TheEddie Robinson Classic was acollege football "kickoff" game played in late August from 1997 through 2002 at various sites. The game was named after legendaryGrambling coachEddie Robinson. Until 2002, the NCAA only allowed for teams to play a 12-game regular season schedule if the first game were a licensed Classic such as the Eddie Robinson Classic, thePigskin Classic, or theKickoff Classic. In 2002 the NCAA ended the allowance of an extra 12th game, thus effectively ending the Classics.[1] Kickoff games would later see a revival in 2008, when theChick-fil-A Kickoff Game was organized as a neutral-site game held inAtlanta,Georgia, followed by theCowboys Classic inArlington, Texas in 2009.
| Date | Winning team | Losing team | Site | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 28, 1997 | No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes | 24 | Wyoming Cowboys | 10 | Ohio Stadium •Columbus, OH |
| August 29, 1998 | No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers | 56 | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | 27 | Memorial Stadium •Lincoln, NE |
| August 28, 1999 | No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 48 | Kansas Jayhawks | 13 | Notre Dame Stadium •South Bend, IN |
| August 26, 2000 | No. 8 Kansas State Wildcats | 27 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 7 | Arrowhead Stadium •Kansas City, MO |
| August 25, 2001 | No. 22 Wisconsin Badgers | 26 | Virginia Cavaliers | 17 | Camp Randall Stadium •Madison, WI |
| August 24, 2002 | No. 3 Florida State Seminoles | 38 | Iowa State Cyclones | 31 | Arrowhead Stadium • Kansas City, MO |
Rankings fromAP Poll prior to game.[2]