By: Habtom Keleta-Asst. AD for Media Relations
GRAMBLING, La. -| The Grambling State Tigers released its 2021 spring football schedule. Due to the
postponement of the fall season by the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the team will face a conference only schedule starting on Saturday, February 27, 2021 as Grambling faces Prairie View A&M in the State Fair Classic in Dallas on opening weekend.
"We are excited about this opportunity," said Grambling State head football coach
Broderick Fobbs. "As you know this has been extremely tough for not only our players, but also our coaches and administration as well."
"We are looking forward to getting the opportunity to participate in our SWAC football season this spring, and we are looking forward to it being an exciting brand of football as we continue to walk through this continual situation to make sure that all parties involved stay safe, but also more importantly, to play together and do things the right way." said Coach Fobbs.
On March 6, Grambling hosts Jackson State for the first game of the season at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium, followed by a bye week. The Tigers return to "The Hole" for another home game on March 20 as Arkansas-Pine Bluff comes to town. On March 27 the Tigers hit the road to face Alabama A&M, followed by a trip to Houston to face Texas Southern on April 3.
After another off week, Grambling and Southern face off in the annual Bayou Classic which is set to take place on April 17 in New Orleans.
As a guest on the weekly Grambling athletics show "Rollin' With the G," he was asked how he would manage the load for his team due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In classic
Broderick Fobbs fashion, he calmly responded.
"I think the first thing I would say is the importance of routine," said Coach Fobbs. "As a football coach you have to know your team, know your limits, know your quality and know your development. One thing that will keep my team from being burned out is to allow me to control the pace. You have to be smart in your approach because you don't want to leave your championships on the field, you want to leave them at the games."
The 2021 SWAC Football Championship is set for May 1. If all goes well, the Grambling State Tigers look to (at worst case) host the SWAC championship at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium, or at minimum get Grambling nation to travel to a nearby SWAC city to cheer on their Tigers in yet another championship contest.
"We are looking forward to playing in the spring," said Grambling State University Vice President for Student Affairs and Athletic Director
Dr. David Ponton. "I know our student-athletes and coaches are eager to go out and compete for championships. Fans, be sure to come out and support our GSU athletics teams in the spring!"
