Kentucky State in the Bahamas.
GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Morehouse College vs. Kentucky State University
Event: YES HBCU Bahamas Classic
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
Kickoff: 1:00 p.m. ET
Site: Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium
Location: Nassau, Bahamas
Conference: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)
More Than a Football Game
The YES HBCU Bahamas Classic is the latest step in Young Entrepreneurz Solutions' (YES) effort to provide HBCU student-athletes, alumni and supporters with unique experiences through athletics.
The organization produced its first HBCU football event in the Caribbean in November 2025 in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The 2026 event moves the Classic to Nassau and features two established SIAC programs in Morehouse and Kentucky State. The game will be played at Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, one of the premier sporting venues in the Bahamas.
For Morehouse, the opportunity also extends the College's reach into an international marketplace and creates another platform to engage alumni, prospective students, corporate partners and supporters beyond Atlanta.
The Bahamas weekend is expected to include activities surrounding the game for alumni and fans. Tickets, travel and event information is available through the official YES HBCU Classic website.
About Young Entrepreneurz Solutions (YES)
Young Entrepreneurz Solutions (YES) was founded by former Rutgers University award-winning adjunct professor and veteran entrepreneur Ernest Ruffin Jr. The organization's mission is to help create 10,000 entrepreneurs of color by providing participants with the foundational business skills needed to start, secure and grow successful businesses. YES specializes in teaching entrepreneurship and economic development to middle school and high school students as well as adults, with an emphasis on creating economic opportunities in underserved communities. More than 4,000 students have participated in YES Business Plan Challenges.
The YES HBCU Classic platform expands that mission through sports, using HBCU athletics to create distinctive experiences, visibility and opportunities for student-athletes and the communities they represent.
