The Andre Dawson Classic is the annual, round-robin collegiate baseball tournament designed by Major League Baseball to highlight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their baseball programs.
Recognized by the Higher Education Act of 1965, HBCUs have offered quality educational and athletic programs for African American youth for more than a century. HBCUs have a proud baseball tradition, and have produced Hall of Famers such as Lou Brock (Southern University) and Andre Dawson (Florida A&M University).
This event (originally known as the Urban Invitational) was first launched in 2008 at the MLB Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., and was hosted there until 2012 when the tournament relocated to Houston. The Houston Astros hosted the event at Minute Maid Park in 2012 and 2013. In 2014 and 2015 the tournament relocated to New Orleans, and those two years included participation by NCAA Division I programs LSU and the University of New Orleans. This year's tournament will take place at the historic Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla.
The 2025 tournament will feature seven HBCUs: Alabama State University (Montgomery, Ala.), Alabama A&M University (Huntsville, Ala.), Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Fla.), Grambling State University (Grambling, La.) Jackson State University (Jackson, Miss.), Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas) and Southern University (Baton Rouge, La.). They will be joined by the University of Missouri (Columbia, Mo.).
Each year, the tournament features dozens of Nike RBI and MLB Youth Academy alumni on the HBCU rosters.
VERO BEACH, Fla. – Grambling State’s Chris Marcellus can look around the Jackie Robinson Training Complex and compare his growth as a player to that of the facility’s increasing popularity and standing in the baseball community....
The Andre Dawson Classic is an annual, round-robin collegiate baseball tournament designed by Major League Baseball to highlight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their baseball programs. Continuing its goal of highlighting the grand tradition of Black college baseball, the 17th iteration of the tournament (originally known as the...
Although Spring Training is just now getting started and Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is still more than a month away, plenty of baseball is being played this weekend throughout the country, including at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla. It’s officially college baseball season, and as...
The Andre Dawson Classic is an annual, round-robin collegiate baseball tournament designed by Major League Baseball to highlight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their baseball programs. Continuing its goal of highlighting the grand tradition of Black college baseball, the 16th iteration of the tournament (originally known as the...
VERO BEACH, Fla. -- If you were present at The Jackie Robinson Training Complex this weekend, there was a definite buzz around the historic Holman Stadium, buoyed by the competitive play between the six historically Black colleges and universities at the 16th Andre Dawson Classic. But away from the action,...
VERO BEACH, Fla. -- If you stick around long enough, it begins to feel like the universe is playing tricks on you -- especially as a baseball fan. History tends to repeat itself between the lines, giving you random bouts of déjà vu, ensuring that the beautiful legacies of the...
From a very young age, Andre Dawson knew he wanted to be a Florida A&M Rattler. In elementary school, the future member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame attended the Orange Blossom Classic, where the Rattlers football team played annually in his hometown of Miami. The games were intoxicating...
Take a look back at some of the best moments from the 2025 Andre Dawson Classic
Take a look at some of the best moments from day three of the 2025 Andre Dawson Classic
DeMarckus Smiley nabs a runner trying to steal second base to complete the double play and end the bottom of the 2nd inning
Cardell Thibodeaux hits a three-run home run to right field, cutting Southern's deficit to 15-3
Trey Callaway hits a bases-clearing double and advances to third base on a throwing error to add to Missouri's lead and make it 12-0
Tune in to watch Alabama State take on Jackson State at the 2025 Dawson Classic
Jackson Lovich hits a Little League home run in the 4th inning to extend Missouri's lead to 2-0 in the 4th inning
Tune in to watch Prairie View A&M take on Grambling State at the 2025 Dawson Classic
Take a look at some of the best moments from day two of the 2025 Andre Dawson Classic
