About the Chicago Football Classic

In 1997 a small, local group of African American businessmen– Larry Huggins, Everett Rand, Tim Rand, and (later) William “Bill” Garth – formed the Chicago Football Classic (CFC) as a not- for- profit organization dedicated to encouraging African American youth to achieve their personal best in school and beyond and empowering them to not only complete high school, but also attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

African American college students are known to fare better and graduate at higher rates at HBCUs, than African American students attending mainstream colleges and universities. The group achieves these goals via several initiatives, including adopt-a-school programs and most notably, scholarships for African American students planning to attend HBCUs institutions.

With a scholarship program in place, the group knew that a platform was needed for the following:

1) Showcase the talents, potential, and accomplishments of scholarship recipients as well as the benefits of attending HBCUs.

2) Encourage African American students and their families to lift the bar of excellence and achievement via a vehicle involving students, their families and the entire community. That vehicle became known as the CFC a weekend-long itinerary of cultural, educational and other exhilarating activities.