[9] In their third season under head coach Deion Sanders, the Jackson State Tigers began the year with a dominant win over Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic, played at Hard Rock Stadium.
[11] Their second game was also a neutral site contest, as they defeated Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic by thirteen points.
[14] Now ranked in the top 10 by the STATS FCS Poll, the Tigers continued their good form in a pair of road contests, first defeating Alabama State by fourteen points[15] and then beating Bethune–Cookman by forty.
[16] Jackson State's homecoming game followed, as the Tigers hosted the Campbell Fighting Camels from the Big South Conference, and won by eight.
[17] The following weekend, on October 29, Jackson State played host to College GameDay for the first time[18] as the Tigers defeated Southern in a shutout, 35–0.
[25] On December 3, 2022, following the conclusion of the SWAC championship game, it was announced that Sanders would accept the head coaching position at Colorado.
[30] NCCU's home opener played to a shutout victory over Winston-Salem State, an NCAA Division II school which is also an HBCU.
[41] The ESPN Radio broadcast of the game featured commentators Anish Shroff, Max Starks, and Harry Lyles Jr.
The game was officiated by a Mid-American Conference crew led by referee Billy Williams and umpire Tony Day.