A Baton Rouge family’s home will be shared during Bayou Classic week

BATON ROUGE – For Southern and Grambling fans, the Bayou Classic is more than just a game, it’s also a cultural celebration. For several families like a couple from Baton Rouge, the house is shared.

Southern graduate Niles Haymer and his wife Shermaine, a Grambling graduate, began their Bayou Classic rivalry two decades ago.

“I think he was very surprised at the first Bayou Classic when I looked him right in the face,” Shermaine said.

The couple said their household was pretty relaxed leading up to Thanksgiving week. Niles said that’s when the pettiness started and even her children joined in on the rivalry.

“My daughter has already decided on the GSU side. My oldest son is at Southern. My youngest is 12 years old. He’s like Switzerland, he’s neutral,” Niles said.

Both Niles and Shermaine reminisced about their time as students, experiencing the Bayou Classic and now experiencing it as a family.

When the Classic was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the pair said that was when they took their rivalry online. Her viral TikTok videos caught the attention of other HBCU families who could relate to their friendly back and forth.

They said they decide which side to sit on every other game, but no matter who wins, they try their best to leave all the pettiness on the field.

Above all, the pair said that the classic was more important than their friendly rivalry. They said it was rich in history and culture.

“We can show people that HBCUs still matter in the state of Louisiana. “Grambling and Southern has done wonders for everyone in this state,” Niles said.