MLB, Urban Edge Network to broadcast the Andre Dawson Classic
February 18, 2022
Official Major League Baseball News Release
Major League Baseball and Urban Edge Network today announced a collaboration to co-stream MLB Network’s broadcast of the Andre Dawson Classic (www.MLB.com/adc) on Saturday, February 19.
Urban Edge Network will stream two games from the HBCU College Baseball tournament – Jackson State University vs. Southern University (1:00 p.m. CT) and Florida A&M University vs. Alabama State University (6:00 p.m. CT) – via their HBCU League Pass+ (www.HBCULeaguePassPlus.com), a free streaming service for HBCU college sports fans. In addition to HBCU League Pass+, the games will be broadcast LIVE on MLB Network and streamed on MLB.com, with Scott Braun (play-by-play) and Bo Porter (analyst) on the call.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Urban Edge Network to further highlight the Andre Dawson Classic,” said Del Matthews, Vice President of Baseball Development, MLB. “Their reach across the student body and alumni of the entire HBCU network will bring much needed attention to the programs in our tournament and HBCU baseball overall. As a proud HBCU alumnus, I am excited for the potential around this effort.”
Todd F. Brown, CEO & Co-Founder of Urban Edge Network said: “We formed a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to refocus the world on the black men and women’s passion and history with the sport. More than 30 percent of the Negro Leagues Baseball players hailed from HBCUs and many of the games were played on HBCU campuses. Similar to that partnership, we know that through this relationship we can begin to help fill the pipeline with black talent on the field, in coaching, and in front offices while renewing black audiences’ engagement with their heritage in the sport.”
HBCU League Pass Plus is an ad supported Black College Sports Network, delivering 24/7 access to live and on-demand Historically Black Colleges and Universities. As a Microsoft Startup partner, HBCU League Pass+ is a must-have free streaming service for all HBCU college sports fans.
In celebration of Black History Month, the “Andre Dawson Classic” is this weekend at the New Orleans MLB Youth Academy at Wesley Barrow Stadium and University of New Orleans’ Ron Maestri Field. The annual round-robin, collegiate baseball tournament was launched in 2008 by Major League Baseball to highlight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their baseball programs. Formerly known as the “Urban Invitational,” the event was renamed in honor of Andre Dawson – the Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos legend who is one of only two HBCU Baseball alumni enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Among the eight Andre Dawson Classic teams, there are 53 alumni from diversity-focused youth baseball programs that are run in cooperation with Major League Baseball. This is a 112% increase from the last Andre Dawson Classic held in February 2020.
A full schedule of the games can be found by clicking on this link and scrolling down.
Participating teams are as follows:
-Alabama State University (Montgomery, Ala.) – 6th appearance; 2012-2013, 2018-2020, 2022
-Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Fla.) – 2nd appearance; 2019 and 2022
-Grambling State University (Grambling, La.) – 10th appearance; 2011-2012, 2014-2020, 2022
-Jackson State University (Jackson, Miss.) – 1st appearance
-Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas) – 7th appearance; 2012-2013, 2016-2020, 2022
-Southern University (Baton Rouge, La.) – 14th appearance; 2008-2020, 2022
-University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff, Ark.) – 4th appearance; 2018-2020, 2022
-University of New Orleans (New Orleans, La.) – 8th appearance; 2014-2020, 2022