The third-oldest stadium in Georgia, A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium has witnessed generations of football games in the decades since its opening. It is named for A.J. McClung, a former Columbus mayor and civil rights leader. In the spirit of sportsmanship, the 10,000-seat stadium continues a long-standing tradition of hosting rivalry games, including the Fountain City Classic between Fort Valley State University and Albany State University—two historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Another classic HBCU rivalry football game between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College was hosted for years at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, alongside weeklong celebrations for fans and alumni. The stadium also hosted “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” game between Auburn University and the University of Georgia from 1916 to 1928 and again from 1930 to 1958.

Today, the open-air stadium is home to local high schools and the Columbus Youth Football program. Watching a game at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium brings Columbus’s long history of celebrating sportsmanship into the present.