This year’s Orange Blossom Classic sends Florida A&M against the reigning national champions, South Carolina State. First and foremost, we can expect some really good football. But for Kendra Bulluck, the weekend goes well beyond the field.
Long before she became the event’s executive director, Bulluck experienced HBCU football as a child alongside her family. In an interview with Baller Alert, she recalled the rivalries, the back and forth between relatives who attended different schools, church groups traveling together, and her grandmother turning the weekend into an annual shopping trip. At the time she did not fully understand the cultural significance. It was simply a time for family, community and making memories.
Today, Bulluck is helping create those same memories for generations to come.
As one of only two women to own an HBCU sports property, Bulluck holds a unique position in an industry traditionally dominated by men. But becoming one of two was never the goal.
“I never really set out to be one of two, or the first,” she said. “It was really just wanting to do something for the community.”
Bringing the Orange Blossom Classic back to life took nearly a decade of research, networking, meetings and persistence. The first revived game was originally scheduled for 2020, but COVID forced Bulluck and her team to pause and rethink the entire process. When they finally got the green light in 2021, she quickly realized that bringing the game back was only the beginning. She had to build an experience.
That meant stepping into rooms where women are not always expected to lead.
Bulluck said there have been moments of intimidation, but she learned that preparation is her greatest advantage. “You have to be knowledgeable. You have to show up and know what you’re talking about,” she said.
Her confidence was not something she simply walked into the room with. It was built through every challenge, every pivot and every time she chose to keep going. Along the way, male mentors also helped her navigate the sports industry and gave her insight into spaces she may not have otherwise reached.
That persistence now shows up in the Orange Blossom Classic itself, which has grown into far more than a football game. This year’s event brings Florida A&M and South Carolina State together at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Sunday, September 6, with fans getting a full week of football, entertainment, culture and community around it.
The week includes a career fair, a scholarship fundraising luncheon and community programming, with actress and podcast host Crystal Renee Hayslett serving as keynote speaker and Bakari Sellers and Miami hometown hero Teddy Bridgewater among this year’s honorees. Bulluck said the celebration continues with the sixth annual Denim Party, an All-White Party and a new in-stadium party following halftime. On game day, Fan Fest and the Kids Zone give families a chance to get involved, while Miami icons Trina and Trick Daddy bring the entertainment and the Marching 100 and Marching 101 bring hundreds of musicians onto the field.
For Bulluck, her favorite moment happens before the game even begins. After months of planning, she watches the teams take the field, listens to the anthem and finally gives herself permission to breathe.
“I just stand there, I listen to the anthem, and then I’m able to just take a breather and say, ‘We did it. We got here.'”
That moment represents more than another successful event. It represents a full circle journey, from the young girl experiencing HBCU culture with her family to the woman now responsible for preserving that experience for others. That is the legacy Bulluck is building, and it is the same one she grew up inside of.
Her message to women who want to enter spaces that feel intimidating or male dominated is simple: “Believe in yourself and don’t give up.”
After spending 10 years bringing the Orange Blossom Classic back to life, Bulluck is proof that sometimes changing the game starts with refusing to stop playing.
Tickets and the full schedule of events are available at OrangeBlossomClassic.com.
