JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the first time in 16 years, Bethune-Cookman will play a football game at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. Saturday’s game will be the end of an extended road trip for the Wildcats.
Because of Hurricane Ian, Bethune-Cookman (1-4, 1-1 in SWAC) has been on the road for nearly two weeks straight, practicing in Tallahassee and playing road games at Alabama A&M and Tennessee State. On Thursday, they practiced in the Jaguars’ indoor practice facility. They aren’t scheduled to play in Daytona again until Nov. 5.
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“You have to do what you can do and you can’t worry about things you can’t control,” said Bethune-Cookman head coach Terry Sims. “We couldn’t control the storm. We have 150 people on the road. We basically have to write itineraries daily because we’re practicing at different places, living at different places, eating at different places. We have a resilient group. We fell short in a couple of games, but I’m still proud of this group. Everyone has been sticking together. The administration has been doing a fabulous job of making sure that we’re taken care of and have everything that we need.”
The game was originally scheduled to be played in Daytona Beach, but the beginning of Bike Week forced the game to be relocated to a new venue.
“I think it’s great for both teams to have this stage, this type of platform to showcase their skills,” Sims said. “It’s great for us to be going against a team like Jackson State. They are a very talented team and we’ll see where we stand.”
Jackson State has become a lightning rod in HBCU football with the addition of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders as head coach. Since taking the job in 2020, Sanders has built a record of 20-5, including 5-0 this year. His Tigers have not lost a conference game in two years.
The Wildcats have just one win this year and a victory on Saturday would be a massive boost for the team.
“If you win a football game, it does a lot for everyone’s psyche,” Sims said.