Saturday’s Essence HBCU Classic at Harvard Stadium between Johnson C. Smith University and Morehouse College is a moment for Boston. It will be the city’s largest sporting event involving Historically Black Colleges and Universities in five decades.

Massachusetts hasn’t held a football game between two HBCUs since 1971. Local leaders hope Saturday’s game (4 p.m., ESPN+) will create more visibility and accessibility for HBCUs.

“I think it is the beginning of a new wave of HBCU athletics in the Northeast, especially in Boston,” said John Borders IV, the city’s director of tourism, sports, and entertainment.

Borders and the city are working to create a narrative for HBCU education and sports that reflects Boston’s growth.

“When Howard played University of Maryland Eastern-Shore at Harvard

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