Howard–Morgan State football rivalry

The rivalry between the Howard Bison and Morgan State Bears is a matchup between two HBCU schools, one of the oldest rivalries in black college football.^[1][2] The series started in 1899.^[3][4]

SportFootball

Firstmeeting1899
Howard, 71–0

LatestmeetingOctober 25, 2025
Howard, 33–27^OT

NextmeetingOctober 24, 2026

Quick facts Sport, First meeting ...

Howard–Morgan State football rivalry

Howard Bison Morgan State Bears
Sport	Football
First meeting	1899 Howard, 71–0
Latest meeting	October 25, 2025 Howard, 33–27OT
Next meeting	October 24, 2026
Statistics
Total meetings	90
All-time series	Morgan State leads, 47–40–3
Longest win streak	Morgan State, 15 (1953–1973)
Current win streak	Howard, 1 (2025–present)

Close

30km
19miles

Morgan State

Howard

   

Locations of Howard and Morgan State

The Bison won the first game in 1899, 71 to 0. They continued to win—with the Bears scoring 0—until 1903, when the series stopped for 19 years. The series resumed in 1922, with the Bison winning by 50, though the Bears finally scoring its first points in the series. Another shutout win followed for the Bison in 1925. Eddie Hurt began coaching the Morgan State Bears in 1927, and for two years after, both teams tied with no score. The Bears first win against the Bison was in 1931.^[5] The Bison would only manage 4 wins and a tie from 1931 to 1979, then proceed to win 18 of the next 22 games from 1980 to 2001, and then only manage 3 wins from 2002 to 2016, before winning the last 6 games of the series from 2017 to 2023. Morgan State ended the streak in 2024, winning 35–21 at home.

The rivalry is driven by several factors, which include the close proximity of their locations (DC-Baltimore). Roughly only 46 miles separate the nation’s top black educational institutes. The two schools compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.