Jackson State edged FAMU in a close college football game, but for many viewers, that was beside the point. Two HBCUs squared off on the football field on Sunday, but it wasn’t the score of the closely contested nationally televised game on all-sports cable network ESPN that fans were talking about when the clock struck zero. Instead — while fans and especially alumni of the dueling Rattlers and Tigers were happy to see Black college football getting some coveted national TV time — there was one glaring absence that seemed to get most of the attention despite the game being decided by a single point: The halftime show. It didn’t help that FAMU and Jackson state are routinely credited for having the top bands, amplifying the level of anticipation viewers had for the game’s halftime performances. Exacerbating issues is the fact that halftime shows at HBCU football games carry a certain cultural significance beyond entertainment value. Whether it was because of ESPN’s well-documented diversity issues or just an overall tone-deaf lack of awareness, somebody at the network decided against televising the HBCU’s bands performing at halftime, a portion of the game that is arguably more important to some fans than whoever has more points after the end of four quarters. The omission prompted viewers to take to social media and express what seemed to evolve from disbelief to become full blown outrage.
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