While the 2010 New York Urban League Football Classic had all of the makings of a dream black college football game, the nightmare on the field sent fans to tailgating and vendor shopping early. Morgan State University defeated conference rival Howard University 20-3 in the annual scholarship benefit game at the new Giants-Jets Stadium in New Jersey, with the bulk of the scoring in the contest coming before the halftime performances. From the New York Daily News:

It worked. The Bears’ 17-3 halftime lead sent many ticket-holders to the parking lot to indulge in the tailgating. From the looks of several empty sections in the stadium during the second half, there were more people partaking of the tailgating than in their seats for the remainder of the game. “When people see enough of the game, they tend to take advantage of the other aspects of the Football Classic – whether it be tailgating or our vendors,” said NYUL president & CEO Arva Rice. “Whether it be the attendance, Mary J. Blige’s appearance, the bands, we couldn’t be happier.”

An 89-yard interception return touchdown from MSU’s Rashaude Miller late in the second quarter was the game’s prominent highlight, as both the Bears’ and Bison offense continued inconsistent play shown throughout most of their games this season. Morgan State produced just 64 yards of total offense against Howard’s 129.