After a six-year truce, Morgan State University and Towson University are ready to resume their gridiron battle.
The so-called Battle for Greater Baltimore will take place Sept. 2, when the Morgan State Bears head six miles north to play the Towson Tigers at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Athletic officials from both schools announced the renewed matchup on Tuesday during an event at the Greene Turtle in Towson.
The Bears and Tigers used to face off regularly, starting in 1979. Towson took the first win in the series that year, and it’s since been pretty lopsided, with the county institution tallying 17 wins compared to Morgan’s six. Both schools hold the distinction of being Baltimore’s (or near-Baltimore’s) only Division I football programs.
They last played in 2011, when the Tigers blew out the Bears 42-3. Morgan should therefore be hungry to reverse the trend.
Morgan’s athletic director, Edward Scott, said at the announcement that “this rivalry is something that our students, fans, and alumni can look forward to each year.” Towson’s AD, Tim Leonard, called the renewed series “good for both universities” and “very beneficial to the Greater Baltimore community.”
So far, the schools have locked in games for this season and the next, though they’re working on setting up other matchups through 2020, according to a release.
A week after the Battle for Greater Baltimore, Towson football will head to College Park to play the Terps, while Morgan will play host to the University of Albany. Click here for Morgan’s for 2017 schedule, and here to see Towson’s.
