BATON ROUGE - For Southern and Grambling fans, the Bayou Classic is more than just a game, as it is also a cultural celebration. For several families like one Baton Rouge couple, their house is divided.

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 during the first Bayou Classic when I was so in his face," Shermaine said.

The couple said their household is pretty relaxed until that Thanksgiving week. Niles said that was when the pettiness began, and even their children joined the rivalry.

"My daughter has already chosen the side of GSU. My oldest son, he's with Southern. My youngest is 12 years old. He's like Switzerland, he's neutral," Niles said.

Both Niles and Shermaine recalled their times 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 couple said that's when they took their rivalry online. Their viral TikTok videos gained the attention of other HBCU families who could relate to their friendly back-and-forth.

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

Most of all, the couple said the Classic runs deeper than their friendly rivalry. They said it's 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 anyone in this state,” Niles said.